Trade History: Vikings make deals to bring in several all-time greats
Some of the NFL’s biggest stars spent at least part of their careers in Minnesota, and more than a few Vikings legends were a part of trades. Included in that list are three members of the famed “Purple People Eaters” defensive line (Jim Marshall, along with Hall of Famers Alan Page and Carl Eller), plus Hall of Famers Fran Tarkenton, Ron Yary, Paul Krause, Chris Doleman, and Randy Moss. If that isn’t enough, Minnesota was involved in an 18-player deal with the Cowboys and Chargers that was the largest in NFL history.
1. August 31, 1961:
Vikings acquired: DE Jim Marshall, DT Jim Prestel, LB Dick Grecni, RB Jamie Caleb, RB Billy Gault, and DT Paul Dickson
Browns acquired: Second- and 11th-round picks in the 1962 NFL Draft
Marshall was a defensive end who was a member of Ohio State’s National Championship team in 1957. After a year in the Canadian Football League with the Saskatchewan Roughriders, he joined the Browns, who drafted him in the fourth round in 1960. Marshall started seven games in Cleveland before embarking on a career with Minnesota that would earn him the label of football’s “ironman.” He started all 270 games over the next 19 seasons, setting league records for consecutive games played and started by a defensive player. His streak (and life) almost ended early in 1971, when he (along with Dickson and 14 others) went on a snowmobiling trip in the mountains of Wyoming and Montana. A blizzard separated the parties and caused the snowmobiles to break down, so Marshall and his group survived by starting a fire with Marshall’s money (giving a new and literal meaning to the phrase “money to burn”). He is a member of the “Purple People Eaters” defensive line that harassed opposing quarterbacks and led the Vikings to four Super Bowls. Marshall was a two-time Pro Bowler who was credited with nine sacks in 19 playoff games. He also recovered 30 fumbles in his career, the second-most among non-quarterbacks in NFL history (Hall of Famer Rod Woodson had 32). However, his most memorable moment was a dubious one. During a game against the 49ers in 1964, Marshall picked up a San Francisco fumble and ran it back 66 yards into the end zone. Only one problem, he ran the wrong way into his own end zone! He tossed the ball away in celebration, giving the 49ers a safety. Marshall made up for it later in the game by forcing a fumble that Alan Page returned for a touchdown in a 27-22 Vikings win. Marshall is credited with 127 unofficial quarterback sacks and was the final member of Minnesota’s expansion roster from 1961 in the NFL before his retirement in 1979. Despite all his accolades, he is not a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Prestel was an Idaho defensive tackle who spent one season with the Browns. After the trade, he became a starter for the next five years with the Vikings until he was replaced by Gary Larsen. Prestel spent one year each with the Giants and Redskins before retiring in 1968. Grecni was a former Ohio University linebacker who had an interception with the expansion Vikings in 1961, his only season in the NFL. Caleb was a Grambling State running back who had 60 yards and a score as a rookie with Cleveland in 1960. The Vikings used him primarily as a kick returner in his only season with the team after the trade. Caleb played one year with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats and returned to the Browns in 1965. The following year, he played for a new football venture, latching on as a kicker with the Philadelphia Bulldogs of the Continental Football League. The Bulldogs reached the championship game against the Orlando Panthers, with Caleb kicking the game-winning field goal in a 20-17 overtime victory, then retiring after the game.
Gault was a running back who played in college at TCU. He appeared in four games as a kick returner with the expansion Vikings before retiring after the 1961 season. Dickson was a Baylor product who converted from offensive tackle to defensive tackle in the NFL. He spent one season each with the Rams and Cowboys before he was traded to the Browns in a deal that brought a draft pick that Dallas used to select future Hall of Famer Bob Lilly. Dickson was traded to Minnesota without ever playing a game with Cleveland. He appeared in 129 contests in 10 years with Minnesota. Dickson had one tackle as a reserve in Super Bowl IV, which the Vikings lost to the Chiefs. He spent his final season with the St. Louis Cardinals before retiring in 1971. Dickson died from a blood infection in 2011.
The Browns used the second-round pick on Chuck Hinton, a defensive tackle from North Carolina Central. He was cut by the Browns in training camp and signed with the Steelers in 1964. Hinton was a run-stopper who played 98 games over seven seasons in Pittsburgh, registering seven fumble recoveries and two interceptions. He played one year each with the Jets and Colts before retiring in 1972. The other pick became Ronnie Meyers, a receiver from Villanova who never played in the NFL.
