3 Minnesota Vikings who won't be on the roster after the NFL trade deadline

The Minnesota Vikings made a living in 2022 by winning close games. Unfortunately in 2023, the tables have turned and Minnesota has found itself on the wrong side of three close losses.

Now Kevin O'Connell's team is in a 1-3 hole and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is facing some major personnel decisions before the NFL trade deadline arrives.

The trade deadline is at 4:00 p.m. ET on Oct. 31. The Vikings will face the Chiefs, Bears, 49ers and Packers before then. The likelihood of going better than 1-3 in those games is looking pretty slim.

That's not to say Minnesota couldn't pull off some upsets, but they are currently underdogs against all but Chicago.

So let's say the Vikings are a terrifying 2-6 on Halloween. Who won't be around come November?

The Vikings can get something back for KJ Osborn before he leaves

Let's get it out of the way quickly: There doesn't appear to be any chance the Vikings will trade Kirk Cousins, the No. 1 person they should be looking to trade at the deadline under these circumstances. Part of the problem is teams that would have incentive to pick up Cousins — like the Jets — don't have the necessary draft capital to make a trade worth it.

So instead, Minnesota can look to trade someone like KJ Osborn.

There will be plenty of teams out there looking to bolster their receiving corps. The 26-year-old fits the bill as someone who has been consistently productive with 600+ yards receiving in each of the last two seasons.

Osborn is in the final year of his rookie contract and the Vikings aren't likely to bring him back in 2024 on a new deal. Trading him now would land them some draft capital and open the door for rookies on the practice squad like Lucky Jackson and Thayer Thomas to get a look.