Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter is reportedly unhappy with his contract and could potentially consider asking for a trade.
Earlier this month, current Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter quietly liked a trio of tweets that had to do with him getting traded to another team.
Some figured Hunter’s strange activity on Twitter was nothing to worry about. But it’s becoming more clear that him pressing the like button for those three tweets was just the beginning of him letting the Vikings know he wants a pay increase before the start of next season.
On Monday, the rumors of Hunter wanting more money picked up some major steam when it was reported by The Athletic’s Chad Graff that the defensive end “is unhappy with his current situation,” in Minnesota, and he’s willing to ask for a trade to get what he desires.
Basically, Hunter wants more money or for the Vikings to trade him to a team that will give him the contract he’s looking for. It’s quite the request from someone who just missed the entire 2020 season with a neck injury.
Minnesota was just in a similar situation with Stefon Diggs a year ago when he took to social media to share his hopes of getting traded. How will the Vikings handle it this time around?
If Minnesota ends up receiving a trade offer for Hunter this offseason that satisfies what they would like in return, then there are a few reasons why they might decide to pull the trigger.
Injury uncertainty
Danielle Hunter missed the entire 2020 season with a neck injury. No matter how many people attempt to spin this to make it sound like he will be completely fine this year, there is still plenty of uncertainty surrounding the injury he suffered in 2020.
Hunter’s ailment was officially diagnosed as a cervical spine disc herniation. It probably sounds a little scarier than it is, but he’s expected to return to the field for the 2021 season.
Can the Vikings depend on Hunter to not injure his neck again though? Because this wasn’t the first time he’s dealt with neck problems during his football career.
Back in 2014 when he was at LSU, Hunter couldn’t finish the school’s final game of the regular season due to what were described as neck spasms. He was able to appear in their Bowl matchup, but that happened more than a month after injuring his neck.
If Minnesota believes Hunter’s past neck issues could develop into a serious problem in the near future, then they might be more open to moving him in a trade.
Lucrative return package
Before missing the entire 2020 campaign, Danielle Hunter was coming off of two seasons in which he finished with a total of 29 sacks. Hunter’s sack total since 2016 ranks among the NFL’s best pass rushers, and at 26-years-old, he should still have at least a handful of seasons in which he can perform at a high level if he’s able to remain healthy.
For teams that are looking to improve their pass rush this year, Hunter is someone that should be on their radar. Several potential 2021 contenders, including the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans, could be among the teams that possibly send a trade offer to the Vikings this offseason to acquire their talented defensive end.
Minnesota isn’t about to give up Hunter for pennies though. They are fully aware of the massive talent he possesses, and if they’re going to trade him, it’s going to require them to receive a very lucrative return package.
We’re talking at least one first-round draft pick and probably another draft selection or two from within the first five rounds. What the Vikings were able to land in exchange for Stefon Diggs last year (2020 first-rounder, 2020 fifth-rounder, 2020 sixth-rounder, 2021 fourth-rounder) is a return package that they could easily receive in a trade involving Hunter, and they might even be able to ask for even more in return for the pass rusher.
Creates cap space beyond 2021
If the Vikings end up receiving a trade offer they like and they decide to send Danielle Hunter packing, the move would create a little over $5 million in cap space this year.
That doesn’t seem like a lot, but the amount of cap space Minnesota would clear in 2022 and 2023 could make trading Hunter hard for the Vikings to pass up.
In 2022, not having the talented pass rusher on the roster would create almost $18 million in extra spending money, and in 2023, they would have almost $15 million less on the books.
This money would come in handy when players like Brian O’Neill, Justin Jefferson, Eric Kendricks, and others begin having discussions with Minnesota about a new contract.
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So despite a trade involving Hunter not creating very much cap space for the Vikings this year, the amount of future cap space the team would have after his departure could be something that helps convince them to accept a deal for the defensive end this year.