The Minnesota Vikings are in quite an interesting team this season.
Going from a 13-4 division title-winning 2022 team to a paltry 2-4 start is a frustrating one for both the team and the fanbase. It also has many claiming the Vikings need to go into a full rebuild.
General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has explicitly said that the Vikings will not tank, but will he concede that the Vikings aren’t going to do anything this season and try to collect assets for the future?
The asset that everyone is talking about is outside linebacker Danielle Hunter. Being on the final year of his contract, he is a player that could be moved and one that a team would be intrigued to trade for.
At just 29 years old, Hunter still has a lot to bring to the table. Whether you believe it’s a smart move or not, I took a look at five reasons that a trade makes sense.
Buidling toward the future
It’s not an easy thing to admit either as a fan or when you sit in the front office. After a 13-4 season that culminated in a division title, they currently sit at 2-4 and are hanging onto their playoff hopes for dear life. When you are in that position, selling at the deadlines has become more commonplace. The Vikings are likely set to get a third-round compensatory selection, so a trade would have to beat that. With that said…
The Vikings don't believe Hunter will return
The relationship with Hunter and the Vikings has been complicated. Since being drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft, Hunter has spent the majority of his career on a contract that underpays him. Before his rookie deal expired, he signed a five-year, $72 million contract that was significantly under market value and the Vikings spent the next few years making modifications on the deal to make Hunter happy. Being that he can hit the openmarket for the first time and do so under the age of 30, it’s a very appealing thing for Hunter.
Something to remember: the Vikings cannot franchise tag or transition tag Hunter this offseason.
Getting ammo for the draft
Adofo-Mensah is working on a competitive rebuild for the Vikings. Essentially, they want to try and win now while taking steps to be set up for the future. Trading for tight end T.J. Hockenson epitomizes that strategy.
If the Vikings want to get their quarterback of the future, they will likely have to trade up to get him. Moving on from Hunter now and acquiring draft capital can give you more ammunition to move up. Yes, you will still have to replace Hunter at edge, but there is a great foundation for a young quarterback to succeed.
The free agent class is deep
If the Vikings choose to trade Hunter, they will have to have a plan to replace him. They signed Marcus Davenport with the idea of extending him long term, but they still need a second edge rusher.
The free agent class is setting up to be really good. Along with Hunter, Chase Young, Montez Sweat and Josh Allen are all set to be free agents. They were all first round picks that have seen success in the league thus far. Plus, the draft class looks to be strong at edge rusher.
Money
At the end of the day, this discussion as about money. Hunter wants to make it and the Vikings only have so much.
This offseason, the Vikings gave Hunter a substantial raise to $17 million guaranteed this season. If the Vikings were to trade him, they would save $1 million per game he plays elsewhere, setting them up for better salary cap health.
They would also avoid paying the bonuses that Hunter is near certain to earn. With eight sacks already, he has three bench marks that he needs to hit.
- 11 sacks: $1 million
- 12.5 sacks: $2 million total
- 14 sacks: $3 million total
If the Vikings were to trade him after the game against the Green Bay Packers, they could save up to $12 million in the trade. They could also eat some of the cap space as an incentive to get more compensation in return.
