NFL Rumors: Justin Jefferson trade idea, Bears sleeper cell, Falcons OC swing

NFL Rumors: Justin Jefferson trade pitched as longshot possibility

The NFL offseason is just weeks away from beginning and that means rampant speculation about what we could see transpire throughout the spring and summer. And with that, naturally, comes some of the wildest ideas that you've ever seen. You know, like the Minnesota Vikings trading Justin Jefferson.

Alex Kay of Bleacher Report recently predicted five blockbuster trades that could massively alter the NFL landscape this offseason, and one of the headliners was the Vikings sending Justin Jefferson to the Arizona Cardinals in exchange for two first-round picks and a third-round pick. Here's a look at the full trade that was pitched by Kay.

Now, why in the world would the Vikings ever consider doing this? Kay did offer some explanation for his reasoning:

"According to the Pioneer Press' Charley Walters, a "full-scale rebuild" could occur in the Twin Cities this offseason. Walters noted that it wouldn't make sense for Minnesota to give Jefferson an extension estimated to be worth around $30 million annually if the team is expecting to endure some lean years over the majority of the contract's duration.

"Minnesota could instead look to capitalize on Jefferson's immense trade value—Walter's estimates it would be "more than two first-round picks"—to jump-start the type of rebuilding process that the NFC North rival Detroit Lions recently underwent by trading away star quarterback Matthew Stafford."

Jefferson is still looking for a long-term extension with the Vikings with no agreement having been reached just yet. Having said that, he is a franchise cornerstone in Minnesota and, even if the organization does opt for some sort of a rebuild, it's hard to even consider that the club would opt for a future without one of the best receivers in the league when he's already in the building.

Sure, this trade would make all of the sense in the world for the Cardinals, a team moving forward with Kyler Murray and with some strong infrastructure in place, though a certain need to improve the defensive talent and the skill position groups. Jefferson would accomplish that, but so would a number of other players who wouldn't cost a Top 5 pick this year and a first-rounder next year.

Ultimately, this is too far-fetched of a trade proposal to consider. The Vikings could well hit the reset button, perhaps starting with a move for a quarterback to replace Kirk Cousins. But until we see that said rebuild for certain won't include Justin Jefferson, it'd be foolish to think that'd be the case.