NFL writer floats trade proposal where Vikings acquire weapon for J.J. McCarthy

The Minnesota Vikings already have some terrific weapons in place for incoming rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy.

Justin Jefferson is the No. 1 receiver, and Jordan Addison is a phenomenal second option. Plus, there is T.J. Hockenson, who is one of the NFL’s best tight ends.

However, Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay would like to see the Vikings add another piece for McCarthy, and he has his eyes set on Tennessee Titans wide out Treylon Burks.

Burks is considered a top trade candidate after the work Tennessee has done at the wide receiver position this offseason, signing Calvin Ridley and Tyler Boyd in free agency.

The 24-year-old was essentially an afterthought in the Titans’ offense last season, so you can imagine how much further he will fall down the depth chart now that Tennessee has added two established pass-catchers to put alongside of DeAndre Hopkins.

Kay proposes that the Vikings send a 2025 seventh-round draft pick to the Titans in exchange for Burks. It may not seem like a whole lot, but Burks’ value is very minimal right now, and he is slated to earn $4 million in base salary next season and $4.6 million in 2025.

So, Tennessee cannot expect to get anything big in return for the University of Arkansas product.

The Titans selected Burks with the 18th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he was a significant disappointment during his rookie campaign, catching 33 passes for 444 yards and a touchdown. He was also limited to just 11 games due to injuries.

Then, this past year, Burks was even less productive, logging just 16 catches for 221 yards in another 11 contests.

Still, at 6-foot-2 and 225 pounds, Burks has great size, and he posted very impressive numbers in college. He doesn’t exactly have game-breaking speed, but the hope was that he would develop into a solid possession receiver.

Burks will almost certainly never live up to his draft positioning. That ship has probably sailed. But can he turn into a reliable No. 3 receiver? Possibly.

Kay makes a good point in asserting that the Vikings don’t really have much on the depth chart behind Jefferson and Addison, so Burks could be a fit in Minnesota.

McCarthy will also need all the help he can get in his rookie season, so the idea of adding Burks is definitely something the Vikings could consider, especially at such a cheap price.