Minnesota moved back into the first round for Teddy…
Minnesota moved back into the first round for Teddy Bridgewater, sending Seattle picks No. 40 and No. 108. Bridgewater became the Vikings' starter, made the Pro Bowl after the 2015 season and helped produce an NFC North title before a catastrophic knee injury changed his trajectory. Seattle traded No. 40 again and collected additional selections while using No. 108 on Cassius Marsh. Both sides got useful value, with Minnesota's starting-quarterback payoff providing the stronger peak.
Minnesota Vikings Received
- pick 2014 1st round pick (32nd overall, Teddy Bridgewater )
Seattle Seahawks Received
- pick 2014 2nd round pick (40th overall subsequently traded, Kyle Van Noy )
- pick 2014 4th round pick (108th overall, Cassius Marsh)
Trade Analysis
Minnesota's move was an aggressive attempt to solve quarterback at the end of the first round. The Vikings sent pick No. 40 and a fourth-rounder at No. 108 to Seattle for No. 32, then selected Teddy Bridgewater. He started 28 games across his first two seasons, helped Minnesota go 11-5 and win the NFC North in 2015, and earned a Pro Bowl selection after that season. His development appeared to justify the move before the devastating knee injury suffered just before the 2016 season threatened his career and ended his run as Minnesota's long-term starter.
Seattle's return requires following the picks beyond the first exchange. The Seahawks used No. 108 on defensive end Cassius Marsh, who spent three seasons in Seattle as a rotational defender and special-teams contributor. They did not stay at No. 40. Seattle traded that selection and another pick to Detroit, moving down to No. 45 while adding further selections. The Seahawks used No. 45 on wide receiver Paul Richardson, who battled injuries early but later produced a 703-yard, six-touchdown season in 2017. Other pieces from the subsequent movement produced smaller contributions.
That means Seattle's strategy of converting one late first-rounder into multiple shots worked reasonably well. The Seahawks did not land a single player as valuable at his peak as Bridgewater, but they generated depth and flexibility from a spot they were comfortable leaving.
Minnesota earns a B+ because Bridgewater provided legitimate starting-quarterback value, a division championship season and signs of a durable solution before an unpredictable injury changed everything. Seattle earns a B for multiplying its selections and finding several contributors without producing a comparable centerpiece. The Vikings hold the narrow edge because the upside of a quality starting quarterback was realized for two seasons, even if it could not last.