The Vikings are in the business of trying to clear some cap space.
There are cap casualty options. One could be via trade. Per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the Vikings are actively shopping cornerback Trae Waynes at the NFL Combine.
It makes sense. Waynes is a solid cornerback, but he’s due $9 million next season and the Vikings have other solid pieces at cornerback: Xavier Rhodes, Mike Hughes, Holton Hill and Mackensie Alexander. The emergence in 2018 of Hill, an undrafted free agent, probably makes general manager Rick Spielman feel comfortable about trading Waynes.
In 2020, Waynes will become a free agent. The No. 11 overall pick in 2015 just wrapped up his fourth season in the league. Per Pro Football Focus, Waynes had a player grade of 69.1, a mark that ranked 49th in the NFL. Probably not worth what the Vikings are paying him.
The question is, what can they get for him? It depends what another team views Waynes as. Is he a one-year rental, or a player the team intends to sign to a long-term deal?
A third or fourth-round pick seems about right. We’ll update you on any more rumblings.
