Trae Waynes is heading into his fifth season in the NFL after being the No. 11 overall pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2015 NFL Draft. While things did not start quickly for the former Michigan State Spartan, as is the tendency with cornerbacks in a Mike Zimmer defense, he has come on and played fairly well in the last few seasons as a No. 2 corner next to Xavier Rhodes in the Vikings defense. The team picked up his fifth-year option for 2019, which will pay him around $9 million fully guaranteed, but it seems all but guaranteed with the team needing to free up some money this offseason.

This has led some to speculate that the team could look to trade Waynes this offseason, as they certainly will not be cutting him for nothing barring a surprise. During initial talks among groups of fans and media this offseason so far, many have voiced a displeasure with giving up on Waynes so quickly after he has developed the last few seasons. Perhaps the front office will not do that, but it seems like they have prepared themselves for the possibility, at least.

Waynes has started all 30 games that he has played in the last two seasons after only a single start in his rookie year in 15 games played and eight starts in 2016 in 15 games. Through the first four seasons of his career, he has grabbed six interceptions, three of which came during the 2016 season. He had two in 2017 and one more this past season.

Last year, the team selected a cornerback in the first round yet again when they drafted Mike Hughes out of UCF, who tore his ACL early in the year but showed promise as someone who can play both on the boundary and in the slot at corner. They took a chance on Holton Hill as an undrafted free agent and he played admirably in 2018 and showed promise. Mackensie Alexander seemed as if he was on the chopping block, but had a very nice year playing in the slot for the team. Add in the fact that Rhodes has been there and there is a bit of a logjam at the position.

That's not to say that Waynes has been a lesser player, but simply that their depth at the position gives them a bit of flexibility in potentially flipping a player like Waynes for an asset that could be used elsewhere. But before you come to grips with the idea of parting ways, it would probably be helpful to know what the market could be look for a player of his caliber.

The good news is that cornerback help is among one of the most coveted positions there are in today's NFL, which has gone the way of a mostly pass-heavy league. There would certainly be suitors. In the last few offseasons, a handful of solid-to-good starting corners have been traded, so let's take a look at what the price was when they were dealt.

2017: Ronald Darby from Bills to Eagles for WR Jordan Matthews and 2018 third-round pick

2018: Kendall Fuller and 2018 third-round pick from Redskins to Chiefs for QB Alex Smith

2018: Marcus Peters and sixth-round pick from Chiefs to Rams for 2018 fourth-round pick, 2019 second-round pick

2018: Aqib Talib from Broncos to Rams for 2018 fifth-round pick

2018 (trade deadline): Eli Apple from Giants to Saints for 2019 fourth-round pick, 2020 seventh-round pick

So where does Waynes fit into all of that? Apple would be the low end of the totem pole here, so they could certainly net more than what the Giants received for flipping their former first round pick. Peters is the best of the bunch and it took a second round pick in that deal to make it happen, which was seen as a bargain at the time. Based on those trades listed above, Waynes could probably get the Vikings a third-round pick or potentially something in the back half of the second round, though that seems as if it would be on the high side.

The question becomes what is more valuable to the team. Theoretically speaking, a third-round pick should be a starter or consistent contributor. They do not currently have a ton of draft capital, so something in the top-100 is an appealing possibility. If they cannot or do not want to re-sign Waynes for 2020 and beyond, the pick and player for the next few seasons after that may carry more value. Anything less than a third-rounder would probably questionable.

Waynes is not beating down the door asking to be traded, nor are the Vikings likely desperate to move on from him. But with their short and long-term needs and their depth at cornerback, it should not be something that is immediately shot down or discounted.

(There are still Super Bowl aspirations in Minnesota despite missing the playoffs in 2018, leading to a key offseason of decisions and moves --Don't miss any of the action! Sign up for our FREE Vikings newsletter here!)

The offseason is already underway as these teams work to build for the 2019 season and beyond. The NFL Combine from Indianapolis is set for Feb. 26 through March 4 before the start of free agency and the new league year on March 13. The 2019 NFL Draft kicks off from Nashville, Tennessee on April 25, 2019 and runs through April 27, 2019. The first round will be held on Thursday night, followed by the second and third round on Friday night and will conclude with rounds four through seven on Saturday.