Assessment: Any amount of production from even one of six players would give Minnesota the win in this trade, since neither Hinton nor Meyers played with Cleveland. Prestel and Dickson would have been enough, even with their limited time with the Vikings. Add in Marshall, and it just isn’t fair. Despite the “Wrong Way Run,” Marshall was one of the most solid, productive players in NFL history. The fact that he isn’t in the Pro Football Hall of Fame is a travesty. VIKINGS
2. (Part One) March 6, 1967:
Vikings acquired: First- and second-round picks in the 1967 NFL Draft, plus a first-round pick in 1968 and a second-rounder in 1969
Giants acquired: QB Fran Tarkenton
(Part Two) January 27, 1972:
Vikings acquired: QB Fran Tarkenton
Giants acquired: QB Norm Snead, WR Bob Grim, FB Vince Clements, along with a first-round pick in the 1972 NFL Draft and a second-rounder in 1973
Tarkenton was a two-time All-SEC quarterback with Georgia who chose the Vikings over the Boston Patriots after they selected him in the AFL draft. He came into the franchise’s first game as a replacement for George Shaw and led Minnesota to a 37-13 comeback victory over the Bears. While the Vikings struggled in their first few seasons, Tarkenton was a bright spot. He made two Pro Bowls while earning the nickname “The Scrambler” for his running ability and elusiveness. After five seasons with the Giants, he was traded back to the Vikings in 1972 and led the club to three Super Bowl appearances in seven years. Tarkenton was selected to three more Pro Bowls, and he earned NFL MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and All-Pro honors after passing for 2,994 yards and a league-leading 25 touchdowns in 1975. However, Minnesota’s 12-2 season ended with a disappointing loss to the Cowboys in the Division Round. Tarkenton led the NFL with 3,468 yards in 1978 and retired after the season. His 33,098 yards and 239 touchdowns both top the Vikings’ all-time list, and his 47,003 overall passing yards were the most in NFL history until Dan Marino took over the top spot in 1995. After his playing career, Tarkenton became an author and invested in software companies. The 1986 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee paid more than $150,000 in fines in 1999 after the federal government found he was inflating his company’s earnings.
When the Vikings traded away Tarkenton, they received four picks in return. The Giants were not a good team in 1966, so the two picks in the 1967 draft were high. With the second overall selection, Minnesota took Clint Jones, who was a two-time All-American running back and member of the 1965 National Championship team at Michigan State. Jones had 2,008 yards and 19 touchdowns in six years with the Vikings, and he appeared in Super Bowl IV. He played one season with the Chargers before retiring in 1973. The Vikings used the 1967 second-round pick on Bob Grim, a wide receiver and return man from Oregon State. Grim spent five seasons with Minnesota, earning a Pro Bowl selection after posting career highs with 45 receptions, 691 yards, and seven touchdowns in 1971. He also was a reserve in Super Bowl IV.
Things got even better for Minnesota in 1968, as the pick from New York ended up being the draft’s first selection. The Vikings used the pick on Ron Yary, a two-time All-American and the 1967 Outland Trophy winner (best lineman) at USC, who became the first offensive tackle taken with the top pick. Yary played in four Super Bowls, earned seven Pro Bowl selections, and was a six-time All-Pro in 14 years with Minnesota. He left the Vikings and played one season with the Rams in 1982 before retiring. Yary was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001. The 1969 pick was used on Ed White, a 1968 All-American guard at Cal. White was a three-time Pro Bowler who spent nine years with the Vikings, starting alongside Yary on a team that went to four Super Bowls in eight years. He was traded to San Diego in 1975, went to the Pro Bowl for the fourth and final time in 1979, and retired in 1985. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1999, and his 241 games played, four Pro Bowls, and four Super Bowl appearances make that case for his inclusion to the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well.
In five years with the Giants, Tarkenton made the Pro Bowl four times. He had his best season in 1970, when he threw for 2,777 yards and led New York to a 9-5 record. Although the Giants missed the playoffs by a game, it was the closest they came to postseason play during a 17-year drought from 1964-80. Tarkenton totaled 13,905 yards and 103 touchdowns with New York before he was sent back to Minnesota.
