Vikings Rumors Intensify on Kendrick Bourne, the CB Fix, and Cam Akers

New England Patriots wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (84) lines up during a road matchup on Dec. 15, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The veteran target was active against the Arizona Cardinals as New England looked to generate consistency in its passing attack late in the season. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images. The Minnesota Vikings’ offseason is essentially over, and the real thing is rapidly approaching. Minnesota Vikings rumors intensify with buzz around Kendrick Bourne, the CB solution, and Cam Akers as the team weighs potential roster moves. The rumor mill hasn’t subsided, though, and VikingsTerritory keeps tabs on all theories and gossip weekly, if not daily. Here’s this week’s first batch of rumors Vikings Rumors | August 30th, 2025 It’s the purple rumor mill for the weekend before the opener. New England Patriots wide receiver K. Bourne (84) is forced out of bounds by Tennessee Titans cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (29) during first-half play on Nov 3, 2024, at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee. Bourne’s reception moved the chains as New England pressed forward on offense. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images. Rumor: The Vikings explored a Kendrick Bourne trade before acquiring Adam Thielen from the Carolina Panthers. To set the table, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero tweeted this week, “The Patriots are releasing veteran WR Kendrick Bourne, per sources. After missing most of camp with a foot injury, Bourne is healthy and wanted a fresh start. Now, he gets it and can find a new home.” Pelissero’s colleague, Mike Garafolo, followed up the tweet a few minutes later: “The 49ers seem like a logical landing spot but the Vikings had interest and a few other teams are likely to show interest now that Kendrick Bourne is a free agent. One to watch.” It’s unclear if Minnesota would still sign Bourne after trading for Thielen. It has not done so a few days removed from the Thielen trade. Perhaps not. Minnesota wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) hauls in a reception against Cleveland Browns safety Briean Boddy-Calhoun (20) on Oct 29, 2017, during an NFL International Series contest at Twickenham Stadium in London, England. Thielen’s production helped lift Minnesota to a 33-16 win. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images. But so long as Bourne remains on the free-agent wire, it’s useful to know the Vikings kicked the tires on his trade availability. These are the club’s wide receivers without Bourne: Justin Jefferson Jordan Addison (out until Week 4) Adam Thielen Jalen Nailor Tai Felton Myles Price Rumor: Minnesota may be done adding new cornerback talent; it thinks Fabian Moreau can do the trick. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell chatted with reporters on Thursday. With the regular season around the bend, the Vikings boss appeared to be content with the status quo at cornerback. Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (18) secures a touchdown grab while defended by Minnesota cornerback Fabian Moreau (23) in third-quarter action on Dec 1, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Harrison continued his breakout rookie season with a score in the NFC matchup. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images. He also hinted that recently-added corner Fabian Moreau, who played for the Vikings last year, can be a fix in a pinch. Moreau currently lives on the practice squad. “Yeah, it’s a position where we have the ability to play Big Nickel and things like that, so we look at that group with that versatility. We were able to bring back Fabian Moreau, who we view as an NFL-caliber guy and has played a lot of snaps for us,” Adofo-Mensah told reporters about the CB section of his depth chart. “We’ll always be mindful throughout the season to look at different opportunities.” Our Janik Eckardt opined on the CBs, “Wednesday afternoon, the Vikings announced their practice squad players, and part of that was a familiar cornerback: Fabian Moreau. The veteran defensive back returns for a second season. He was Minnesota’s fourth cornerback last season behind Murphy Jr., Stephon Gilmore, and Shaq Griffin.” “Moreau, now 31 years old, appeared in seven contests with the Vikings, playing 102 defensive snaps and 56 on special teams. He made seven tackles and earned a PFF grade of 63.2, which is pretty much average. Zemaiah Vaughn, a rookie defender who was surrounded by some buzz in training camp, was also brought back to the practice squad. He has intriguing size and athleticism, but was cut on Tuesday.” Moreau could be the sole fix for now. Rumor: The New Orleans Saints cut Cam Akers, and he’s a natural free-agent option for the Vikings. Cam Akers is available on the open market; the Vikings don’t even have to trade for him. Minnesota Vikings running back Cam Akers (27) takes a handoff and powers forward against the Green Bay Packers during second-quarter action on Dec 29, 2024, at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Akers looked to provide balance in Minnesota’s ground game late in the season. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images. USA Today’s Nick Brinkerhoff announced on Monday, “Cam Akers has been around the NFL block a few times in his career. That doesn’t mean getting released for the first time hurts any less. The New Orleans Saints announced on Monday that they would be releasing the running back as part of their roster cutdown ahead of the regular season.” “Teams can carry up to 90 players in training camp, but have to reduce their squads to 53 following the preseason. Akers ended up on the wrong side of the numbers game for the first time in his career and wasted no time reacting to the news on social media.” New Orleans preferred Alvin Kamara, Kendre Miller, and Devin Neal over Akers. Minnesota traded for Akers in back-to-back seasons. They clearly love the guy. That’s enough evidence to suggest that they could sign him at any moment and drop Ty Chandler.