Oct 13, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons (98) takes the field against the Indianapolis Colts during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings are coming in hot off the bye week. Sitting at 5-0, they’re currently gearing up for a physical game against the 4-1 Detroit Lions. The winner of that game will hold the lone spot atop the NFC North.
Things are going great for the team right now. Still, every team in the league has weaknesses, and there comes a time every season when contending teams across the NFL can address those needs.
The NFL trade deadline.
Although the November 5 deadline (3 p.m. CT) is still a few weeks away, things are already ramping up across the league. Just a few days ago, we saw three big trades go down.
Early Tuesday morning, the Jets acquired Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders to reunite him with Aaron Rodgers. Later in the day, the Cleveland Browns traded Amari Cooper to the Buffalo Bills. Later, the Minnesota Vikings brought back Cam Akers in a trade with the Houston Texans.
The Vikings have a need on the interior defensive line that they must address by the deadline. Harrison Phillips is the only true IDL starter. Jerry Tillery, Jihad Ward, and Jonathan Bullard have been fine as rotational players. Still, if Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wants to improve the defense, he should try to make a move for a star IDL.
That star’s name is Jeffery Simmons.
Simmons is an IDL for the one-win Tennessee Titans. He’s 6’4”, 302 lbs., and runs a 4.96 40-yard dash, which is impressive for his size. His speed would bode incredibly well in a blitz-first defense.
In six NFL seasons, he’s put up 27.5 sacks, 248 total tackles (41 for a loss), 20 deflected passes, and three forced fumbles. Pairing him in the middle with Phillips would make Minnesota’s front seven the scariest in the league – as if they weren’t already terrifying.
