Vikings insider names key factor in Adam Thielen trade talks with Panthers

News broke last week that the Minnesota Vikings, a very WR-needy team as of late, were in contact with the Carolina Panthers, a WR-rich squad at the moment, for Adam Thielen. The veteran played every season in the NFL with Minnesota before he signed with Carolina in 2023.

The trade seemed very likely. The Vikings badly need a wide receiver. Thielen is still highly capable, and he's a fan favorite. The Panthers have extra wide receivers, so trading one made perfect sense. But it's been days since then, and nothing's happened. Why? One Vikings insider seems to have some insight.

Adam Thielen trade holdup revealed by Vikings reporter

Why hasn't Adam Thielen been traded yet? The Panthers are probably reticent to part with their WR1 for nothing, even if he's a pending free agent after this season. The Vikings probably don't want to pay too much for an aging rental.

That makes it a problem of compensation, which Vikings reporter Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star Tribune said is the case right now.

"My understanding is at this point that is has been a matter of what's the draft pick compensation going to be?" he pondered. "Can they get to a spot where everybody is happy with it? Especially when you have to throw in the consideration of Thielen's contract."

The Panthers just gave Thielen a slight raise, which makes him more costly for Minnesota to take on. How do they balance the cost in acquiring him versus the cost of acquiring him? And how does Carolina balance the cost of parting with him and what it will do for their WR room?

"How much of [Thielen's salary] do the Vikings pick up? They could afford to pick up all of it, but if you're saying that to the Panthers, you're probably saying, 'Guys, that has to affect the level of the draft pick we're sending back to you,'" Goessling added.

The Vikings insider noted that "probably a Day 3 draft pick" will end up being the compensation for Thielen, but the Panthers might not want to part with their WR1 for so little. Therein lies the source of the impasse.

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