Grading the Vikings trade of DE Stephen Weatherly to the Broncos
The Vikings had to be smart this offseason when it came to signing depth talent.
Ultimately, Minnesota opted to let DE Ifeadi Odenigbo walk. Instead of Odenigbo, the Vikings decided to bring DE Stephen Weatherly back to fill out an edge rusher role.
Just like Odenigbo last season, Weatherly did not pan out in with the Vikings. Weatherly tallied zero sacks and zero QB hits before Minnesota traded him and a 2023 seventh-round pick to Denver for a 2022 seventh-round pick.
In my mind, this move is somewhat of a concession on the Vikings’ part. The team thought Weatherly could perform better than he did. He was not able to fill out a starting defensive end role this year. He wasn’t even the most enticing edge rusher among the reserves. D.J. Wonnum currently has that claim.
As reported by the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, Weatherly had been looking for a fresh start after watching his reps go down in Minnesota. In that regard, the Vikings dealing him before the deadline makes sense.
Based on the draft capital it gave up, Minnesota did not get much in return for Weatherly. No matter which way you look at it, the Vikings making this trade was a loss for the team.
Grade: D
