The Minnesota Vikings are reportedly among the teams interested in Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline.
However, it’s unclear whether Minnesota or any other interested team would be willing to part with the draft capital necessary to acquire him. Meanwhile, another team that’s reportedly keen on Taylor is the New York Giants.
The Vikings have to ponder whether they want to part with the draft capital to elevate their offense and take advantage of their championship-caliber defense. Nonetheless, when it comes to the Giants, they are being urged not to pursue Taylor by Underscore Media’s John Jastremski.
“All in? No,” Jastremski said in a Nov. 5 video from Underscore Media when talking about whether the Giants should pursue Taylor.
“Would I be aggressive? Yes. I think they’re two entirely different conversations. I also think you have to separate adding a running back and adding Jonathan Taylor. I, for one, am not giving up the price that Indianapolis wants for Jonathan Taylor.”
Taylor has played 412 snaps on offense so far for Indianapolis, leading to a 62.8 overall PFF grade. The Colts star has carried the ball 148 times for 610 rushing yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 4.1 yards per attempt on the ground and forcing 19 missed tackles as a runner.
Meanwhile, in the passing game, Taylor has caught 21 passes on 28 targets for 202 receiving yards. As a result, the Colts want fair value for a player of this production.
Giants Urged to Pursue Bargain Trade Option Over Jonathan Taylor
Jastremski would prefer the Giants pursue a bargain trade option rather than going all in on Taylor, which would be ideal for the Vikings as it would remove one suitor for the running back.
“If the team was literally one piece away, I would say yes,” Jastremski added. “I don’t believe that they are. I think they’re ascending, but I’ve seen this team add some really good pieces in the draft. I’d like to add another big-time young player maybe to next year’s team. Go get Tony Pollard for a mid-round pick.”
Vikings Get Insider Update on Colts’ Jonathan Taylor
With only a few days until the trade deadline, Prime Video’s NFL insider James Palmer shared the latest update regarding Taylor and the trade rumors surrounding the player.
“Everything’s a little bit quiet right now,” Palmer said during a Nov. 5 appearance on Prime Video. “Teams are kind of feeling things out on Sunday about where they’re exactly going to be. But we do have Jonathan Taylor circled, and there are teams like the Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, Green Bay Packers, and Denver Broncos still interested in Jonathan Taylor.
“They’ve all contacted the Colts. There’s been a couple of offers in there, but nothing to the level of what Indianapolis is looking for.”
It will be interesting to see if the Vikings decide to get aggressive, and while there’s no QB who can elevate their offense, Taylor would do wonders for their running game. Running the football and playing good defense is a good formula to go on a deep playoff run.
Giants Receive Clear Jonathan Taylor Take Amid Vikings Trade Rumor