Danielle Hunter missed the bulk of the previous three seasons due to injury, and his contract has come up frequently during this span. But the ninth-year Vikings edge rusher has rocketed out of the blocks in his contract year. Hunter’s eight sacks pace the NFL through six games.
The Vikings are 2-4 and have their top player on IR. Justin Jefferson is a non-starter in trades, and Kirk Cousins is not expected to waive his no-trade clause. But teams are monitoring the Hunter situation, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler, who adds the veteran edge rusher would have a big market if made available.
Minnesota discussed Hunter in trades this offseason, doing so as a contingency as his latest round of contract talks had created uncertainty. But the parties huddled up and agreed on another adjustment, a one-year, $17MM deal that put the Pro Bowler in a contract year. Nearly three months after the new agreement, however, Fowler adds the Vikings are not shopping Hunter. The defending NFC North champions are not yet throwing in the towel on this season, keeping their top non-Cousins trade chip off the table for the time being.
If the Vikings were to make Hunter available, one exec suggested (via Fowler) a first-round pick could be necessary to pry him from the Twin Cities. Hunter also leads the NFL with 11 tackles for loss. After shaking off the neck and pectoral injuries that sidelined him for all but seven games from 2020-21, Hunter returned to the Pro Bowl with 10.5 sacks last season. The youngest player to reach 50 career sacks, Hunter turns 29 later this month. He is on the verge of creating a strong free agency market in 2024.
The Jaguars loomed as a team connected to Hunter during the preseason, per Fowler, but they have seen Josh Allen display consistency in his contract year. Jacksonville has Allen and 2022 No. 1 overall pick Travon Walker anchoring its edge. Walker, however, has not played up to his draft slot just yet; 2020 first-rounder K’Lavon Chaisson has not come especially close to living up to his, either. Ex-Vikings GM Rick Spielman, in a piece for The33rdteam.com, mentioned the Jags as a logical trade destination for the player he drafted in the 2015 third round.
As for the Vikings, they swapped out 2022 Hunter sidekick Za’Darius Smith for Marcus Davenport in free agency. Minnesota signed Davenport to a one-year, $13MM deal and dealt Smith to Cleveland. Davenport is now on IR, and Kevin O’Connell said (via ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert) surgery remains a possibility as the ex-Saints first-rounder rehabs a high ankle sprain. With Davenport out for at least four games, the Vikings moving Hunter would gut their pass rush. Hunter is stampeding toward his fifth double-digit sack season. In the official sack era (1982-present), only Hall of Famers John Randle and Chris Doleman have finished with more 10-plus-sack seasons than Hunter as Vikings.
The Vikings did make a seller’s trade involving an edge rusher in 2020, sending Yannick Ngakoue to the Ravens despite acquiring him from the Jaguars that summer. The Ravens sent third- and fifth-round picks to the Vikes for Ngakoue; the Vikings were 1-5 at that time. Hunter is attached to a $10MM base salary, which teams would likely not view as prohibitive given the start he has put together.
As the Rams’ Von Miller pickup in 2021 showed, a standout edge rusher can make a considerable impact during a Super Bowl push. The Vikings have no real edge rusher certainty beyond 2023, with both Hunter and Davenport due for free agency, so the position will be a top-tier need in 2024 regardless of where Hunter calls home come November. Minnesota also has longtime defensive staple Harrison Smith tied to a pay-cut agreement, clouding his post-2023 Minnesota future. The Vikes will be one of the most interesting teams at the trade deadline, but for now, they have yet to truly engage.
Classic Jags. Whiff on the 1st overall pick T Walker only to need someone to be a stud DE. Miserable franchise.
Well, that’s what happens when you put Trent Baalke in charge. This isn’t one of those “Well, to be fair, people thought…” Literally no one thought Walker was the best pick in that draft. And yet, the Jags managed to make it not a secret at the same time.
That team could go so much further with a competent GM. I suppose we’ll get a rehash of the Harbaugh years in San Fran where a competent coaching job covers up mediocre drafting for a while.
I hope he still keeps a clown on his desk, because he earned that title.
Man, he would look great on the other side of Hutchison. Lions, this feels like an all-in type of year. If we continue this year’s pace, a first-rounder one hurt as bad.
sending a first to the div rival vikings? that would sting a little bit worse than anywhere else. unlikely, at best
I would send a late 1st round pick for someone I thought would bring a ring. Both teams were fine trading the TE for a 2nd last year. So they have recent history of doing business.
The Vikings gave them a second-round pick for TJ last year. A late first isn’t that much different. They have a history. Is doable.
I doubt that you’ll have to pay that much for Hunter, if he were theoretically available.
He’s available. Vikings say no to generate more interest. With cousins gone next year and no rb on the roster of any use, they should go into rebuild mode and trade Jefferson for a kings ransom of draft picks and start over. If I’m Jefferson seeing where this team is going and the future…I’m asking to be traded.
I should clarify-available to Detroit.
The Lions are building a sustainable roster by drafting extremely well. I don’t think they need to go all-in yet because they’re set up to run that division for the next 5 seasons. I think they would be best served to let this roster see what they can accomplish and maintain roster flexibility heading into the offseason.
Send him to jets
He could be a good fit, there. The question is whether or not New York wants to try again with a veteran who has injury issues recently. But on the field, the fit seems good in the short term.
Risk vs reward brother
Always is, ain’t that the truth.
Yessir lol
I don’t think we need him.
Ship him West – chargers could use another OLB
This is an interesting question for me if you’re the Vikings. You want to add a few picks, and trading away a productive but aging veteran who probably won’t be re-signed seems like a good way to do it. On the other hand, your defense is absolutely atrocious and this player is both a leader and one of the few who actually plays well. Is it worth it to hold on to him until it starts to be fixed, or do you take the picks now?
Of course, the other issue is health. Hunter has had injuries recently, so the Vikes may want to trade him before that could happen again. But those picks will certainly be used to try to add a younger anchor on the defensive line/front seven opposite Wonnum, who will hopefully continue to ascend.
There are other obvious areas of need-corner, running back, offensive line-so the trade could be worth it. The other question is-do you deal Smith too? He’s the anchor on the back end of the defense, but he doesn’t seem as much of a fit for Flores as he was in prior schemes. The reason that I say this is because Flores does not let him improvise nearly as much as he has in the past. He seems to be in the same situation as Hunter in that regard-does Minnesota decide that now is the time to deal him as well?
I know I’m gonna catch heck from the politically correct crowd but no way am I having a guy named Dannielle, Skylar or Flossy on my roster.
It has nothing to do with being politically correct. It’s just a really dumb take.
I think it’s a joke, my friend.
I’d definitely take a guy named Sue, though.
There are always exceptions. I’d make room on my roster for a guy named Rosey Grier.
If he’s good I don’t care if their name was Mike Hawk or Heywood Jablome