The Giants received three players and two picks for Tarkenton. Snead was a former Wake Forest quarterback who was selected to a pair of Pro Bowls in his first three seasons with the Redskins. He spent seven years with the Eagles, earning another Pro Bowl invite in 1965. Snead was the backup to Gary Cuozzo during his lone season in Minnesota. After the trade, Snead spent 2½ seasons with the Giants, earning his fourth and final Pro Bowl selection in 1972. He was traded to the 49ers in 1974, but returned two years later for one final season in New York before retiring in 1976. Grim played three years with the Giants, totaling 1,126 yards and five touchdowns. He spent 1975 with the Bears, then went to the Vikings for two seasons. Grim played in a Super Bowl XI loss to the Raiders and retired after the 1977 season. Clements was a former Connecticut back who didn’t play with the Vikings after they drafted him in the fourth round in 1971. He spent two years with the Giants, posting 435 rushing yards, 247 receiving yards, and a pair of touchdowns before retiring in 1973.
The Giants used the first-round pick to select defensive lineman Larry Jacobson, who was an All-American and the Outland Trophy winner in 1971, and also was a member of two Nebraska National Championship teams. Jacobson’s NFL career spanned just three seasons and 33 games before he retired in 1974. The 1973 second-rounder had a much better career for the Giants. Brad Van Pelt was a two-time All-American at Michigan State who also won the Maxwell Award as college football’s best all-around player in 1972. He spent 11 years with New York, posting 18 interceptions and 13 fumble recoveries while starting 135 games. Van Pelt made five straight Pro Bowls and was part of the Giants’ “Crunch Bunch” linebacker corps in the early 1980s that also included Harry Carson, Brian Kelley, and Lawrence Taylor. Van Pelt played two years with the Raiders and one with the Browns before retiring in 1986.
Assessment: Tarkenton had a solid run in New York and Van Pelt turned into a star. However, both Tarkenton and Yary are Hall of Famers who spent a majority of their careers with Minnesota, and White was a solid starter for nearly a decade. VIKINGS
3. (Part One) March 14, 1967:
Vikings acquired: LB/TE Marlin McKeever and a first-round pick in the 1967 NFL Draft
Rams acquired: TE Hal Bedsole, RB Tommy Mason, and a second-round pick in 1967
(Part Two) July 4, 1968: Vikings acquired S Paul Krause
Redskins acquired: LB Marlin McKeever and a seventh-round pick in the 1969 NFL Draft
McKeever was a USC product who was drafted fourth overall by the Rams in 1961. He spent his first six years with Los Angeles and made the Pro Bowl as a tight end in 1966. McKeever played just one year with the Vikings, starting 14 games and catching 14 passes. The first-round pick was used on Alan Page, who was a 1966 All-American and a member of two National Championship teams at Notre Dame. Page started right away, joining Marshall, Carl Eller, and Gary Larson on Minnesota’s famed “Purple People Eaters” defensive line. In 12 seasons with the Vikings, Page was selected to nine Pro Bowls, was a six-time All-Pro, and played in four Super Bowls. Much like Aaron Donald, Page was a defensive tackle who could also get to the quarterback. He had 108½ unofficial sacks (with a high of 18 in 1976), blocked 23 kicks, and recovered 19 fumbles (fourth among defensive players in franchise history). Page also had eight postseason sacks, including one each in Super Bowls VIII, IX, and XI. In 1971, he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors (the first season the award was given) and also became the first player on the defensive side of the ball to win the NFL Most Valuable Player award. Page was traded to the Bears in 1978 and had 40 sacks in 3½ seasons with Chicago before retiring in 1981. He was a longtime member of the NFL Players’ Association during his career, and he became a lawyer and later a judge in Minnesota. Page served as an Associate Justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court from 1992 until his retirement in 2015. The 1988 Pro Football Hall of Famer was also awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Trump in 2018.
Bedsole was a 1962 All-American at USC and helped the Trojans win the National Championship that year. He played just three seasons in the NFL due to knee injuries, totaling 26 catches and eight touchdowns with the Vikings. Bedsole retired before ever playing a game for the Rams and later became a sales manager for a radio station in Los Angeles. He died in 2017. Mason was a running back who played his college ball at Tulane. He was an original Viking who spent his first six NFL seasons with Minnesota, earning three Pro Bowl selections and being named an All-Pro in 1963 after posting a career-high 763 yards. He also ranks seventh in Vikings history with 3,252 rushing yards. Mason was mostly a reserve after the trade, totaling just 866 yards and four touchdowns in four seasons with the Rams. He retired after one year with the Redskins in 1971. Mason died in 2015, and he was also part of the massive lawsuit brought by former NFL players against the league concerning head injuries. The draft pick was used on Willie Ellison, a former Texas Southern running back who had 2,901 yards and 20 touchdowns in six seasons with the Rams. Ellison’s best season was 1971, when he made his only Pro Bowl after rushing for exactly 1,000 yards, including a then-record 247 in a game against the Saints in early December (now the 15th highest single-game total in NFL history). He played two seasons with the Chiefs before retiring in 1974. Ellison was a substitute teacher in Texas until his death in 2019.
