The Minnesota Vikings have a quarterback for next season in Matt Cassel, but they could trade backup Christian Ponder to the Houston Texans, Cleveland Browns or Jacksonville Jaguars ahead of the draft of they feel names like Derek Carr, Aaron Murray or David Fales could be a future option as a starter.
The pick of Ponder has turned out to be a failure three years down the line and while he has had some nice flashes during his time with the Vikings, he has not been able to stay healthy on a consistent basis. Last season he was replaced by Matt Cassel and did not end up getting any of the five wins that the Vikings had and now he could be traded ahead of the draft to a team like the Texans or the Browns. Both teams have top 10 picks this season, in fact top five picks and since they each need a quarterback, a player like Ponder could be an interesting move, as the Texans and Browns could then concentrate on other areas, with names like Jadeveon Clowney, Sammy Watkins and Greg Robinson as potential picks if they trade for a quarterback beforehand.
According to ESPN.com, the Vikings have looked into potential trades for Ponder and while no deal has come close to happening yet, as it gets closer to the NFL draft teams could start maneuvering to make moves. Last season he passed for just 1,648 and seven touchdowns and nine picks and played in just nine games and after showing some progress last season, he took a step back in 2013. Ponder is still a project, but the Vikings could be willing to give him up for a pick and that could enable them to add more depth to the roster heading into next season for Mike Zimmer.
The Vikings could be in the mix for one of the top quarterbacks since they have a top 10 pick and if names like Teddy Bridgewater, Johnny Manziel and Blake Bortles are off the board they could look for someone like Mike Evans or Sammy Watkins. The team also has the advantage of having a deep quarterback class to pick from, as names like David Fales, Derek Carr, AJ McCarron and Aaron Murray will be available later in the draft. The team held private workouts with Carr and Fales and those could be two interesting avenues for the Vikings.
Carr had a fantastic season last year and passed for over 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns, while Fales completed nearly 65 percent of his passed and he had over 4,000 yards with 33 scores and just 13 picks. Those two players could be solid backups and future start options for the Vikings and if they pass on Bridgewater or Bortles, those names could be in the mix. The Vikings went 5-10-1 last season and they are heading to a new stadium for two years and these next seasons will be big for the franchise and if they want a new quarterback, chances are Ponder will be on his way out. The Texans have a big choice to make and if they want Jadeveon Clowney, a QB trade could be possible.
