{"id":96709,"date":"2020-10-27T10:00:18","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T14:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/?p=96709"},"modified":"2021-06-01T05:31:06","modified_gmt":"2021-06-01T09:31:06","slug":"minnesota-vikings-begin-rebuild","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2020\/10\/27\/minnesota-vikings-begin-rebuild\/","title":{"rendered":"The Minnesota Vikings Begin to Rebuild"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, folks, at least we didn\u2019t have a boring bye week. During the bye, Rick Spielman<\/strong> decided to trade Yannick Ngakoue<\/a> <\/strong>to the Baltimore Ravens<\/a>. In so doing, the Minnesota Vikings<\/a> have signaled their intent to begin a rebuild. The question at this point, then, rests not in whether Minnesota will commit themselves to a rebuild but, rather, how long the rebuild will last.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Vikings Begin Rebuild<\/h2>\n

By trading Ngakoue to the Ravens, Spielman has acknowledged his initial mistake. Spielman, in essence, is signalling that Minnesota\u2019s leadership badly misjudged the team\u2019s competitiveness. When the trade first happened, the belief was that Danielle Hunter<\/strong><\/a> would play, meaning the Vikings would have a formidable tandem at defense end<\/a>. Spielman\u2019s misguided faith in his team\u2019s ability has been costly. As Over the Cap notes, he does deserves some credit for recognizing his mistake and seeking to partially rectify it<\/a>, but Spielman still forfeits some draft capital and cap space.<\/p>\n

Perhaps the biggest news of the bye week, though, rests in the decision about Hunter\u2019s neck injury. During training camp, the Vikings suggested that Hunter\u2019s injury was a mere \u201ctweak.\u201d It\u2019s long been evident that his injury is far more serious. Hunter is actually dealing with a herniated disc in his neck<\/a>. Hunter and the Vikings have wisely chosen to move forward with surgery. The question now shifts to whether Hunter can return to his usual elite self. If he can, will he play in Minnesota?<\/p>\n

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#Vikings<\/a> star Danielle Hunter is having surgery to clean up a herniated disc, knocking him out for 2020, per me & @TomPelissero<\/a>. MIN has a decision this offseason: Make Hunter the highest-paid defender in football or trade him. Have we seen the last of him in a Vikings uniform\ud83d\udc40<\/p>\n

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n