Now that the Baltimore Ravens have been eliminated from the NFL Playoffs, it’s time to revisit one of the more embarrassing moments in Rick Spielman’s career with the Minnesota Vikings. The Yannick Ngakoue debacle.

As you’ll remember, the Vikings traded away 2nd and 5th round picks to Jacksonville in order to get Yannick here. Then, they turned around six games later and traded him to the Baltimore Ravens, for a package that was dependent on his individual and their team achievements for the 2020-21 season.

Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press just tweeted out the final details of the trade, after Baltimore’s playoff elimination over the weekend.

With Baltimore season over, pick #Vikings will get from Ravens in Yannick Ngakoue trade will be No. 91 in third round (they also got 5th in 2022) The #Vikings originally gave up No. 45 in 2nd to JAX for Ngakoue (and a No. 5), so they salvaged something but dropped 46 draft spots.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) January 18, 2021

Ngakoue Fallout

They Yannick Ngakoue saga in Minnesota is weird. He only played in (Vikings) purple for six games, but still finished with the team lead for sacks (5). That statistic is sad for a lot of reasons.

You want your GM to be aggressive when a winning window is open but this move seemed forced from the start and they paid 46 draft positions because of it. Rick Spielman hasn’t been shy about making splash deals during his time with the Vikings but this one just looks stupid, in hindsight.

Hell, if Spielman did want to take a run at Deshaun Watson this offseason, having that 2nd-round pick would certainly help his cause. Nope, Mike Zimmer needed Yannick Ngakoue… until he didn’t.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Andre Patterson spoke with Dan Barreiro on KFAN Radio earlier this week. While on, he was asked about the Minnesota Vikings’ Yannick Ngakoue experiment and why it didn’t work. Patterson’s answer was quite intriguing. He essentially blamed it on “fit”… or wouldn’t not blame it on “fit”.

The Vikings traded Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens on October 22, for a 3rd and conditional 5th round pick.

Andre Patterson spoke about the Yannick Ngakoue trade with @DanBarreiroKFAN earlier this week, and I thought this comment on Ngakoue's fit with the #Vikings was notable.

"He tried to do the best job he could to fit in. I really can’t say it wasn’t a fit thing." pic.twitter.com/O3cm7Xm1Z5

— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) October 28, 2020

I’m glad Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated tweeted this quote out today. It may have been gone and forever forgotten, had he not.

It’s interesting for a few reasons. First, Ngakoue’s stats while in a Minnesota Vikings uniform, don’t seem to reflect the play of someone who struggled. While wearing the purple and gold, Yannick played 6 games (started 5) and posted 12 tackles, 5 sacks, 7 QB hits and 2 forced fumbles.

The Problem

Specifically, Patterson mentions the balance DE’s have to bring in the Vikings’ defense. That includes major responsibility in the run game. I’m not in the locker room and I don’t have any sources who are but this isn’t the first time I’ve heard or read about the additional run-game responsibility Zimmer and Patterson put on their pass rushers.

It’s also worth noting that, while the Jacksonville Jaguars’ base defense isn’t a 3-4, Ngakoue was treated a lot like a 3-4 rush LB while there. That could have played into his scheme fit issues in Minnesota too, where he was asked to put his hand in the ground much more often.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Spielman: "You want to win as many games as we can, and that's going to be our objective for the year. But also, when you have an opportunity to continue to add, with the 15 draft picks, you're seeing most of them having to play right now."

— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingStrib) October 22, 2020

No other vets have requested trades, Spielman said.

He said Wilfs have been "extremely supportive," and added, "No one thinks the season's over right now."

Can the Vikings compete in NFCN? With 5 division games left, including next 3, "We're going to find out pretty quick."

— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingStrib) October 22, 2020

Wait…. what?

I don’t understand this logic. If you have a top running back you shouldn’t rebuild? What about the Giants… or Panthers… or the Eagles? Should I continue?

I understand that as a general manager, you can’t just come out and say you’re trying to lose, but everyone knows the season is over. This team is 1-5 and the quarterback is bad but paid like an MVP. Even the defense this year is awful. All signs are pointing to a rebuild, even if it’s just for a year or two. Hopefully Spielman isn’t too stubborn to realize that before it’s too late.