Krause was a safety who personified the term “ballhawk.” The former football and baseball standout at Iowa started his NFL career with a league-leading 12 interceptions to earn Pro Bowl and All-Pro selections. He earned both honors once again the next year and amassed 28 interceptions in four seasons with Washington. After the trade, Krause continued to stymie opposing quarterbacks with Minnesota, earning six more Pro Bowl berths. The four-time Super Bowl participant had 53 interceptions in 12 seasons with the Vikings, including 10 in his All-Pro 1975 campaign. Krause had three interceptions in the 1979 season, giving him 81 overall and passing fellow Iowa graduate and former Giant Emlen Tunnell for the most in NFL history. Krause retired after that season and spent 20 years on the Board of County Commissioners in Minnesota. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.
After one year with the Vikings, McKeever signed with the Redskins in 1968 and became a full-time middle linebacker, starting 16 games overall, including 12 in 1970. He returned to the Rams in 1971 and started all 28 games over the next two seasons. McKeever ended his career with Philadelphia in 1973. After retiring, he ran for California’s state assembly and also became an insurance executive. McKeever died in 2006 due to blood clots after falling at his home. Washington used the draft pick to select John Didion, a center from Oregon State. Didion was a reserve for his first two seasons before the Redskins traded him to the Saints as part of the deal that sent quarterback Billy Kilmer to the Nation’s Capital. Didion started all 56 games in New Orleans over the next four years before retiring in 1974. After his career, he spent 35 years with the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office in Washington State before passing away in 2013.
Assessment: None of the players involved in either of these deals were duds. McKeever started at positions on both sides of the ball, Bedsole had potential before his career was shortened by injury, Mason and Ellison were Pro Bowl running backs and Didion was a solid starter for a young team in New Orleans. However, Page and Krause were Hall of Famers and multiple-time Pro Bowlers while playing big parts in Minnesota’s four Super Bowls appearances in eight years. VIKINGS
4. July 30, 1979:
Vikings acquired: DT Steve Niehaus
Seahawks acquired: DE Carl Eller and an eighth-round pick in the 1980 NFL Draft
Niehaus was an All-American defensive tackle in 1975 at Notre Dame and he became the first draft pick in Seahawks history. He set a franchise rookie record with 9½ sacks, earning Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. However, knee injuries held him to 25 games in his next three seasons (including just three with the Vikings after the trade) and ultimately led to his retirement in 1980.
Eller was a 1963 All-American at the University of Minnesota who spent the next 15 seasons with the Vikings. A part of the “Purple People Eaters,” Eller was a six-time Pro Bowler, a five-time All-Pro, and a four-time Super Bowl starter who missed just one game in his career. He started eight games with the Seahawks in 1979 and retired after the season. Eller was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2004. He admitted to drug and alcohol use dating back to high school, then started several substance-abuse clinics and became a licensed drug and alcohol counselor in Minnesota after his playing career. Eller continued to have substance issues after his career, including a DUI arrest in 2006 and charges for assaulting police and refusal to submit to chemical testing in 2008. The Seahawks selected Northeast Louisiana (now Louisiana-Monroe) defensive back Vic Minor in the eighth round. Minor had one interception in 20 games over two seasons with Seattle before retiring in 1981.
Assessment: Neither side received very much production from this deal. Niehaus was slowed due to knee injuries and retired shortly after the trade, Eller spent one year with Seattle in the twilight of his career and Minor did not make a start in two seasons. PUSH
5. April 30, 1985:
Falcons received: No. 2 overall pick in the 1985 NFL Draft
Vikings received: No. 4 overall pick and a third-round selection in the 1985 NFL Draft
The Vikings originally held the No. 3 pick in 1985, but sent the pick, as well as a second-rounder to the Oilers for the second overall selection three weeks before the draft. Minnesota moved the pick at the draft, and Atlanta fans were happy with the selection of Pitt guard Bill Fralic, a two-time All-American guard from the University of Pittsburgh. Fralic spent the next eight seasons with the Falcons, starting 131 games while earning four Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections. The Falcons made the playoffs just once in those eight years, but they defeated the Saints in the 1991 Wild Card game for the second postseason win in franchise history. Fralic signed with the Lions for one final season in 1993 before retiring. He died from cancer in December 2018.
