Nick Foles’ life became a little easier Thursday following the Minnesota Vikings’ trade of Yannick Ngakoue to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2021 third-round pick and a conditional selection in 2022.
Vikings and Ravens finalizing a trade to send DE Yannick Ngakoue to Baltimore for a 2021 third-round pick and a 2022 conditional fifth-round pick, sources tell ESPN.
Vikings initially sent 2021 second-round pick and 2022 conditional fifth-round pick to Jags. Now get most back.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 22, 2020
As Schefter points out, the Vikings took a net loss on Ngakoue, who they acquired from the Jaguars this summer for a second-round pick in 2021.
That’s a doubly positive result for the Bears, who don’t have to deal with Ngakoue off the edge in their two upcoming games this year and will face a future Vikings roster void of a 2021 second-round prospect.
The trade was only part of the bad news for Minnesota’s pass rush on Thursday. The Vikings’ top sack artist, Danielle Hunter, underwent back surgery and will be out for the rest of 2020, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
#Vikings star Danielle Hunter is having surgery to clean up a herniated disc, knocking him out for 2020, per me & @TomPelissero. 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 uniformđź‘€
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 22, 2020
At 1-5, the Vikings weren’t much of a threat in the NFC North before the pass-rush shakeup. Instead, they’re now on the Trevor Lawrence watchlist as the season marches on.