MINNEAPOLIS -- As the news of Gerald Hodges' trade to the San Francisco 49ers reverberated across Twitter on Tuesday afternoon, the responses of numerous Minnesota Vikings players suggested few saw the move coming. As linebacker Chad Greenway -- the veteran whom Hodges has credited for mentoring him in the NFL -- put it, "Surprised would be an understatement."

Hodges had been the team's middle linebacker all season, and had started to get some playing time in the Vikings' nickel package on the days where the Vikings wanted to get Eric Kendricks a rest. The decision to deal him for a sixth-round pick and center Nicholas Easton -- a relatively modest return, considering ESPN's Adam Caplan reported the 49ers were set to cut Easton on Tuesday -- suggests Hodges might not have been as entrenched as it seemed.

The Vikings had given Hodges the job as a two-down linebacker only after he won the spot at the end of training camp, and for all of the 24-year-old's talent, coach Mike Zimmer always seemed a little concerned that Hodges wouldn't be in the right place all the time.

If there was one spot where the Vikings could deal from a position of strength, it might have been at linebacker, where the team used four picks -- including a first- and second-rounder -- in the last two drafts. The second-rounder, Kendricks, has played well enough in the nickel as a rookie that the Vikings felt comfortable giving him the main job. That might make the team more vulnerable in the event of an injury, but the chance to improve the offensive line was worth the gamble in general manager Rick Spielman's mind.

"I know [Kendricks] is a very instinctive football player,” Spielman said. “Each week, you see the more reps he’s getting, the more comfortable he’s getting with the speed of this game. And he makes plays when he’s out there. We drafted him because of how strong we felt about him coming out. When we evaluated him in college, you’re starting to see all that come as he adjusts to the speed of the NFL. He’s a very instinctive linebacker who makes a lot of plays.”

Spielman said the trade for Easton was not an admission that center John Sullivan won't be able to return from back surgery in a timely manner. He pointed to the chance to recoup the sixth-round pick the Vikings dealt to San Diego for Jeremiah Sirles last month, and said Easton was a player the Vikings had been monitoring since they missed out on him as an undrafted free agent.

But the Vikings' moves for interior line depth should be noted, and it's also worth noting they felt comfortable parting with Hodges after seeing Kendricks for just four games. There's not always a clear-cut right answer to the dozens of roster decisions a NFL front office must face, but the Vikings felt comfortable making Tuesday's deal largely because of what they think they have in Kendricks. Now, he'll get a chance to play the three-down role the Vikings seemed to be holding for him.