Throw in the towel on a player before his second season.
That’s the trade suggestion from Bleacher Report this week regarding Minnesota Vikings cornerback Andrew Booth.
Bleacher Report Suggests Bizarre Trade for Vikings
While the hypothetical move might accoy some Vikings fans already labeling Booth a ‘bust,’ it’s far too early to throw in the towel on a 2nd-Round draft choice from 18 months ago.
Booth has encountered a rocky start to his young career, riddled with injuries in 2022 and poor performance when actually on the field as a rookie and in last Thursday’s preseason game. Seattle Seahawks WR Jake Bobo — yes, him — burned Booth for a touchdown in Preseason Game No. 1, and the social media pitchforks began touching pavement once again.
Now, Booth finds himself included in Bleacher Report‘s ‘1 Player Each NFL Team Should Put on the 2023 Trade Block This Preseason’ article, with the regular season 26 days away.
BR‘s Matt Holder explained, “To say the least, Andrew Booth Jr.’s NFL career hasn’t gotten off to a hot start. He barely played last year before suffering a season-ending knee injury, participating in six contests with one start as a rookie. And it doesn’t seem like that will change much in year two.”
It remains to be seen if Booth can right the ship in Year Two, mainly because the regular season hasn’t even kicked off. He could play great — or terrible — when the real stuff begins in September.
Booth’s teammate, Akayleb Evans, was listed as the CB2 next to newcomer free agent Byron Murphy on the team’s first depth chart, while the Vikings also drafted USC’s Mekhi Blackmon, a cornerback, in April.
Those transactions prompted Holder to speculate, “The Clemson product has plenty of potential as he’s only a year removed from being a second-round pick. Someone should be willing to take a chance on him and it doesn’t sound like the Vikings are going to use him, so why not make a deal?”
Booth is 22 years old, produced a rotten preseason play, and was a 2nd-Rounder selected by the current general manager not long ago. Trading him now would be dumber than waiting to see him materialize into a potential bust — chiefly because of the unknown. Unless he’s headstrong or negligent — no reporting has ever suggested either character trait — it’s more logical to cultivate his skillset and await his maturation than trade him away for a late-round draft pick. He might blossom sooner or later; that is the point of player development with a sound coaching staff.
Bleacher Report also spitballed trades involving Trey Lance (San Francisco 49ers), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (Kansas City Chiefs), and Jameis Winston (New Orleans Saints), among others in Holder’s piece.
Booth will see more playing time this Saturday night in the Vikings second preseason game versus the Tennessee Titans.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