Minnesota used the fourth overall pick from Atlanta on defensive end Chris Doleman, who was Fralic’s teammate at Pitt. Doleman spent his first nine seasons with the Vikings, earning six Pro Bowl and two All-Pro selections. He was the franchise’s all-time official sacks leader with 96½ before being passed by John Randle in 1999, and he led the league with 21 in 1989. Doleman was traded to the Falcons in 1994 and spent two years in Atlanta and three in San Francisco before returning for one final season with Minnesota in 1999. A 2012 Pro Football Hall of Famer, Doleman died from brain cancer in January 2020. The third-round pick was used to select University of Washington linebacker Tim Meamber, who played just four games with the Vikings in 1985. Meamber has dealt with drug abuse, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and Parkinson’s disease, and he is now homeless in Washington State.
Assessment: Fralic and Doleman became NFL stars, but Doleman has the edge in postseason experience. Minnesota went to the playoffs six times during his tenure, including a run to the 1991 NFC Championship Game. VIKINGS
6. October 12, 1989:
Vikings acquired: RB Herschel Walker, plus third- and tenth-round picks in 1990 from the Cowboys and a fifth-rounder from the Chargers, along with a third-round pick in 1991 from the Cowboys
Cowboys acquired: DE Alex Stewart, LB David Howard, LB Jesse Solomon, CB Issiac Holt, first-, second- and sixth-round picks in the 1990 NFL Draft, first- and second-round selections in 1991 and first-, second- and third-round picks in 1992
Chargers acquired: RB Darrin Nelson
The largest trade in NFL history centered around Walker, who struggled after leaving Dallas and their successful I-formation offense. After earning two Pro Bowl selections with the Cowboys, he ran for 2,264 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2½ years in Minnesota. He reached the 1,000-yard mark after joining Philadelphia in 1992 and, after three years with the Eagles, he spent 1995 with the Giants before returning to the Cowboys. Walker retired in 1998. His other athletic accomplishments include earning a spot with the U. S. bobsled team for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, as well as a successful mixed martial arts career. The 1990 third-round pick was Mike Jones, a former Texas A&M tight end who caught two passes (both went for touchdowns) in two seasons with the Vikings. He spent one year with the Seahawks and three on the Colts’ practice squad before retiring in 1995. The Vikings used the pick from the Chargers on former Bowling Green receiver Reggie Thornton, then cut him in training camp. He had one catch in two seasons with the Colts and Bengals. The 10th-round pick became Utah State receiver Pat Newman, who was also cut by the Vikings during camp. In three years with the Saints, he had 409 total yards (175 receiving, 172 on punt returns, and 62 on kick returns). The 1991 third-rounder was former Grambling State receiver Jake Reed, who had four straight 1,000-yard seasons with the Vikings from 1994-97. Although he never made a Pro Bowl, Reed is fourth in team history with 6,433 yards, sixth with 413 receptions, and seventh with 33 touchdowns.
Stewart, a defensive end, was Minnesota’s eighth-round pick in 1988. He broke his wrist in camp and was released. The Cowboys cut him from their practice squad after suspicion of steroid use. He had failed tryouts with the Oilers (1990) and the CFL’s BC Lions (1995) before retiring. Howard spent two years with the USFL’s Los Angeles Express and joined the Vikings after the league folded. He had 3½ sacks in five years with Minnesota and played 17 games as a reserve with Dallas after the trade. Howard was sent to New England as part of the deal for the top overall pick in the 1991 NFL Draft and played two years with the Patriots before retiring in 1993. Solomon had seven interceptions with the Vikings and played 20 games over two seasons with the Cowboys. He also spent time with the Buccaneers, Falcons, and Dolphins before retiring in 1994. Holt was a 1984 Division I-AA All-American as a cornerback with Alcorn State. He had 14 interceptions with Minnesota and nine more in Dallas, as he split his eight-year career between the teams.
