Another AFC Team Enters Danielle Hunter Sweepstakes
Dustin Baker
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When Minnesota Vikings defensive end Danielle Hunter was rumored as upset with his contract earlier this week, free-agency excitement paused and anxiety ensued. Hunter will be in the third year of his current contract when the 2021 season begins, and the 26-year-old is vastly underpaid. He earns $14.4 million per season – which ranks about 20th leaguewide for all EDGE rushers.
Naturally, when The Athletic broke the news that Hunter was pissed about his standing in Minnesota, doomsday trade theories floated. Would Hunter go the way of Stefon Diggs and leave the franchise altogether? The knee-jerkers think so.
The same goes for the outsiders. There is evidently a pass-rushing need for the Cleveland Browns. Dawg Pound Daily mused about acquiring Hunter, and Matthew McFatridge wrote:
“With the Cleveland Browns set to pick at the 26th overall pick in the first round, they could use that and perhaps another pick or a few players to acquire the services of Danielle Hunter. Yes, the Browns could always look to draft a young edge rusher with that 26th pick, but the draft is never a guarantee. That first round draft pick could be a superstar, but it could just as likely be a bust. Danielle Hunter has already proven himself to be a solid pass rusher in the NFL, and he’s only 26 years old. Putting him on one side of the defensive line with Myles Garrett on the other would ensure that the AFC North quarterbacks never sleep without one eye open for years to come. Acquiring Danielle Hunter may cost the Cleveland Browns their first round pick in 2021. But if doing so lands you a proven player like Hunter, it’s an avenue worth exploring for Andrew Berry and the rest of the Cleveland Browns front office.”
Garrett and Hunter Would be Frightful
The NFL either really, really needs a Myles Garrett and Danielle Hunter twosome or really, really doesn’t need it. It all depends on perspective. Garrett and Hunter would instantly account for the NFL’s most fearsome EDGE tandem – like snap-of-the-fingers kind of stuff.
It’s also a colossal sum of cash to allot for two EDGE rushers. Most teams can employ one household name [with big money] at defensive end and then get creative on the other side of the line. Once Hunter gets his new contract – with the Vikings, Browns, or elsewhere – that will likely be upward of $25 million per season.
Well, Garrett already makes that type of dough. And then the Browns would pay $50 million for two rushers. That’s roughly 27% of the 2021 salary cap on two defensive ends. There are 51 other players on a team to compensate.
A bold strategy, Cotton.
Vikings Left with Weatherly and Best Laid Plans
As for the Vikings, a Hunter trade whisks the team back to square one regarding the pass rush. For now, Hunter’s healthy presence on the line ensures the Vikings are at least decent at rushing opposing quarterbacks. Without him, Minnesota is left with Stephen Weatherly, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Michael Pierce as three-fourths of a starting lineup. That threesome is not a juicy pass-rushing group. They’ll stop running backs, but it’s anybody’s ballgame on the pass rush.
Presumably, with the picks that the Vikings would receive from the Browns, the team could draft a new EDGE rusher. But then that leaves a lot to chance in 2021 – a season that must be successful for Zimmer to continue coaching the team in 2022.
Hunter Matter Isn’t at Trade-Status Yet
It is sexy to dream about acquiring players like Hunter. Cleveland cannot be blamed for aiming at the heavens. Vikings fans do this daily on Twitter when thinking about Aaron Rodgers heading to Minnesota at the end of his career a la Brett Favre. Too, any time a player is on the trade block, Vikings loyalists envision how that player might fit in Minnesota.
But the Hunter stuff has not reached trade talks – all he wants for now is a fair contract. The Vikings will probably oblige. It is not in general manager Rich Spielman’s best interests to start all over at defensive end.
The “easy” way to reach a kumbaya on this matter is to pay Hunter and hope for the best with his injury recovery. This will require a leap of faith by the Vikings – but the team also thieved a good deal contract-wise from Hunter in 2018 and 2019.
It’s time to pay it back.