Getty Raiders safety Johnathan Abram is being actively shopped ahead of the November 1 trade deadline.
Despite not playing up to their expectations, the Minnesota Vikings have gutted out four straight single-possession victories to enter their bye week with a 5-1 record.
Taking the week for self-scouting, the Vikings offense, brimming with playmakers and Pro Bowl talent, has plenty of room to grow in the early germination of first-year head coach Kevin O’Connell‘s offensive scheme.
However, the defense could use some reinforcements. They’ve allowed the seventh-most yards per game in the league but have stayed afloat through some fortunate turnovers. The Vikings hoped first-round pick Lewis Cine could grow into a contributing role on defense, however, his rookie season didn’t pan out as expected after he suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 4.
Cine was expected to eventually take over as a springy, box safety that can tackle and disrupt plays in a hurry. CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin proposed the Vikings make a move for a former first-round pick who Minnesota could acquire for the low that has those same qualities.
Vikings Land Raiders S Johnathan Abram in Trade Proposal
On October 20, Benjamin outlined a dozen trades across the NFL before the November 1 deadline.
He proposed the Vikings send a fifth-round pick in next year’s draft to the Las Vegas Raiders for safety Johnathan Abram, a 2019 first-round pick.
“Minnesota’s cruising toward a potential playoff run, but with first-rounder Lewis Cine injured at safety, they could use more of a thumper to pair with Harrison Smith on the back end, allowing Camryn Bynum to roam in a situational role,” Benjamin wrote. “Abram is basically a lost cause in Las Vegas, relegated to the bench after a mercurial run for the replaced regime that drafted him.”
Abram is being actively shopped ahead of the trade deadline, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, as a bubble player caught in Las Vegas’ regime change following the Mike Mayock-Jon Gruden ousting.
“The Raiders are trying to start new with players who fit their personality,” an NFC executive told Fowler, adding that the Raiders have had plenty of talks with other teams regarding Abram. “They’ve been pretty aggressive in that.”
Las Vegas declined to exercise Abram’s fifth-year option, along with fellow 2019 draftees Josh Jacobs and Clellin Ferrel. Abram is set to reach free agency next offseason — meaning Las Vegas may be willing to deal him for a discount to recover some draft capital as Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler begins his rehaul of the roster.
Scouting Report on Johnathan Abram
Abram, whose greatest strengths align at the strong safety position, has been moved all over the defense similar to Harrison Smith‘s free safety role this season as the new coaching staff tries to find the right way to deploy him.
“He’s a smart guy,” Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels said on September 22, per The Athletic. “I mean, we put a lot on him. He’s been able to handle the duality of the multiple roles that we’ve given him. He’s a big cog in terms of the overall communication on the defense.”
An aggressive tackler and former quarterback whose more than willing to lay the lumber, Abram has struggled with keeping his aggression in check in his career but has shown improvement amid a contract year. Abram is third on the team with 32 combined tackles, only missing two tackles through five games this season, according to Pro Football Reference.
“John has always been a guy who’s willing to hit anything that moves,” McDaniels added. “I think what John’s learning how to do is take his aggression and also learn how to play under control so that there’s less missed tackles or less overruns here or there, which is a sign of a guy who’s maturing. We’re asking him to do a lot of things; he’s answering the bell.”
He’s shown improvement in coverage in his new role but, if traded to the Vikings, could thrive as a box safety alongside Smith with Cam Bynum rotating in a more versatile role.
The Athletic’s draft analyst Dane Brugler projected Abram to be a starting strong safety in the league and at the very least a “special teams standout” — plenty of upside for the price of a fourth-round pick.
“Overall, Abram is not the type of safety who will sniff out routes and thrive in deep coverage, but he is a tempo-setter with the fast and physical appetite to hunt, projecting at-best as a starting NFL strong safety and at-worst a special teams standout,” Brugler wrote in his 2019 draft guide.
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