The Cowboys used the 1990 first-round pick to draft Emmitt Smith, a Heisman Trophy finalist and All-American at Florida in 1989. He proved to be well worth his draft spot (17th overall) with a professional career that few players can rival. Smith was the 1990 Offensive Rookie of the Year, the 1993 NFL MVP, an eight-time Pro Bowler, a four-time All-Pro, and a four-time rushing champion. He was a major part of three Cowboys title teams and won the MVP award for Super Bowl XXVIII after his 132-yard, two-touchdown performance. Smith is also the NFL’s all-time leader with 18,355 yards (17,162 coming during his 13 seasons with Dallas) and 164 rushing touchdowns. Dallas traded away Minnesota’s second- and sixth-rounders, getting three players in return. Terrence Flagler was an All-American running back with Clemson in 1986. He won two Super Bowls as a reserve with the 49ers, but the Cowboys cut him in training camp. Flagler spent two years with the Cardinals before he retired in 1992. Stan Smagala was a former Notre Dame safety who played 11 games in two seasons with Dallas and retired in 1991 after breaking his left forearm. Defensive end Danny Stubbs was an All-American in the University of Miami’s 1987 National Championship season. He was a two-time champion with the 49ers and posted 8½ sacks in 25 games with the Cowboys.
Dallas traded the 1991 first-rounder to the Patriots as part of a deal for the top overall pick and selected Russell Maryland, a two-time champion and 1990 All-American at the University of Miami. Maryland had 14½ sacks in five years in Dallas, won three more titles, and was a Pro Bowler in 1993. The second-round pick was sent to the Oilers for Alonzo Highsmith, a former high school All-American running back whose career was ruined by knee injuries. Dallas traded away all of the 1992 picks acquired from Minnesota for two players who became key pieces on three title teams. Cornerback Kevin Smith was an All-American with Texas A&M in 1991. He had 19 interceptions and 361 tackles in eight seasons with the Cowboys. Strong safety Darren Woodson was a five-time Pro Bowler and a three-time All-Pro who had 23 interceptions and 967 tackles in 12 years with Dallas.
San Diego got involved as a third team, sending a pick to Minnesota which helped bring this deal together. In return, the Chargers received Darrin Nelson, who ranked seventh in Vikings history with 4,231 rushing yards. He had just 211 yards in 23 games with San Diego before signing back with Minnesota. Nelson spent two more years with the Vikings and retired in 1992.
Assessment: Reed was a part of one of the NFL’s best offenses during the late 1990s, but Walker was supposed to put Minnesota over the top for a title. Not only did that not happen, but Dallas received four players who were starters on three championship teams, including the league’s all-time leading rusher. COWBOYS
7. February 15, 1999:
Vikings acquired: First- and third-round picks in the 1999 NFL Draft and a second-rounder in 2000
Redskins acquired: QB Brad Johnson
Minnesota went younger at the quarterback position by taking Central Florida’s Daunte Culpepper, who won the 1998 Sammy Baugh Trophy (awarded by the Touchdown Club of Columbus to the nation’s top passer). Culpepper backed up veterans Jeff George and Randall Cunningham as a rookie before taking over the starting spot in 2000 and leading the team to the NFC Championship Game. In seven years with the Vikings, he threw for 20,162 yards, including four seasons with 3,000 or more, and an NFL-leading and career-best 4,717 in 2004. The three-time Pro Bowler also tossed 135 touchdowns with Minnesota, including a league-best 33 in 2000 and a career-high 39 four years later. Culpepper also had 2,476 yards and 29 scores on the ground. He spent more than half the 2005 season on injured reserve after sustaining damage to the ACL, PCL, and MCL ligaments in his knee. After getting charged in the infamous Vikings boat cruise scandal, while also refusing to rehab his knee in Minnesota so the team could monitor his progress, the Vikings sent him to the Dolphins in 2006. Culpepper spent one year each with Miami and Oakland and two with Detroit, amassing a 3-17 record in those four seasons. He started for the United Football League’s Sacramento Mountain Lions (led by former Vikings coach Dennis Green) and had a failed tryout with the 49ers before retiring in 2011. The Vikings sent the second-round pick, along with two others, to the Steelers to move up and draft North Dakota product Jim Kleinsasser (Pittsburgh used the original selection on future four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Joey Porter). The bruising fullback and tight end played in two NFC Championship Games in 12 seasons and was the lead blocker for four 1,000-yard rushers (Robert Smith, Michael Bennett, Chester Taylor, and Adrian Peterson), including Peterson’s team-record 1,760 yards in 2008. Kleinsasser had 192 catches in 181 games before retiring in 2011. The 2000 second-rounder was used on University of Miami defensive tackle Michael Boireau, who missed his rookie year with knee and hand injuries. He sat out the 2001 season with ocular myasthenia gravis, a condition that causes muscular weakness in the eyes. He played in 2002 with the CFL’s Ottawa Renegades for his only professional experience.
