The Minnesota Vikings entered training camp with a beefed-up defensive line, and the excitement from fans was palpable.
An assumed starting group of Javon Hargrave, Jonathan Allen and Harrison Phillips, with Jalen Redmond rotating in, was formidable on paper.
With arguably the NFL’s deepest group of edge defenders in Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Dallas Turner, and a pair of returning starters at inside linebacker in Blake Cashman and Ivan Pace Jr., Minnesota had an embarrassment of riches on defense when the pads came on in August.
The twist came on Aug. 20, when the Vikings agreed to trade Phillips to the New York Jets in exchange for an extra sixth-round draft pick.