I know the Minnesota Vikings traded for Mike Wallace this offseason, but could they still be interested in adding a pass-catcher in tomorrow's NFL Draft? Specifically, could they be going after West Virginia's Kevin White?
It's possible, which is why Grantland's Bill Barnwell laid out a draft day trade scenario that makes some sense. In it, the Vikings send the No. 11 pick, a fifth-rounder and Cordarrelle Patterson to the Chicago Bears for the No. 7 overall pick.
"Patterson, who showed flashes of brilliance during the second half of his rookie season, simply never got going last year," Barnwell wrote. "He seemed to get on the wrong side of offensive coordinator Norv Turner, and by the end of the year, he was fourth on the depth chart behind even waiver-wire acquisition Charles Johnson. Minnesota's offseason trade for Mike Wallace suggests the Vikings don't have a lot of faith in Patterson as a deep threat, let alone as a No. 1 receiver.
"The Bears, meanwhile, desperately need options at wide receiver; after trading Marshall this offseason, they're down to 2013 seventh-rounder Marquess Wilson as a starter across from Alshon Jeffery. That's trouble. It seems certain they'll address the position at some point during draft weekend, but they could justify moving down four spots by taking a flier on Patterson. This trade would implicitly value him as being worth a mid-third-rounder, which seems fair."
Remember, this is just a hypothetical situation at this point. But White is expected to last until the No. 7 pick and the Vikings do want to surround second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater with as many weapons as possible.
On the flip side, Patterson may just need a change of scenery to get back to the explosive playmaker he was in his rookie year. Maybe Chicago would be interested in giving him that second chance while adding an extra pick in the process.
The NFL Draft will begin tomorrow night.
