The National Football League trade deadline is 11 days away and Minnesota Vikings outside linebacker Danielle Hunter continues to be the talk of the league.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler spoke to multiple individuals around the league and the sense is that it would take a “sizable deal to pry him” from the Vikings.
But three-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher Danielle Hunter is a player that several execs are watching closely. If available, he would have a big market. A few teams pointed out to me that his reworked one-year bridge deal at $17-million carries $10 million in base salary, modest for a player of his caliber and flexible for trade purposes.
Here’s my understanding on Minnesota and Hunter: The Vikings gauged trade interest in the offseason when they didn’t have a new deal, as a contingency if they couldn’t re-sign him. Lately, they have not been exploring a trade for Hunter, despite some external interest. And there’s a sentiment in the building that Hunter, who leads the league in sacks, is valuable for a team that isn’t out of it yet.
So, the sense is it would take a sizable deal to pry him. One league exec who’s very high on Hunter said he’s not in position to give up a first-rounder for him, suggesting that might be what it would require.
Fowler also mentioned that Hunter was a player that the Jaguars targeted in the preseason. They also have been linked to Hunter multiple times over the last couple of weeks.
The Vikings trading him would be an admission that they either don’t want to re-sign him or they don’t believe they will be able to after modifying his contract multiple years in a row.
It would also be an admission that they don’t believe the season is going anywhere. Nobody could fault them after a disastrous start at 2-4 that could end up being worse by the trade deadline.
Buckle up, these rumors aren’t going to be slowing down.