Vikings Trade Deadline: G Landon Dickerson A Possible Target

The Minnesota Vikings are still the only undefeated team in the league at 6-0, but the offense hasn’t looked the part. They’ve scored just 10 touchdowns all year—the lowest total for a 6-0 team since the 1934 Lions and have leaned on kicker Will Reichard for a big chunk of their points. Sunday’s 16-10 win over the Colts showed the same issues again: protection breaking down at the wrong times, drives stalling, and not enough explosive plays or red-zone finishes. So does Minnesota’s GM Nolan Teasley feel the offensive line needs to be addressed through trade?

Donovan Jackson, the 2025 first-round pick at left guard, tore his meniscus and is done for the year. Will Fries, brought in on a sizable free-agent deal at right guard, hasn’t played up to that contract after dealing with a leg fracture in 2024. Blake Brandel and Joe Huber have held up in spots, but the group hasn’t been consistent enough for a team that wants to make a real run in January. The Vikings have already looked around the trade market, and a veteran guard is viewed as one of the higher-leverage moves they could still make. With Quenton Nelson now off the board and being traded to the Seahawks, who remains as options for Teasley and the Vikings??

Landon Dickerson is the name that stands out most to me. The Eagles’ left guard is 28, an Alabama product, and a three-time Pro Bowler who has been a steady piece of a strong Philadelphia line in recent years. He came off injured reserve (knee bone bruise) and played every snap Monday night against the Cowboys.

There’s been more talk about him possibly moving after some changes in Philadelphia. The Eagles traded center Cam Jurgens to the Ravens, Lane Johnson retired, and they reworked Dickerson’s deal into a three-year, $58.5 million structure with fewer guarantees in the short term. He’s made comments that left some uncertainty about his role, and ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler has said something feels off with the team. Fowler put the trade odds at 25 percent, with the Packers and Chargers as possible fits. Minnesota’s need makes them a logical option too. And with the Eagles likely a seller at the deadline it only makes sense.

From a contract standpoint, it wouldn’t be an impossible fit. A lot of the money is already tied up in option bonuses Philadelphia paid, so a new team would mainly take on the remaining base salary for this season. I figure that amount around $7-9 million dollars. Dickerson would give the Vikings a proven pass protector and run blocker on the left side next to Christian Darrisaw, which would help the pocket for Kyler Murray and give the run game a better chance. Even if it’s just a rental, it addresses the biggest offensive problem they have right now. His age and the recent injury would still factor into what Minnesota would be willing to give up.

Ben Bredeson of the Buccaneers has been linked to Minnesota in multiple reports. He’s also 28 and has started most of his career at left guard (with some ability to play other spots inside) after the Ravens took him in the fourth round in 2020. He’s on a team-friendly deal that runs through 2027. Tampa Bay has struggled early, so they could be open to moving a veteran. Bredeson would be a solid starter or quality depth, and it would also put him on the same team as his younger brother Max, the Vikings’ fullback. The cost is expected to be modest. He may cost a Day 3 pick swap which makes it a practical option if the front office wants reliability more than a big name.

Cesar Ruiz of the Saints is another name that has come up. ESPN has him as a candidate with a 25 percent chance of being traded. The 27-year-old has been a steady right guard with good pass-block win rates in recent seasons and solid PFF pass-blocking grades. New Orleans is sitting around 2-5 and evaluating veterans while they’re out of the playoff picture. Ruiz is in the middle of a multi-year deal, which could make a trade trickier for the Saints because of dead money, but he’s a younger, technically sound player who could compete for a starting spot or give quality depth next to Fries and Brandel. Contending teams looking for interior help have asked about similar players. The problem is Ruiz plays on the right side which is already occupied by Will Fries.

Quenton Nelson was the biggest name on the market for a while, but the Colts traded him to the Seahawks earlier this week for a 2027 third-round pick and a 2028 fifth, so that option is gone. Other names have floated around, including Hjalte Froholdt in Arizona (though he recently got an extension) and some Eagles depth pieces, but Dickerson, Bredeson, and Ruiz look like the most realistic mix of talent, availability, and fit.

For a 6-0 team with an already strong defense, adding a veteran guard is one of the cleaner ways to raise both the floor and ceiling of the offense. It would help the pass protection so Murray’s mobility is more of a weapon than something he has to rely on every dropback, support the run game for better down-and-distance situations, and take some pressure off Justin Jefferson and T.J. Hockenson.

Nolan Teasley and Kevin O’Connell have the capital and the window to make a move. NFC Rivals in the 49ers and Seahawks are adding pieces. The Packers and Bears have been rumored names looking to add players before the deadline. This is an arms race, and the undefeated Vikings should absolutely be trying to fill some holes. The next couple of weeks will show whether they go after a proven Pro Bowl-type player like Dickerson or look for a more affordable veteran addition.