Vikings Running Out Of Time To Make A Deal For Vincent Jackson

Vikings running out of time to make a deal for Vincent Jackson

Vincent Jackson

ShareretweetEmailPrintAt this point, it looks like it will take a Hail Mary to get a Vincent Jackson(notes) trade done before this afternoon’s 4 p.m. deadline.











The Minnesota Vikings need to address their problems at wide receiver, but Jackson has high salary demands and the San Diego Chargers aren’t about to give away the suspended star. That leaves the situation hanging in the balance.











Rumors have been flying for a couple of days and it’s impossible to rule anything out, but once Sidney Rice(notes) returns, the Vikings will have two players who are pretty much the same. Is that what they need?











So, the Vikings went a less costly route, at least for now, signing Hank Baskett(notes) after he was cut loose by the Philadelphia Eagles. Baskett was released by the Eagles so they would have room to sign running back Joique Bell(notes) off the practice squad of the Buffalo Bills.











Rice is out until at least midseason for the Vikings and now Percy Harvin(notes) is battling a hip injury that could keep him on the sideline for a bit. The Vikings’ defense has played very well through two games but the offense needs some help for Brett Favre(notes), who has been misfiring.











Baskett has experience with the Vikings in the past. He can also help on special teams. The big question is whether or not big help will arrive in the form of Jackson, who would be eligible to play after two more games on the suspended list in Week 5.

Vincent Jackson Possibility Accruing

Vincent Jackson Possibility Accruing

Vincent Jackson in purple makes sense. The Vikings only have 4 receivers on their active roster, their star receiver, Sidney Rice, is out for the foreseeable future with a hip injury, and Percy Harvin showed up on this week’s injury report. It appears that Minnesota’s ailing wide receiver corps could use an upgrade.Having said that, it sounds like Vincent Jackson’s future in Minnesota hinges on an arbitrator’s interpretation of the “roster-exempt” designation the San Diego Charger’s placed on the sixth-year wideout.
Vincent Jackson will miss the first three games of the season due to violating the league’s substance abuse policy. The Chargers also punished Jackson for missing the team’s entire offseason by placing him on the “roster-exempt” list. With that designation comes an additional 3 game suspension. However, in a 9:00 a.m. hearing today, the NFL’s player’s union is expected to argue that should Vincent Jackson be traded, that additional three game suspension should not be enforced because Jackson would no longer be a member of the team that handed it down.

  
   Should an arbitrator be swayed by the NFLPA’s case for Jackson, it’s looking more and more likely Jackson will be catching passes from someone other than Charger’s quarterback Phillip Rivers.
One possible trade partner would be the Minnesota Vikings. Judd Zulgad of the Minneapolis Star Tribune does a nice job of breaking down the likelihood of a trade between the two teams, but writes that it may be difficult to decide on the proper compensation for the 6-foot-5 receiver.
Lee Hamilton of XX Sports Radio in San Diego reported that if the suspension is reduced to three games, the Vikings are prepared to make a trade offer. Rumors have been swirling in Minnesota as well, but both teams as well as Jackson’s agent have been quiet on the matter.
The arbitrator has 5 days to rule on the case, but it’s possible Jackson’s fate will be decided by the weekend. Whether or not Vincent Jackson is catching Brett Favre’s passes remains to be seen.