Johnson was a Florida State graduate who started his career as Warren Moon’s backup before becoming the starter in 1996. He suffered a broken leg and broken thumb in 1998, and Randall Cunningham went 7-0 as Vikings starter. Johnson earned his first Pro Bowl selection after throwing for a career-high 4,005 yards in his first season with the Redskins in 1999. He signed with the Buccaneers in 2001 and the following year, he went to the Pro Bowl and led his team to a victory in Super Bowl XXXVII. After four seasons with Tampa Bay, Johnson signed back with Minnesota and started after Culpepper went down with an injury. The Vikings released him in 2007 and he spent his final two seasons backing up Tony Romo in Dallas.
Assessment: Johnson arguably had a better overall career, but he only played two seasons with Washington. Culpepper was a dual-threat quarterback and Kleinsasser was a stalwart for more than a decade. Both were starters when Minnesota reached the NFC Championship Game in 2000. VIKINGS
8. March 3, 2005:
Vikings acquired: LB Napoleon Harris, along with first- and seventh-round picks in the 2005 NFL Draft
Raiders acquired: WR Randy Moss
Harris was a former Northwestern linebacker who had a seven-year NFL career. He had 252 tackles and 2½ sacks in three years with Oakland. Harris played two years with Minnesota, then two with Kansas City, posting a career-high 116 tackles in 2007. He returned to Minnesota the following year for one final season before retiring. Harris has been an Illinois State Senator for the 15th district since 2013. The Vikings turned the two picks into Troy Williamson and Adrian Ward. Williamson, a South Carolina wide receiver, was taken seventh overall. In three years with Minnesota, he had 1,067 yards and three touchdowns receiving, along with 903 yards on punt returns. Williamson was traded to Jacksonville and had two uneventful seasons before the Jaguars released him in 2010 and he retired soon afterward. Ward, a former Texas-El Paso cornerback, was selected in the seventh round. He was released by the Vikings in training camp and spent his only NFL season on the Giants’ practice squad. Ward signed with the CFL’s Calgary Stampeders in 2007, but never played for the team.
Moss was a member of Marshall’s Division I-AA National Championship team in 1996 and earned All-American honors and the Biletnikoff Award (as college football’s best wide receiver) the following year. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year in 1998, had seven 1,000-yard seasons, and led the NFL in touchdowns three times. Moss was selected to five Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams, and he ranks second in Vikings history with 587 catches, 9,316 yards, and 92 scores. After the trade, Moss struggled in Oakland. He had 1,005 yards in 2005, but he became frustrated after his total dropped to 553 the following year. His two-year tenure on the West Coast came to an end when he was traded to the Patriots for a fourth-round pick in the 2010 NFL Draft. Moss spent three full seasons with New England, earning Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after posting 98 receptions, 1,493 yards, and a league-high 23 touchdowns for the 16-0 Patriots in 2007. He had a touchdown in Super Bowl XLII, but the Giants spoiled New England’s perfect season. Moss was traded back to the Vikings in 2010, but lasted just four games before he was released and signed with the Titans. After a yearlong retirement, Moss signed with San Francisco in 2012 and helped the 49ers reach Super Bowl XLVII, where they lost to the Ravens. He retired after the game, and the 2018 Pro Football Hall of Famer is now an analyst for ESPN’s NFL coverage.
Assessment: Harris played just two years with Minnesota, Ward never appeared in an NFL game and Williamson is considered one of the biggest draft busts in team history. Moss had amazing ability, but his head was not always in the game, especially with Oakland. His three 1,000-yard seasons from 2007-09 only cost New England a fourth-round pick. PATRIOTS
9. April 23, 2008:
Vikings acquired: DE Jared Allen and a sixth-round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft
Chiefs acquired: A first-, two thirds and a sixth-round pick in 2008
Allen was an Idaho State product who was a member of the All-Rookie Team in 2004. Three years later, he earned Pro Bowl and All-Pro honors after leading the NFL with 15½ sacks in his final season with the Chiefs. Kansas City placed the franchise tag on Allen in 2008, then traded him to Minnesota. He spent the next six years harassing quarterbacks in the NFC North, totaling 85½ sacks (third in team history), including a league-best 22 in 2011. He made four Pro Bowls and three All-Pro teams with Minnesota before signing with Chicago in 2014. Allen was traded to Carolina during the following season and after 12 games with the Panthers, he retired early in 2016. The Vikings selected Notre Dame center John Sullivan in the sixth round. Sullivan played 109 games in seven years with Minnesota. He spent one season with the Redskins and two with the Rams, getting the start in Super Bowl LIII. Sullivan has not played in the NFL since being released by Los Angeles in early 2019.
