Latest On Vikings, Danielle Hunter
After reworking his contract, Danielle Hunter reported for the Vikings’ minicamp this week. The accomplished pass rusher did not participate, but he is confident he will be ready for the upcoming season.
Hunter acknowledged he is not yet in football shape, but regarding the neck injury that derailed his 2020 season, the seventh-year defensive end categorized himself as “100%,” via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Hunter passed his physical and looked “fantastic,” Mike Zimmer said.
A herniated disk required Hunter to undergo season-ending neck surgery last year. This certainly complicated his pursuit of a new contract, and Hunter did skip Vikings OTAs because of an issue with his deal. The Vikings moved some money up to appease their top sack artist, converting $5.6MM of $12.2MM 2021 base salary into a signing bonus. This created a bit of cap room and could benefit Hunter in 2022.
The Vikings picking up Hunter’s new $18MM roster bonus — due on Day 5 of the ’22 league year — would bump his 2022 earnings by around $8MM, increasing his base salary to around $20MM. That is a rather high number, even with the salary cap likely to eclipse $200MM, and it would make sense for the Vikings to give Hunter a new deal before that point — if they see him return to form this season. Hunter’s five-year, $72MM extension runs through 2023.
In each of the two seasons following the extension agreement, Hunter notched 14.5 sacks. In December 2019, Hunter became the youngest to 50 career sacks — topping Robert Quinn — and made his second straight Pro Bowl. Without him and several other veterans in 2020, the Vikings plummeted from fifth to 29th in points allowed. With Hunter, 26, and Anthony Barr due back from injury, along with the new Michael Pierce–Dalvin Tomlinson–Sheldon Richardson interior D-line trio, Minnesota’s defense figures to improve this season.
Vikings Waive P Zach Von Rosenberg
Zach Von Rosenberg‘s hopes of going from minor league baseball to the NFL hit a snag Tuesday. The Vikings’ Sheldon Richardson signing led to the departure of the aspiring punter.
Minnesota waived Von Rosenberg on Tuesday, leaving Britton Colquitt as the only punter on the team’s 90-man roster. Colquitt has held the Vikes’ punting job for the past two seasons.
Von Rosenberg spent six years in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ farm system, going from rookie league to the High-A level. The former sixth-round MLB pick spent time as a starter and a reliever in this span but left baseball after the 2014 season.
The Vikings signed the pitcher-turned-punter as a UDFA in May. Von Rosenberg, now 30, spent the past four seasons as LSU’s punter. He ended his Baton Rouge run with two second-team All-SEC honors. The rest of the NFL will have a chance to claim the developmental specialist on waivers.
Vikings Sign Third-Round QB Kellen Mond
Kellen Mond signed his rookie contract Tuesday, locking him in through the 2024 season. The third-rounder’s status as Kirk Cousins‘ heir apparent is not yet known, but the Vikings will have time to find out.
Minnesota selected Mond with the second pick in the third round (66th overall), doing so one spot ahead of the Texans. Houston is believed to have sought Mond at No. 67, but the Texas A&M alum will end up leaving the Lone Star State to serve as Cousins’ backup/potential successor.
Mond marks the first QB the Vikings have brought in who could double as a Cousins competitor. The team has previously stationed true QB2s — Trevor Siemian, Sean Mannion — behind its well-paid starter; Mond represents a deviation from that strategy. Cousins is just 32 and has put up nice stats with the Vikings, but the franchise entered the draft with a goal of acquiring a younger passer. After the Vikes’ Justin Fields pursuit proved unsatisfactory, they set their sights on Mond a day later.
A three-year Aggies starter, Mond finished his career with a 71-27 TD-INT ratio despite facing perennially tough schedules in the SEC. Third-round QBs’ success rate commandeering starting jobs is low, giving Cousins a bit of security for the time being. Minnesota’s incumbent passer is signed through 2022 and has a whopping $45MM cap number next season. Mond’s development may well determine if Cousins receives a third contract offer from the Vikings.
Vikings Sign Sheldon Richardson
The Vikings announced that they’ve officially signed Sheldon Richardson. The defensive lineman will play on a one-year, $3.6MM deal that could reach $4.35MM via incentives (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero). 
