The 2026 NFL Combine is in full swing, and the Minnesota Vikings’ rumor mill has not hit the pause button. In about one week, free agents will begin signing with new teams, meaning no rest for rumors.

Three separate storylines are converging: cap decisions, interior D-line reshuffling, and a familiar coaching name resurfacing.

This week’s batch examines a trade, a possible new interior defensive lineman, and Mike Zimmer popping back up out of retirement.

The Cap Crunch Fueling Hargrave, Franklin-Myers, and Zimmer Chatter

The Purple Rumor Mill for February 28th.

Rumor: The Vikings are looking to trade DT Javon Hargrave.

Minnesota has its first tangible trade rumor of the offseason.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz tweeted Tuesday, “Sources: The Vikings have had trade talks with teams regarding 2x Pro Bowl DT Javon Hargrave. Hargrave started 15 games last year and had 3.5 sacks in his first season with Minnesota.”

NFL writer Logan Ulrich weighed in, too: “A trade would be a preferable outcome for Minnesota if they can find a partner, as $3 million of his salary this upcoming year is guaranteed. Hargrave was still productive as a contributor, just not as much as the Vikings hoped.”

“Hargrave was scheduled to make base salaries of $19.9 million and $21.65 million in the final two years of that deal when San Francisco reworked his contract. The team later released him with a post-June 1 designation ahead of the 2025 season.”

The 33-year-old has been mentioned as a cut or trade candidate for weeks. It looks like one of those outcomes is inevitable.

Rumor: Minnesota could target DT John Franklin-Myers in free agency.

Replying to fans’ queries from a mailbag segment, The Athletic‘s Alec Lewis named Franklin-Myers this week as a Vikings free-agent candidate.

He set the stage for Vikings free agency: “The next phase in answering the question is mostly a conversation of positional priorities. Quarterback takes precedence. Because safeties and centers play essential communication roles, veterans could be the answer at these positions, too. Running back and defensive line would likely be next in line.”

“So, it’s worth looking at potential signings through that prism. Take on a boatload of cap space at quarterback, and the Vikings would need some savvy signings elsewhere. Pay minimally at QB, and the Vikings could try to go big on a defensive lineman, like Denver Broncos defensive tackle John Franklin-Myers (whom The Athletic’s Daniel Popper projected could make around $54 million over three seasons).”

Minnesota also might require free-agent help in the defensive secondary, so the Franklin-Myers raised some eyebrows.

Lewis added, “As difficult as it may be to see, there is a path for the Vikings to extend money into the future and invest aggressively over the next two years. This would make for a flurry of activity over the next few weeks.”

Here’s Franklin-Myers’s resume from Pro Football Focus:

In theory, Franklin-Myers could replace the aforementioned Hargrave.

Spotrac projects John Franklin-Myers’ next contract at roughly $7.9 million annually, a manageable figure. However, he’ll turn 30 in September, and with the Vikings’ recent emphasis on acquiring veteran defensive tackles, the front office might prioritize a younger prospect this time.

The upcoming draft presents several promising options. Caleb Banks (Florida), Kayden McDonald (Ohio State), and Peter Woods (Clemson) are among the top interior defensive line prospects expected to be available in April and offer long-term potential.

In 2025, the Vikings aggressively pursued defensive line talent, with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah adding Hargrave and Jonathan Allen to fortify the interior. While serviceable, their impact was ultimately underwhelming. Much of the focus then centered on Jalen Redmond, who emerged as a consistently reliable player, perhaps ranking second only to Justin Jefferson in overall impact on the 2025 team.

Rumor: Mike Zimmer may join the Denver Broncos’ coaching staff.

Zimmer retired around this time last year. Now, he’s contemplating a comeback.

NBC Sports’ Josh Alper reported Tuesday, “Sean Payton and Mike Zimmer were colleagues on the Cowboys’ coaching staff more than 20 years ago and they could work together again in Denver. Mike Klis of KUSA reports that the Broncos recently met with Zimmer about a senior coaching assistant position on Payton’s staff. There’s no imminent announcement of an agreement, but there is reportedly mutual interest in making something happen.”

“Zimmer was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator when Payton was their assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach from 2003-2005. Payton moved on to become the Saints’ head coach in 2006 and Zimmer would become the Vikings’ head coach in 2014 after stints in Atlanta and Cincinnati.”

This would be cinema for Vikings fans: Zimmer teaming up with Payton, who remains hated in the Twin Cities. Public Enemy No. 1.

LaTroy Lewis’ time as a member of the Atlanta Falcons coaching staff lasted less than a month. The team dismissed him Friday after sexual assault allegations surfaced.

The allegations are tied to a December 2024 hotel incident during Lewis’ time with the Michigan football coaching staff. The Falcons released a statement Friday saying the organization was aware of the claims made against the team’s former assistant defensive line coach.

“We are aware of allegations regarding LaTroy Lewis,” the Falcons said. “We are in the process of gathering information and will have no further comment at this time.”

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LaTroy Lewis of the Tennessee Volunteers watches from the sideline during a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium Nov. 29, 2014, in Nashville, Tenn.  (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)

In a statement obtained by ESPN, Michigan spokesperson Paul Corliss called the allegations “deeply concerning.”

