by
VikingsTerritory’s Purple rumor mill is a two-day chronicle every week. All of the week’s Vikings rumors are placed in two places for review – Saturday and Sunday articles. Today is the October 12th issue.
Purple Rumor Mill: Traded for Pro Bowl WR, Sam Darnold’s next team, Lewis Cine
Remember – rumors exist Rumors. What you read in these articles on weekends is what the world is talking about regarding the purple team, and not necessarily things that come to fruition.
Here is the first batch of the week. All past rumors can be read here.
Rumor: The Vikings should trade up for Amari Cooper from the Cleveland Browns.
An idea courtesy of Good morning football Show host Akbar Gbajabiamila, Minnesota should pursue Cooper.
“How about the Minnesota Vikings? TJ Hockenson is coming back. You start thinking, “What could they do?” They could add some depth. Think about what the Kansas City Chiefs did,” Gbajabiamila said as he assessed landing spots for Cooper.
“They continually add depth to the whole thing. If someone gets hurt, someone else is hurt. How about you go out and maybe look for an Amari Cooper to play on a struggling Browns team? Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has been to Cleveland and knows Amari Cooper. Now you suddenly have depth at the wide receiver position.”
Unfortunately, the Vikings don’t have much trade capital to acquire Cooper’s services, as most of the 2025 picks were spent on the draft choice that landed pass rusher Dallas Turner six months ago. Minnesota currently has a first-round pick and two fifth-round picks scheduled for next April. There will also be a compensatory third-rounder in 2025, but he cannot be traded out this season.
Gbajabiamila added: “There’s Justin Jefferson, Addison, Amari Cooper and TJ Hockenson. Now all of a sudden there are guys who, when home-field advantage presents itself, can go far, deep, deep and potentially win a Super Bowl.”
Gbajabiamila’s idea is realistic, especially if Cooper can be acquired for a 5th or 6th round pick. In this case, the Vikings offense might become unjustifiable.
Rumor: Sam Darnold will end up with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2025 and beyond.
Accordingly SpotracIn 2025, Darnold will eventually end up with the Las Vegas Raiders, a team that currently boasts a dual quarterback combination of Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell. Determining Landing Spots for Incoming Free Agents in 2025, Editor-in-Chief of Spotrac Mike Ginnitti recently said of Darnold’s next employer: “Four years, $160 million for the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s Baker Mayfield with an adjusted cap.”
A long-term deal is certainly realistic for Darnold and the Raiders. Las Vegas parted ways with Derek Carr a few years ago and didn’t use high-round draft capital on a replacement, instead opting for a sandwich of Minshew and 2023 7th-round pick Aidan O’Connell , decided. Should the Raiders finish with around a top-15 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, they could explore the rookie candidacy of quarterbacks like Shedeur Sanders, Carson Beck or Quinn Ewers, to name a few.
But Darnold, who is in Las Vegas next year, ticks some boxes.
Rumor: Lewis Cine’s career is heading in a new direction with the Buffalo Bills, moving to linebacker.
Cine is no longer security. Accordingly, he switched to linebacker with his new club, the Buffalo Bills Niagara Gazette.
“Cine felt he needed a fresh start after two frustrating seasons with the Vikings. He didn’t realize this would involve a position change as the Bills have spent the last few weeks trying out Cine at linebacker.” Niagara Gazette Nick Sabato wrote on Tuesday.
The Vikings cut Cine at the end of the summer and he joined the Bills’ roster for his second act. Obviously he’s a linebacker now.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube channel. VikesNow. The show features guests, analysis and opinion on all things purple team, with 4-7 episodes per week. His MIN obsession dates back to 1996. Guilty pleasures performed: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, “The Sopranos,” Basset Hounds and The Doors (the band). He follows the NBA just as closely as he follows the NFL.
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; All contract information from OverTheCap.com.