The Vikes effectively handled two birds with one stone. Earlier today, they reworked Danielle Hunter‘s contract to satisfy the defensive end and carve out some extra breathing room on the 2021 cap. Now, they’ve used those extra dollars to further strengthen the defensive line with Richardson.
It’s a reunion for Richardson, who spent the 2018 season in Minnesota. After that, he moved on to the Browns, but he was released in April after refusing a pay cut. The former Defensive Rookie of the Year will further beef up the Vikings’ interior, joining Michael Pierce and newcomer Dalvin Tomlinson. Thanks in part to Pierce’s opt out, the Vikings ranked 27th in yardage allowed last year. It’s safe to say they’ll fare better this time around.
Richardson has 118 career starts to his credit with 31 sacks and 58 tackles for loss across eight seasons. Last year, he graded as a top-40 interior defender, per Pro Football Focus while notching 4.5 sacks and 64 tackles.
Vikings, Danielle Hunter Rework Deal
The Vikings and Danielle Hunter have agreed to a restructured contract, as NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. With that, they’ve avoided a potential standoff with the defensive end. 
Hunter has been pushing for a new deal, but he told the team he’d still report to minicamp this week. Now, Hunter will get to see more of his money sooner while the Vikings will actually eke out some room for the present year.
The 26-year-old will get $5.6MM of his 2021 base salary in the form of a signing bonus. Meanwhile, in 2022, he’ll collect an $18MM roster bonus if he’s on the team by the fifth day of the league year. If they decide to keep him next March, he’ll be on the books for $20MM with that $18MM portion guaranteed. Or, they can choose to part ways with a modest dead cap hit.
Previously, Hunter was scheduled to make $12.15MM in base pay with another $5.6MM in bonuses for 2022. In effect, Hunter is betting on himself after neck surgery. The Vikings were happy to oblige, because they now have a more reasonable escape hatch if things don’t pan out. Meanwhile, Hunter’s 2023 season appears to be in tact — that year, he’s slated to carry a $14.75MM cap hit with just $2MM locked in.
Hunter missed all of last year with a neck injury and, in the process, underscored his value to the Vikings. Without him, they totaled just 23 sacks. In the previous two years, Hunter personally notched 14.5 sacks.
Vikings’ Danielle Hunter To Report To Minicamp
7:47pm: The Pro Bowl defensive end completed a medical checkup at the Vikings’ facility Monday, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling (on Twitter), clearing the way for participation at the team’s minicamp.
11:40am: Danielle Hunter will join the Vikings for the start of mandatory minicamp (Twitter link via James Jones of NTAF). Hunter has been hoping for a new deal, but it sounds like he’ll be a good sport and dodge the potential fines for skipping. 
Last year, we heard that Hunter would demand a trade if the Vikings didn’t give him a fresh contract. It’s not clear where things stand, but the defensive end wouldn’t necessarily be negotiating from a position of strength. Hunter had 14.5 sacks in both 2018 and 2019. But, last year, he didn’t play at all due to a herniated disk in his neck. At last check, GM Rick Spielman said his rehab was going well and expected him to be on track for the start of the season.
Before the injury, Hunter graded out as Pro Football Focus’ No. 7-ranked edge rusher in the league, ahead of Cameron Jordan, Myles Garrett, Demarcus Lawrence, and a host of other big names. As it stands, the Vikings have him locked up through 2023, thanks to the five-year, $72MM extension he inked a few years back.
That deal gives him $12.15MM in base salary for each of the next three years, plus ~$14MM in potential bonuses. Hunter’s an elite pass rusher when he’s healthy, so he wants a better deal to match.
Vikings, Sheldon Richardson Discussing Deal
After spurning a potential return to the Browns, Sheldon Richardson is considering another reunion. The Vikings have the defensive tackle on their radar and have entered discussions to bring him back.
Richardson, who played the 2018 season in Minnesota, is on the cusp of re-signing there, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. KFAN’s Jack Day was the first to report a Richardson-Vikings reunion was on the radar (Twitter link). Richardson spent the past two seasons with the Browns but has opted not to accept a reduced offer to return for a third season. The Browns released Richardson in April.
