VikesCentric: No trade winds blowing as deadline approaches

Fans waiting for the Vikings to make a significant deal prior to the NFL trade deadline are kindly asked to not hold their breath at the risk of (ahem) turning purple. Unlike the other major sports leagues, trades aren't plentiful during the NFL season for a variety of reasons. Nonetheless, you can expect to hear a lot of rumors and speculation the next few weeks.

The NFL trade deadline will arrive in less than two weeks, at precisely 3 p.m. CT on Oct. 28.

Last year there was considerable speculation around this time that the Vikings would trade away Jared Allen, who was in the final year of his contract for a Vikings team that didn't seem to be going anywhere. The thought was the Vikings might at least try to get something in return for him since everyone knew he would be leaving via free agency. There were trade discussions on Allen reported by various media outlets, but a deal was never struck. His salary was probably the major sticking point.

Money is usually one of the biggest issues when it comes to making in-season deals. Most teams are close to the salary cap so taking on new salaries requires a certain amount of budget gymnastics. Beyond the salary cap implications are scheme fits and getting a fair return for the player in question. Player-for-player trades are rare and draft picks are treated like gold so hammering out a deal is seldom easy.

There are exceptions, of course. Last year there weren't any blockbuster trades made right at the deadline, but Trent Richardson, Eugene Monroe, Jon Beason and Bryant McKinnie were among those dealt in the weeks leading up to the deadline. Richardson was traded from the Browns to the Colts on Sept. 18, Monroe was dealt by the Jaguars to the Ravens Oct. 3, Beason was traded from the Panthers to the Giants Oct. 4 and McKinnie was sent from the Ravens to the Dolphins on Oct. 21.

The Buccaneers attempted in vain to deal away Josh Freeman before last year's deadline, but every NFL team knew he would be released if the Bucs failed to find a dance partner. No trade was made, Freeman was released, the Vikings signed him as a free agent, and… well, we all know how that worked out.

Of course, this is also the 25-year anniversary of the mother of all trades – the Herschel Walker deal, in which the Vikings traded their future away for a 27-year-old running back who was deemed to be "the final piece of the puzzle." That infamous deal went down on Oct. 12, 1989. And we all know how that one turned out as well.

The focus is on 2014, and as things stand there don't seem to be a lot of scenarios in which the Vikings would make a deal. Certainly they aren't "one puzzle piece away" from being a Super Bowl contender, so the notion of trading draft picks or some kind of player and picks package for an established player is extremely far-fetched.

The more likely scenario is that the Vikings would trade a player or players for draft picks; however, that would first require a few things: the Vikings having at least a modicum of excess at a certain position and/or valuable trade chips.

An interrogation of the Vikings' depth chart yields little in the way of excess at any particular position so in the make-believe scenario in which the Vikings deal away a player for a draft pick or picks, they would be left even more short-handed down the stretch.

Having said all that, there are two names on the Vikings' roster that immediately spring to mind when conjuring up trade possibilities: Christian Ponder and Adrian Peterson.

I'd put the chances of either being dealt in the next two weeks at about five percent, and that's probably being generous.

I frankly don't know what the Vikings could get for Ponder in a deal – maybe a late-rounder at best. And any team that deals for him would either need to sign him to an extension or merely view him as a half-season rental. Half-season rentals for star players makes some sense. Half-season rentals for backup quarterbacks does not. I don't view the Ponder situation in the same way as the Freeman situation with the Buccaneers last year. Yeah, Ponder is in the final year of his deal and is a former starter serving in a backup capacity, but the Vikings' brass still considers Ponder to be a viable NFL quarterback (at least outwardly) and Christian is not a malcontent like Freeman was in Tampa. Thus, there are no reports or rumors of the Vikings making him available for trade like the Bucs did last season with Freeman.

Vikings fans likely don't see the drop-off from Ponder to Chandler Harnish – who has never played even a preseason snap for the Vikings – as being significant. Perhaps the front office shares that view. Therefore, I suppose nothing should be ruled out, especially if a playoff contender suffers injuries at the quarterback position this weekend.

As for Peterson, I hardly know where to begin. His trade value has never been lower, and anyone who knows anything about trading anything knows that you should never sell low. The "addition by subtraction" theory is the only rationalization worth attempting in any proposed Peterson deal. Even so, I remain skeptical. Most teams probably have zero interest based on everything that's happened. Peterson almost assuredly won't play again this season so he offers nothing of value for teams in the playoff chase this season. And beyond this season… he'll be the highest-paid running back in the NFL, 30 years old, and likely facing a suspension at minimum, pending the outcome of his trial. The upside for a few years is obvious, but the salary cap hit would be substantial and the baggage incredible. I just don't see it. Jerry Jones seems crazy enough to do just about anything, but he's got a playoff contender already and the hottest running back in the game at the moment.

If not Ponder or Peterson, who? Who do you think the Vikings could realistically consider dealing and for what?

There are teams with salary cap room so you can never say never. The website overthecap.com does a good job of tracking each team's current situation. Currently, they show eight teams with at least $10 million of available cap room, including playoff contenders like the Broncos, Patriots, Eagles and Bengals.

Head on over to VikingsJournal.com for a look at the Vikings offensive line problems and more on the development of Teddy Bridgewater.

Bo Mitchell is the Vice President of Content at SportsData, head writer at VikingsJournal.com, co-host of the Fantasy Football Pants Party at 1500ESPN.com and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.