Getty Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Reagor during the 2023 preseason.
The Minnesota Vikings announced the initial 53-man roster on Tuesday, August 29, which included wide receiver/return specialist Jalen Reagor.
NFL analysts frequently discussed Reagor as a potential cut candidate over the summer, meaning he likely snuck onto the roster as the last of six wideouts who remain members of the team. The Vikings may have kept him in the fold to utilize his return skills, as he was ineffectual as a pass-catcher during his first campaign with the team in 2022. Another possibility is that Minnesota believes Reagor still has meaningful trade value.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on Tuesday that Minnesota has fielded calls from teams interested in trading for the wide receiver.
A name to watch: The #Vikings have received calls inquiring about the availability of former first-round WR Jalen Reagor, source said. Minnesota traded for him about a year ago.
“A name to watch: The #Vikings have received calls inquiring about the availability of former first-round WR Jalen Reagor, source said,” Rapoport wrote. “Minnesota traded for him about a year ago.”
Lions, Jets May Be Among Teams Interested in Trading for Vikings WR Jalen Reagor
GettyMinnesota Vikings wide receiver Jalen Reagor has drawn interest as a potential trade target.
Among the teams that may be interested in a deal for Reagor are the Detroit Lions and the New York Jets.
Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus on Monday named Reagor as a cut candidate, mentioning the Jets and Lions among a handful of potential landing spots.
Reagor played significantly in the preseason with 91 snaps, the most of any wide receiver on the Vikings’ roster. The former first-round pick of the [Philadelphia] Eagles notched eight receptions for 93 yards over the stretch, and while he’s been solid, he is at best the No. 4 option behind Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and K.J. Osborn.
Depth receivers Brandon Powell and Jalen Nailor offer much more special teams value, which could make Reagor’s role going forward an interesting one. In 2022, Reagor managed just eight receptions for 104 yards and one touchdown, and this season he has a fully guaranteed salary of nearly $2.5 million.
Rapoport did not name any of the teams that have reached out to the Vikings to inquire about Reagor, though the same candidates to claim Reagor off of waivers had he been cut should be numbered among the interested parties in a potential trade.
Also named by Spielberger as possible landing spots for Reagor were the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans.
Vikings Can Do More by Trading WR Jalen Reagor Than by Keeping Him
GettyWide receiver Jalen Reagor, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles, is now a member of the Minnesota Vikings and a potential trade candidate.
The Eagles drafted Reagor one spot ahead of Jefferson in the 2020 draft. He didn’t play well in Philly over his first two years in the NFL, at which point the team began shopping him.
The Vikings traded for Reagor last summer, sending Philadelphia a seventh-round pick and a conditional fifth-rounder, which still has the potential to become a fourth-round selection based on performance.
Minnesota has spent this offseason remaking its roster, cutting salary while looking to get younger simultaneously. After drafting Addison, Reagor became an even less likely candidate to remain on the roster in 2023. Despite that, he ended up making the final 53 Tuesday.
The Vikings also sent signals this offseason about Reagor’s long-term future with the franchise when the team chose not to exercise the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. Getting something back for Reagor now, who was clearly a miss last season, is a sensible move for the Vikings considering the state of the offense and roster as a whole.