This team is a mess right now and everyone is rightfully pointing at the quarterback. Cousins has been bad this year, despite being paid a butt-load of money. The Vikings have to be searching for a replacement or a way to get out of that contract ASAP.

Could more trades be on the way?

As we saw above, no one else has requested a trade but that doesn’t mean there won’t be any. The Vikings have quite a few players they could make available. Some of the likeliest to be traded are Anthony Harris and Riley Reiff.

The trade deadline is a couple days after the Vikings play Green Bay next week. We will have all the updates you need here so check back for any Minnesota Vikings breaking news.

Cooper Carlson | Minnesota Sports Fan

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.

Stay tuned…

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Vikings made a big move this morning (in case you are just waking up from a rough weekend). Yannick Ngakoue wanted out of Jacksonville so badly, he took a $5M pay cut to facilitate a trade to the Vikings. That’s before taxes, given Florida doesn’t have a state income tax.

Ngakoue is expected to play rock/paper/scissors with Danielle Hunter, on who will move to the right side of the defensive line. That would leave Ifeadi Odenigbo as the odd-man-outside. While others around him were celebrating though, Odenigbo was tweeting… and maybe watching movies. Reports haven’t been confirmed.

Yannick Ngakoue played left defensive end for Jaguars. #Vikings co-DC Andre Patterson recently said Danielle Hunter would not move from left to right side but we'll see if that changes. Regardless, Ifeadi Odenigbo, who was slated for right DE, looks to be odd man out as starter.

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) August 30, 2020

Probably just movie day at Ifeadi Odenigbo's house… https://t.co/nIqGcwvI2M pic.twitter.com/FoR426IfNm

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 30, 2020

What Next on Defensive Line?

A lot of questions remain unanswered on this defensive line. Hell, this trade isn’t even finalized so Mike Zimmer couldn’t specifically comment on it, when talking with reporters earlier today. It’s tough to address what will happen with Ifeadi Odenigbo, until Danielle Hunter actually takes the practice field, too.

We can’t have the scariest (and youngest) DE duo in the NFL, if half of the equation is sidelined with the most mysterious injury “tweak”, since Joe Mauer created Bilateral Leg Weakness.

When (or if) Hunter does return, expect Odendigbo to ride pine unless it’s 3rd down or starters need air. Many are already dreaming up the rush packages Zim and Patterson can draw up with Hunter, Ngakoue, Odenigbo, Stephen and others at their disposal.

Zimmer Thoughts

When I watched Mike Zimmer’s zoom conference today, it seemed obvious he hasn’t been impressed by the defensive line. He threw in the, “every day is different” and “sometimes offense wins and sometimes defense does”, when pressed. He definitely didn’t want to get into details, though.

Mike Zimmer doesn't seem impressed with what he's seen at DE so far in camp… #Vikings pic.twitter.com/KKzp8ro0WS

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) August 30, 2020

He also admitted (which we kind of knew) that they’ve been looking for another pass rusher for awhile. I’m not saying the Vikings were desperate for an improvement at defensive line… but one thing seems clear. Ifeadi Odenigbo wasn’t the fix they were looking for.

As long as Danielle Hunter is healthy….. Odenigbo will be nothing but a good backup that Zimmer can have some fun with in passing situations. Beyond that, the Ifeadi Odenigbo hype train has been derailed.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

The Minnesota Vikings have made a major move this morning, acquiring defensive end Yannick Ngakoue from the Jacksonville Jaguars, for a 2021 second-round and a conditional 2022 first-round pick that could go as high as a third-round selection, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Jaguars agreed to trade franchise DE Yannick Ngakoue to Minnesota for a second- and conditional fifth-round pick that could go as high a third-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Ngakoue still has to sign his tender, but trade is in place and Ngakoue is expected to be a Viking.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2020

Last season, Ngakoue forced 4 fumbles, had 41 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and 8.0 sacks. The Vikings now have two elite defensive ends with Ngakoue opposite of Danielle Hunter. This sures up one of about three major issues with Mike Zimmer’s defense. After this acquisition, this defensive line is one of the scariest in the NFL.