Kansas City traded the first-round pick to Detroit, moving up two spots to select Branden Albert, a former Virginia Tech guard. The Chiefs moved Albert to tackle, and he made the Pro Bowl in 2013. He signed with the Dolphins the following year and was selected to the Pro Bowl again in 2015. After three years in Miami, Albert signed with the Jaguars in 2017, but retired before the season. The other pick acquired in the Lions trade was Brad Cottam, a tight end from the University of Tennessee who had just 16 catches in three injury-plagued seasons before retiring in 2011. In the third round, Kansas City selected running back Jamaal Charles, who won a National Championship as a freshman with Texas in 2005. Charles backed up Larry Johnson as a rookie, but took off when he became a starter the following year. Over the next six seasons, he was a four-time Pro Bowler, a two-time All-Pro and he reached the 1,000-yard rushing mark five times. After missing most of the 2011season with a torn ACL, Charles responded with a career-high 1,509 yards the following year and a league-leading 12 touchdowns in 2013. He ran for a franchise-record 7,260 yards and ranks fourth with 43 scores. After nine seasons in Kansas City, Charles signed with Denver and spent one year each with the Broncos and Jaguars before he retired in 2018. The later third-round pick was used on North Carolina State safety DaJuan Morgan, who made 42 tackles in three seasons with the Chiefs and Colts. He spent time on the Jets’ practice squad in 2011 and ended his career with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes the following year. With the final pick, Kansas City selected Utah State wide receiver Kevin Robinson, who spent one year as a kickoff returner with the Chiefs and played with the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats in 2009 before retiring.
Assessment: Allen and Charles became stars, and Sullivan and Albert both became solid offensive line starters. The individual honors were about equal, as was the overall lack of postseason success for both teams involved. PUSH
10. March 12, 2013:
Vikings acquired: First- and seventh-round picks in the 2013 NFL Draft, along with a third-rounder in 2014
Seahawks acquired: WR Percy Harvin
The Vikings used the 2013 picks to select Xavier Rhodes and Travis Bond. Rhodes was a 2012 All-ACC cornerback at Florida State. He spent his first seven NFL seasons with Minnesota, posting 10 interceptions, 372 tackles and 73 passes defensed. The three-time Pro Bowler and 2017 All-Pro had two tackles in the Vikings’ 38-7 loss to the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game at the end of that season. Rhodes signed a one-year deal with the Colts in March 2020. Bond, a North Carolina offensive lineman, was released by the Vikings in training camp. He played two games with the Panthers as a rookie and had a failed tryout with the Rams in 2014. Bond signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and was a CFL All-Star in 2016. He spent the past two years with the Edmonton Eskimos after signing with them in 2018. The 2014 pick was Jerick McKinnon, a former Georgia Southern running back. McKinnon ran for 1,918 yards and seven touchdowns in four seasons with the Vikings. He signed with the 49ers in 2018, but tore his ACL during team workouts and has missed the past two seasons.
Harvin was a 2008 All-American and a two-time National Champion with Florida. He earned Offensive Rookie of the Year honors as a wide receiver and was a Pro Bowler as a kick returner. He became a full-time starter in 2010 and totaled 3,302 yards and 20 touchdowns in four seasons with Minnesota. After the trade, Harvin signed a six-year, $67 million deal with Seattle, but he only played in one regular-season game after suffering a torn labrum in his hip. He appeared in the 2013 playoffs and returned the second-half kickoff of Super Bowl XLVIII 87 yards for a touchdown. Despite the big contract, Harvin had conflicts with teammates and coaches and was traded to the Jets in 2014. After one season, he signed with the Bills and spent two seasons in Buffalo before retiring in 2017.
Assessment: Harvin was a solid player with Minnesota, but his time with Seattle was dominated by injury and discord. Rhodes was the main piece going the other way, and his three Pro Bowl selections tip the trade-in Minnesota’s favor. VIKINGS
All NFL statistics and awards courtesy of https://www.pro-football-reference.com/
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