Getty Byron Murphy Jr. #7 of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Minnesota Vikings allowed a season-high 144 rushing yards to the Detroit Lions in Week 7. The trade deadline is on November 5. But the Vikings’ run defense ranks second in attempts and yards and third in touchdowns allowed.
The bigger issue has been the passing defense.
Minnesota has allowed the sixth-most passing touchdowns and seventh-most passing yards through seven weeks.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff threw for 280 yards on 88% completion. That is the best completion percentage allowed by the defense while the yardage is the third-most. To address that area of weakness, Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder suggests targeting New England Patriots cornerback Jonathan Jones.
This Heavy Sports trade proposal aims to land Jones before the November 5 deadline:
Vikings get:
- Jonathan Jones
Patriots get:
- 2026 seventh-round pick
Jones, 31, entered the league as an undrafted free agent with the Patriots in 2016. After nine seasons, he has recorded 11 interceptions while starting 64 of the 122 games he has played in.
However, Jones – who won Super Bowls with the Patriots in 2016 and 2018 – has not recorded an interception in 2024 and had none in 2024 either. He has forced a fumble this season and the Patriots’ pass rush has struggled to put pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
But Jones has also allowed a career-worst 71.4% completion rate.
He is in the final year of a two-year, $19 million contract with an $8 million base salary in 2024. The Vikings would be on the hook for the prorated portion of that; roughly $4.7 million.
Vikings Urged to Trade for Patriots’ Jonathan Jones to Replace Byron Murphy
GettyJonathan Jones #31 of the New England Patriots.
“Byron Murphy hasn’t been playing well this season, as he had a 103.2 passer rating when targeted heading into this weekend, according to Pro Football Focus,” Holder wrote on October 21.
“So, the Vikings might want to consider adding a veteran corner ahead of the trade deadline, and it helps that Jones has a connection with defensive coordinator Brian Flores going back to Flores’ days in New England. Also, the Patriots’ corner was listed as the seventh-best player on B/R’s FL Trade Block Big Board this week.”
Murphy has allowed a 67.9% completion percentage, per Pro Football Reference. It is the second-worst mark of his career.
He is also in the final year of a two-year, $17.5 million deal.
CB Shaping Up to Be Vikings’ Among Biggest Needs in 2025
GettyGeneral manager Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah of the Minnesota Vikings.
The Vikings have endured multiple injuries at cornerback, leaving Murphy,26, as the youngest of the Vikings’ top three corners. The group includes 34-year-old Stephon Gilmore (60.6% completion allowed) and 29-year-old Shaquill Griffin (42.9%).
If Jones came in and supplanted Murphy, it would leave the Vikings facing a glaring need entering the 2024 offseason.
They have 2023 third-round pick Mekhi Blackmon, who was lost for the season to a torn ACL.
But fellow youngster and 2022 fourth-round pick Akayleb Evans has been relegated to special teams duty. The Vikings traded Evans’ draft classmate, second-round pick Andrew Booth, to the Dallas Cowboys in August.
The Vikings lost rookie fourth-round pick Khyree Jackson, who died in a car crash in July. It has left their pool of prospects precariously thin given the ages of their top options at the position.
Josh Buckhalter covers the NBA and NFL for Heavy.com. He has covered both leagues since 2016, including bylines at FanSided, Last Word on Sports and Clocker Sports. He's based in Villa Park, Illinois. Follow Josh on Twitter and Instagram: @JoshGBuck More about Josh Buckhalter
