Ngakoue!

As of Saturday, the building of the Minnesota Vikings' 2020 80-man roster included two trades. One was to acquire backup center Brett Jones in 2018. The other was to add cornerback depth in acquiring Mark Fields in 2019. Both were of the conditional seventh-round pick variety. On Sunday, the Vikings took a big trade swing in acquiring defensive end Yannick Ngakoue from the Jacksonville Jaguars. In return for the 25-year old pass rusher the Vikings are sending a 2021 second-round pick and a conditional 2022 pick to the Jaguars. The conditions of the 2022 pick reportedly break down like this.

-it's a third, if the Vikings win the Super Bowl and Ngakoue makes the Pro Bowl
-it's a fourth, if Ngakoue makes the Pro Bowl and the Vikings don't win the Super Bowl
-it's a fifth, if Ngakoue doesn't make the Pro Bowl

The hope here is that the Jaguars will be drafting in the Vikings' third-round spot in 2022.

The Vikings again have dynamite, bookend pass rushers.

Through the years:

Jim Marshall/Carl Eller
Chris Doleman/Al Noga
Jared Allen/Ray Edwards
Jared Allen/Brian Robison
Everson Griffen/Danielle Hunter

And now:

Yannick Ngakoue/Danielle Hunter

Both are only 25. Both played their rookie seasons at 21. Hunter is entering his sixth NFL season. Ngakoue is entering his fifth. Both are only 25.

When I woke to the news that the Vikings had traded for Yannick Ngakoue, I was shocked. I was shocked because I simply didn't think that there was any way that the Vikings could afford his contract. After not being able to re-sign Everson Griffen, a potential Vikings trade for Ngakoue was a thought but it was a passing, unrealistic thought. Under the franchise tag that he'd yet to sign, Ngakoue was scheduled to receive a salary of $17.788 million this season. If he played this season. He clearly didn't want to play for the Jaguars. The Vikings had a little over $12 million in cap space. The numbers just didn't work. Apparently, the numbers will work. It's happening. The first financial obstacle was cleared when Ngakoue agreed to take less from the Vikings in order to get out of Jacksonville. NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero reported that the agreed upon deal is for $12 million. I expect further salary juggling from the Vikings. No team wants to enter a season, especially a COVID-impacted season, with less than a million in cap space. But it's happening. One of the most promising young pass rushers in the game is coming to Minnesota. He's going to play opposite one of the best young pass rushers in the game.

One curiosity of Vikings' new pass rushing duo, is the respective size of Danielle Hunter and Yannick Ngakoue.

Danielle Hunter: 6'5" 252lbs
Yannick Ngakoue: 6'2" 246lbs

That's not a lot of poundage. There will always be room in the NFL for a pass rusher like Reggie White. A 290-300lb athletic wrecking ball. Cameron Jordan is that sort of football player. Pass rushers in today's game have to get to the quarterback in a hurry. That's one reason why there's a growing emphasis on interior pass rushers. It's the shortest path to the quarterback. The longer path requires faster rushers. The Vikings now have a pair of outside pass rushers that can get to the quarterback in a hurry. It's going to look like a track meet off the edge of the Vikings defensive line. I can't wait to see it.

The downside to the trade is with the Vikings players that expected increased opportunities this season and possibly future seasons. Ifeadi Odenigbo was set to start opposite Hunter. His steady improvement since being selected in the seventh round of the 2017 NFL Draft and especially his play last season earned him that opportunity. He now likely goes back to a rotational role. He's a versatile defensive lineman. He's earned increased playing time and I believe that he'll see more snaps this year than he had last season. He can play anywhere across the line. He'll make an impact but it won't be as a starting defensive end. He's scheduled to become a restricted free agent in 2021 so the Vikings retain some control over his immediate future but I would think that he'd prefer an opportunity to start somewhere. Right now, that place doesn't appear to be in Minnesota. D.J. Wonnum was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft as a raw, athletic pass rusher. The comparisons to a 2015 Danielle Hunter are easy. The optimistic Vikings fan could easily see an edge-rushing future of Hunter and Wonnum. That future was altered yesterday. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that the Vikings intend to re-sign Ngakoue when they are able to do so in 2021. That's going to be a pricey deal. A team can never have enough football players that can get to a quarterback. There's room for Hunter, Ngakoue, Odenigbo, Wonnum, etc. this season and beyond.

It's easy for a fan of an NFL team to get tangled up in numbers, contracts, and cap room. I figured that the Vikings' cap situation made any move of this sort impossible. Well, they made it possible. Yannick Ngakoue will be playing for the Vikings this season. He might even make a career and home in Minnesota. Rob Brzyzinski and the team's decision-makers will make the numbers work. I'm hoping that they can make the numbers work for other key players.

Here's hoping that the numbers juggling will lead to an extension for Dalvin Cook.

One last thing, the pronunciation of Yannick Ngakoue:

Yah-NEEK In-GACK-way

I've spent at least four years saying Yah-nick In-Gahk-way. Or something like that.

Welcome to Minnesota, Yannick Ngakoue.