Ngakoue has been wanting out of Jacksonville for quite a while and he even agreed to a pay cut, to facilitate the trade to Minnesota. He is expected to see a $5M drop in 2020 salary, from $17.8 million to around $12 or $13 million.

The Vikings and DE Yannick Ngakoue worked overnight on an adjustment to his franchise tender, landing at a little under $13 million. That's down from $17.778 million. And Minnesota made clear its intention to do a long-term deal in '21.

So … Ngakoue REALLY wanted out of Jax.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) August 30, 2020

Maybe the Twins can now jump on the blockbuster trade wagon later today. Their deal-making window expires tomorrow and they need more help than the Vikings…

Cooper Carlson | Minnesota Sports Fan

Around the time of the NFL Draft, it was rumored that the Minnesota Vikings were hitting the trade market to go big-name hunting. During the first two days of the draft, rumors involving the Vikings and left tackle Trent Williams ran wild. That trade would’ve given the Vikings two really good tackles, in both Williams and Brian O’Neill.

Vikings Pursuing Trade For Redskins LT Trent Williams https://t.co/UuxE19Akae pic.twitter.com/wEZpu9GXRr

— NFLTradeRumors.co (@nfltrade_rumors) April 24, 2020

The Vikings ultimately struck out, though. Williams was dealt to San Francisco on the third day of the draft… And yet, you have to applaud General Manager Rick Spielman for trying to add another star to a team, expected to compete for a Super Bowl again this year.

As we head into the dog days of summer, could Spielman be going after a star on the defensive side of the ball? Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports suggested that the Vikings could solve the Jacksonville Jaguars problem by taking Yannick Ngakoue off their hands…

Tired of the back and forth @Jaguars. Let’s get this shit done.

— Yannick Ngakoue (@YannickNgakoue) April 20, 2020

Ngakoue clearly wants out of Jacksonville. Ever since the former South Carolina Gamecock came into the league as a third-round draft pick in 2016, he’s been one of the premier edge-rushers in football.

Ngakoue has 37.5 sacks in his four-year career. This includes a 12.0 sack season in 2017, when he made his only pro bowl. That season, the Jaguars made the AFC Championship, but ultimately lost to the New England Patriots. He’s missed just one game in four years, which came during last season. Productive pass rushers who stay healthy cost a pretty penny in this league…

If the Vikings were to make a trade for the Jacksonville star, what would a deal look like? Benjamin suggests that it would look something like this:

It would require a hefty price, though. There was a reason Spielman did so much wheeling-and-dealing during the draft. Pairing Ngakoue with Danielle Hunter, a two-time pro bowler and the youngest player in NFL history to reach 50.0 career sacks, would give the Vikings an elite 1-2 punch on the edges. This would be even more formidable than the combo of Hunter and Everson Griffen.

The biggest obstacle other than draft picks to acquire Ngakoue would be his salary. According to Spotrac, the Vikings would be taking on $17.788 million in salary for this year alone. Ngakoue then becomes a free agent, which would require more money to keep him around. Yet another situation where the Vikings would have to make major cuts to keep Ngakoue here.

But still This trade makes a ton of sense due to the young secondary Minnesota will have this season. First round pick Jeff Gladney and third round pick Cameron Dantzler should be very good in the purple and gold. However with both being rookies this season, a strong pass rush (92 combined career sacks between the two) will be needed to help take pressure off of the secondary. Ngakoue also seems extremely ready for a fresh start:

To my new future team whomever it may be. I can’t wait to bring great discipline, integrity, and work ethic to that new city. Wherever I may land your going to get the hardest working defensive end in the league !?

— Yannick Ngakoue (@YannickNgakoue) April 20, 2020

Since being in the Vikings front office since 2006, Spielman has been aggressive in trying to bring stars to the land of 10,000 lakes. As Vice president of player personnel, Spielman was involved in trading for Jared Allen in 2008, re-acquiring Randy Moss in 2010 and the signing of Brett Favre in 2009. When he became GM in 2012, his most notable trade was acquiring Sam Bradford prior to the 2016 season.

After making the NFC Divisional round last year and revamping their defense, this trade with Jacksonville would make a ton of sense for the Vikings. Ngakoue would be icing on the cake for a solid 2020 offseason.

via GIPHY

Hunter Plante | Minnesota Sports Fan