Attorney Fabiola A. Galguera said Lewis “intends to fiercely fight these false allegations with the support of his wife, family and my team.”

Fox News Digital was unable to reach Lewis for comment.

Lewis served as a graduate assistant at Michigan in 2022 and was promoted to assistant defensive line coach for the next two seasons.

“The Ann Arbor Police Department was just recently made aware of allegations regarding a sexual assault reported to have occurred on December 5, 2024. The suspect in this investigation is LaTroy Lewis,” Ann Arbor Police spokesperson Chris Page said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital.

An Atlanta Falcons helmet on the field before a game between the Falcons and the Carolina Panthers Dec. 8, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. (David John Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

“The AAPD Detective Bureau launched an immediate investigation into the incident. This investigation remains active and ongoing.”

Karen Truszkowski, the attorney for the woman accusing Lewis of sexual assault, said her client filed an incident report with Ann Arbor police and requested a protective order against Lewis.

The woman and Lewis connected on a dating app in July 2024, and she claims his behavior became aggressive via text message and phone calls, according to Truszkowski. They met for the first time at an Ann Arbor hotel in December 2024, when she told police Lewis raped her, according to Truszkowski.

The Milford Police Department in Michigan responded the next month to a 911 call from the woman’s neighbors, who heard raised voices, according to Truszkowski. The attorney said her client and Lewis told the police that their argument was not physical.

Truszkowski said her client told Milford police that Lewis was an assistant defensive line coach at Michigan, saying she didn’t want to talk about it. She was hesitant to tell the police at the time that Lewis had physically abused her, according to Truszkowski.

FILE – This is a 2019 photo of LaTroy Lewis of the Tennessee Titans NFL football team. This image reflects the Tennessee Titans active roster as of May 23, 2019 when this image was taken. (AP Photo, file)

Fox News Digital submitted a request to the Ann Arbor Police to obtain the police report and protection order tied to the allegations against Lewis.

Lewis coached under former Michigan coaches Sherrone Moore and Jim Harbaugh. Moore was fired in December after allegedly having an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and being charged with three crimes, including felony home invasion and stalking.

The woman who accused Lewis reportedly shared details of the incident with Moore, according to her attorney. However, Truszkowski said Moore ultimately chose not to report Lewis and instead sent her client lewd, sexually explicit text messages.

Moore’s attorney denied the claims. 

“Sherrone Moore did not fail to report misconduct, did not reward wrongdoing and did not harass anyone,” Moore’s lawyer, Ellen K. Michaels, said in a statement to ESPN. “These claims are false.”

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“As we have noted, the university launched an investigation of the circumstances and conduct leading to Sherrone Moore’s firing as well as a broader culture review of the athletic department,” Corliss said in a statement. 

“We continue to urge anyone with relevant information to reach out to the law firm conducting the investigation.

Lewis played linebacker at Tennessee before signing with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2017 and appearing in the preseason. He later spent time with the Texans and Titans and coached at Toledo last season.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown has been rumored to be on the trade block for the past few weeks. However, NFL insider Peter Schrager provided an update on his situation.

During an appearance on the “Pat McAfee” show on Friday, Schrager shut down these rumors involving the trade of Brown. He said that the Eagles are not looking to part ways with the wide receiver. However, he also expects GM Howie Roseman to keep his ears open for the offers they get for him.

“At the trade deadline, Howie Roseman told everyone, ‘No, we’re not trading A.J. Brown.’” Schrager said. “And then, you got to this media availability. What he said was, of couse, I always listen. Like I said, A.J. Brown’s Twitter handle is always open. Howie Roseman is always listening.

“But I will also add this, he is not on the block by any means. They are not proactively trading A.J. Brown. They are not shopping Brown. But he (Roseman) will always have his phone line open. The issue is for the Eagles, if they trade him before June 1st, it cost them $40 million dollars in dead cap money. They trade him after June 1st, it gets a lot less financially prohibitive.”

The Tennessee Titans traded Brown to the Eagles back in 2022. He initially agreed to a four-year deal worth $100 million. In April 2024, they offered him a three-year extension worth $96 million.

Last season, the Super Bowl LIX champion recorded 1,003 yards on 78 receptions and seven touchdowns. However, Brown also made headlines because of a rumored rift in his relationship with quarterback Jalen Hurts. This triggered the rumor mill to churn about him potentiall parting ways with the Eagles.

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NFL analyst discusses the reason why the Eagles are not trading A.J. Brown

On Friday, analyst Louis Riddick discussed a potential reason as to why the Eagles are not trading A.J. Brown. According to him, it is because other teams are not willing to offer them the trade value that they’re asking for.

“Look, they just need to. It just seems like they need to go their separate ways here,” Riddick said on ‘Get Up.’ “Look, there’s just too much smoke around this situation all the time. You have to make tough decision, this is one of those situations where I feel like that’s where it basically needs to go.

“I may be wrong, he maybe be on a football team in 2026, they may sau, ‘Look, we’re not going to get a fair value for this young man on the trade market, so we’re just going to keep him here regardless of how it looks from the outside.”

In seven seasons in the NFL, Brown has recorded 8,029 yards and 56 touchdowns receiving.