Rick Spielman ended this NFL draft having made seven trades for the Vikings, by far the most draft deals since he became general manager in 2012.
But he didn't stash any picks for the future, instead making 11 selections between Friday and Saturday. That fourth-round pick he sent to Philadelphia as part of the Sam Bradford trade? He's confident the Vikings still will get that back.
"As we're talking, I'm like, well, we're pretty good at accumulating picks, anyway," Spielman said. "So we should be able to get that fourth-round pick back next year."
That's the kind of confidence built after conducting the most trades of any GM in football during a trade-heavy weekend. The Vikings moved up twice, to draft running back Dalvin Cook and center Pat Elflein, and backpedaled in the draft order an additional five times to collect picks.
At one point Friday, the Vikings were scheduled to make three picks in the draft's final day. They walked away with nine players Saturday when the dealing was done.
"He likes to deal," coach Mike Zimmer said. "A lot of it is trying to add value, find the right guys for the right value. There are guys we like who still might be there later and there are guys, with the first two picks, we moved up for. [Assistant GMs] Rob Brzezinski and George Paton are back there working the phones and they do a great job communicating with these teams and negotiating the picks and slots. … For Rick, it's about finding the value in the player."
A new kick returner?
Fifth-round pick Rodney Adams, a wide receiver from South Florida, caught 14 touchdown passes the past two seasons and rushed for six TDs. But his clearest path to playing time as a rookie will be as a kickoff returner.
Adams, considered one of the better kickoff returners in this draft, averaged 29.1 yards per return in 2015 and 24.3 yards this past fall.
The Vikings, who let All-Pro kickoff returner Cordarrelle Patterson walk in free agency, expect Adams to be one of the leaders in the battle to replace him.
"I am going to have to come in and compete for the job," Adams said. "It is a competing league, so [I will] come in and compete."
Etc.
• A record-number of defensive backs were selected the first two nights of the draft, but the Vikings didn't pick one until N.C. State cornerback Jack Tocho with their fourth and final pick of the seventh round.
• Spielman said the Vikings were "very aggressive" with rookie free agents right after the draft ended. Those signings won't become official until the undrafted additions pass a physical.
• Sixth-round pick Bucky Hodges, a tight end from Virginia Tech, called dibs on jersey No. 84. Randy Moss was his favorite player.