TAMPA – We’ll say this about Bucs GM Bruce Allen: he’s out there trying. That’s word anyway.
Talk in Minnesota this morning is that Allen has been trying to swing a deal with the Vikings that would bring tackle Bryant McKinnie and running back Chester Taylor to Tampa Bay.
Only time will tell if such a deal goes down, but that would be one heck of deal. McKinnie is the Vikings starting left tackle and Taylor is coming off a career-best 1,200-yard rushing season.
Taylor missed a couple of games because of a hip injury he suffered in the season opener but he started the game last week against Green Bay and had eight carries for 40 yards.
The Vikings could probably afford to let Taylor go, what with Adrian Peterson getting most of the work at tailback. Still, this deal seems a little far-fetched.
McKinnie and Taylor are not old players nearing the end of their careers. They’re still relatively young and both should just now be entering the prime of their careers.
Not only that, but the Vikings are not out of the running in an NFC North race that is currently as upside down as NFC South race is. Though they’re 1-3, they still have a chance to fight their way to the top.
Everything depends, though, on what the Bucs are willing to part with. A deal at this time of year would almost certainly include an exchange of players, but the Bucs may also be willing to part with a draft pick.
We’re not suggesting that pick would be a first- or second-rounder, but the Bucs no doubt feel they have a chance at making a legitimate playoff run this year, so they may be willing to pay a lot.
Something else the Bucs have to factor into the equation is the future of RB Cadillac Williams. Torn patellar tendons are difficult to come back from. Some prove impossible to come back from.

  If Williams injury is the latter sort, the Bucs will have to start anew their search for a feature back. Taylor may not be the best answer but a team could do a lot worse.
A good pass catcher and runner, he’s a good fit in a West Coast type of scheme. And like we said before, he’s still young. Some scouts believe he’s got starter potential and only needs a chance to play regularly.
As for McKinnie, he’s a solid starter. Many believe he could become an elite-level player with better coaching and more focus on the game. He could even prove to be an upgrade over Luke Petitgout.
Weighing all of that, the feeling here is that this deal never goes down. It may be just a bad rumor anyway, but you can bet Allen is out there slugging away, trying to do something to offset the loss of Williams and Petitgout.