Which teams around the NFL could make an offer to acquire Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter this year?
Danielle Hunter not being in a Minnesota Vikings uniform next season never really seemed like a possibility during the last few months, despite rumors swirling about his desire to want out if he doesn’t get a pay raise.
But then Friday happened and Hunter decided to like a trio of tweets that had to do with him getting traded to another team. This might sound silly to some, but this is the type of thing that the modern NFL player does to send a signal out to the public that he isn’t happy with his current situation.
Is this the case with Hunter? We don’t know for sure, but the fact that the first three tweets he’s liked since December have to do with him getting traded doesn’t just seem like a coincidence.
So let’s say the Vikings aren’t willing to give the talented defensive end a pay increase after he just missed the entire 2020 season due to a neck injury. Then let’s say that because of this, Hunter actually ends up asking Minnesota to trade him this year.
Who are some of the teams from around the league that could be interested in acquiring Hunter if he asks for a trade?
New England Patriots
The 2020 season is not one the Patriots will look back on fondly. Not only did New England finish with a 7-9 record and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008, but their former quarterback, Tom Brady, led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl win in his first season that wasn’t in a Patriots uniform.
It seems safe to assume that New England and head coach Bill Belichick will be looking to make some big moves this year to get the team back into the postseason in 2021.
Trading for Danielle Hunter would certainly be a big move for the Patriots to make this year. New England had the sixth-fewest sacks in the NFL last season, so they could certainly use Hunter’s pass-rushing abilities.
The Patriots are a team that could also use the current Vikings defensive end in a variety of ways since they typically don’t limit their defense to just one scheme. New England can have Hunter line up with his hand in the dirt, or they could stand him up as part of a unique pass-rushing package.
Affording Hunter’s contract would be a problem for the Patriots since they are currently projected to have more than $66 million in cap space this year. New England is actually one of the few teams that could also offer the Minnesota defensive end the pay raise that he has reportedly been seeking.
Dallas Cowboys
Danielle Hunter was born in Jamaica, but he spent most of his early life growing up in Texas. It was in the massive state where he first discovered the sport of football.
Since he grew up near the area, some might assume the Houston Texans would be a good fit for Hunter. But the other NFL team in Texas, the Cowboys, would actually be a better place for the current Vikings defender to continue to excel as a pass rusher.
With Tyrone Crawford hitting free agency this year, the Cowboys will likely need a new starting defensive end to pair with Demarcus Lawrence. The combination of Hunter and Lawrence would certainly make for a pretty lethal pass rush.
The Minnesota defensive end also has a connection to Dallas since George Edwards is currently on the team’s coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant. Edwards was the Vikings’ defensive coordinator during Hunter’s first five years with the franchise from 2015 to 2019.
Cleveland Browns
Former Vikings offensive coordinator and current Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski is the obvious connection people will jump to when assuming why Cleveland could have an interest in trading for Danielle Hunter. But the Browns could actually be in need of a starting defensive end for next season.
Cleveland is set with Myles Garrett on one edge of their defensive line. But Olivier Vernon is scheduled to become a free agent this year, so the Browns might need to find a replacement for him if he doesn’t re-sign with the team this offseason.
Stefanski was in Minnesota during Hunter’s first five seasons in purple in gold. The Cleveland head coach had the opportunity to witness the impressive developments that the Vikings pass rusher has made since he entered the NFL back in 2015.
The Browns were an average team last season when it came to getting to the opposing quarterback (15th in sacks). So improving their pass rush isn’t a top need for Cleveland this year, but acquiring a player like Hunter would be something that could take their defense to the next level.
Indianapolis Colts
The Colts already made one big splash move on the offensive side of the ball this offseason when they acquired quarterback Carson Wentz in a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Could they be interested in trading for Danielle Hunter to make a splash on the defensive side of the ball? If so, it would be a deal that would potentially have a greater impact on Indianapolis’ future success than the arrival of Wentz.
The Colts did relatively well when it came to rushing the passer last year as they finished with the 10th-most sacks in the NFL. However, both of their starting defensive ends from last season (Denico Autry and Justin Houston) are currently scheduled to become free agents this year.
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Indianapolis has the cap space to probably bring back both Autry and Houston if they want. But pairing one of them with Hunter instead is something that could help their pass rush perform even better next season.