Vikings Trade Yannick Ngakoue to Ravens

By Eric Strack |

Updated: Oct 22, 2020

Has the Minnesota Vikings trade deadline fire sale officially started? Yannick Ngakoue was just traded to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2021 3rd-round pick and a 2022 conditional 5th-rounder. Ngakoue was brought in just as the season was getting underway but still tallied five sacks and two forced fumbles in six games, while wearing purple.

Vikings and Ravens finalizing a trade to send DE Yannick Ngakoue to Baltimore for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional fifth-round pick, sources tell ESPN.

Vikings initially sent 2021 second-round pick and 2022 conditional fifth-round pick to Jags. Now get most back.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2020

Minnesota originally traded away a second round pick to get Ngakoue, like Schefty says, but they won’t get nearly that return this time around. The two picks will likely be miles away from each other. Baltimore is good (5-1), and they only sent Minnesota a third round pick. Meanwhile, the Vikings are bad (1-5), and sent the Jags their second-rounder. We could have 1.5 (maybe more) rounds between these two picks by the time the dust settles on a 2021 draft order.

My apologies, inverted signing bonus & base salary

Minnesota swaps pick No. ~40 for No. ~90 w/ Ravens

Ngakoue's re-worked deal included a $4M signing bonus, which would all stay in Minnesota. They end up paying ~$6M and moving back 50 picks in the Draft for 6 games of Ngakoue
— Brad Spielberger (@PFF_Brad) October 22, 2020

Only the beginning?

Ears are perked up now because this move could be the start of a 2020 Minnesota Vikings fire sale. It would make sense, since the NFL Trade Deadline is coming up on November 3. Trading away Yannick could be the beginning of a complete roster explosion. At the same time, if Ngakoue wasn’t coming back to Minnesota in 2021, this trade was inevitable no matter what other moves are planned.