The Vikings have already devoted considerable resources to their defensive tackle position. Last year, they poached Michael Pierce from the Ravens in free agency. Pierce, however, opted out in 2020. In March, the Vikes added ex-Giants starter Dalvin Tomlinson. Richardson returning would give Minnesota one of the best D-tackle groups in the NFL.
Minnesota’s defense ranked fourth in yardage yielded during Richardson’s Twin Cities season, but a much younger group dropped to 27th in 2020. Mike Zimmer‘s first bad Vikings defense was without Danielle Hunter for all of last season and missed Anthony Barr for most of it. The Vikings now have Hunter back in the fold, after adjusting his contract earlier Monday, and are clearly serious about bolstering their D-line.
A veteran of four teams, Richardson has started 118 games in his career. The former first-round pick and Defensive Rookie of the Year started 16 games with Minnesota three years ago and remained a quality starter during his Cleveland stay. The 30-year-old defender has 31 career sacks and 58 tackles for loss in eight seasons.
Vikings Adjust Danielle Hunter’s Contract
Danielle Hunter reported to Vikings minicamp and soon received some additional cash. The Vikings, who signed Hunter to a team-friendly extension in 2018, adjusted their top pass rusher’s deal Monday.
The team converted $5.6MM of the veteran defensive end’s contract to a signing bonus, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. This will give the seventh-year veteran a nice cash influx and also put the Vikings to a decision next year. While Hunter is still signed through the 2023 season, this contract adjustment may change that.
Hunter’s deal now includes an $18MM roster bonus due on Day 5 of the 2022 league year, Rapoport tweets. This will put the Vikings to a decision on their Pro Bowl sack artist. Hunter being part of the Vikings in 2022 will likely depend on his health. He missed all of last season due to a herniated disk in his neck, placing the 26-year-old defender in a less-than-ideal negotiating position.
Hunter’s injury, however, greatly impacted the Vikings. They sported a porous defense for the first time in Mike Zimmer‘s tenure, with a younger group battling other injuries and lacking for reliable pressure threats. Bringing Hunter back into the fold stands to be significant for a Vikings team that devoted key offseason resources to upgrading its defense.
When Hunter signed his five-year, $72MM deal three summers ago, a consensus emerged that the Vikings scored a big win. Hunter then made the next two Pro Bowls with 14.5-sack seasons in 2018 and ’19. Less accomplished pass rushers then cashed in. Going into the 2021 season, Hunter is the NFL’s 17th-highest-paid edge defender. The Vikings, however, have given him a path to change that status.
Vikings’ Bashaud Breeland Had Surgery
Cornerback Bashaud Breeland was on the free agent market for a while, finally inking a one-year deal worth up to $4MM with the Vikings earlier this month.
One reason for his delayed signing may have been that he underwent shoulder surgery shortly after playing in the Super Bowl with the Chiefs, the veteran corner revealed earlier this week, via Andrew Kramer of the Star Tribune. Kramer notes Breeland still remains sidelined, and although the Clemson product said he’s “on track,” he also said “doctors tell me when I’m ready to get on the field.” It sounds like he should be ready for the start of the season but will end up missing a good amount of practice time with his new team.
Interestingly, Breeland also said his original plan was to return to the Chiefs for a third season. Breeland said his “heart was sold” on returning to Kansas City, but a couple weeks after his visit to the Vikings’ facility Minnesota came in with a financial offer he couldn’t pass up.
Originally a fourth-round pick of Washington in 2014, Breeland started 11 games for the Chiefs last year after serving a four-game suspension to start the season. He’s started both of the Chiefs’ recent Super Bowl appearances, winning Super Bowl LIV with the team.
The Bears also expressed interest in him last month. After having a very youthful group of corners that often struggled last year, Mike Zimmer made overhauling the position a priority this offseason. In addition to signing Breeland, the team traded away former first-rounder Mike Hughes and signed Patrick Peterson.
In his seven-year career, Breeland has made 88 starts and racked up 81 passes defended to go with 14 interceptions.
Minor NFL Transactions: 6/8/21
Today’s minor moves:
Minnesota Vikings
- Signed: CB Amari Henderson
Seattle Seahawks
- Signed: WR Travis Toivonen
Tennessee Titans
- Released from injured reserve: OL Anthony McKinney