Which of these theoretical deals would be the best for the Vikings? Let's break it down.
Author:
Will Ragatz
Publish date:
The Vikings and Danielle Hunter are at an impasse. The star edge rusher, set to make just $5.5 million in the final year of his contract because money was moved up last offseason, skipped the team's entire offseason program for contract reasons. This will almost certainly end in either an extension or a trade, but it could take a while.
Publicly, Kevin O'Connell said this week that they hope to work something out and keep Hunter in Minnesota. Privately, the Vikings aren't going to give Hunter whatever he wants on an extension. They presumably have a dollar amount and contract length in mind that makes sense for their future, which they're unlikely to compromise on beyond a certain extent.
If Hunter's side also refuses to budge on their desired terms, a trade could end up making sense, depending on the return the Vikings would get.
With that in mind, Bleacher Report's Gary Davenport recently mocked up six different trade ideas centered around Hunter. Let's run through them and then assess which ones — if any — might be reasonable. Remember, the Vikingsdon't have to trade Hunter unless the price is right, as the current CBA makes holding out through training camp infeasible.
1. Chiefs send two picks
- Minnesota Vikings receive: 2024 Round 2 Pick, 2025 Round 5 Pick
- Kansas City Chiefs receive: Edge Danielle Hunter, 2024 Round 6 Pick
2. Ravens send two picks
- Minnesota Vikings receive: 2024 Round 2 Pick, 2024 Round 4 Pick
- Baltimore Ravens receive: Edge Danielle Hunter, 2024 Round 6 Pick
3. 49ers send Trey Lance and a pick
- Minnesota Vikings receive: 2024 Round 4 Pick, QB Trey Lance
- San Francisco 49ers receive: Edge Danielle Hunter
4. Jaguars send a young EDGE and a pick
- Minnesota Vikings receive: 2024 Conditional Day 2 Pick, Edge K'Lavon Chaisson
- Jacksonville Jaguars receive: 2024 Round 7 Pick, Edge Danielle Hunter
5. Broncos send a young EDGE and a pick
- Minnesota Vikings receive: 2024 Round 3 Pick, Edge Baron Browning
- Denver Broncos receive: Edge Danielle Hunter
6. Jets send three picks
- Minnesota Vikings receive: 2024 Round 3 Pick, 2024 Round 4 Pick, 2025 Round 5 Pick
- New York Jets: Edge Danielle Hunter
Analysis
Would a second-round pick and an upgraded Day 3 selection be enough for Hunter? If so, the Vikings would obviously do the Ravens deal over the Chiefs deal, both for the better Day 3 pick and because the second-rounder would likely be better. Without knowing what Hunter's market will be, I'd imagine the Vikings would at least try for a second and a Day 3 pick without giving up their own sixth.
The Jets' offer of three picks is interesting, but the Vikings will probably want it to be centered around a second-rounder, as that pick could potentially be used to move up for a quarterback in next year's first round.
Where things really get fascinating is when Davenport throws out the idea of a young player being included in a Hunter return, in addition to a pick. Lance is a former No. 3 overall pick with just 102 pass attempts in two seasons for various reasons. Chaisson, an LSU teammate of Justin Jefferson who was the 20th overall pick in 2020, has just three sacks in three seasons but is still 24 years old and could be a late bloomer. Browning is a 2021 third-round pick who had five sacks and an interception last season, but he recently had knee surgery and will begin the year on the PUP list.
Of the three, the Lance deal is the only one that really intrigues me, considering Chaisson looks like a bust and Browning's injury is concerning. Earlier this offseason, I explored the idea of the Vikings trading Kirk Cousins to the 49ers for Lance, a Minnesota native who still has plenty of theoretical upside despite a slow start to his career. If the 49ers want to get something back for Lance and officially hand their QB job to Brock Purdy, sending him and a fourth to the Vikings for Hunter could be a way to do it. For the Vikings, it would be a risky home run swing that could potentially land them their quarterback of the future.
I think the most likely outcome of a potential Hunter trade is the Vikings getting back a second-round pick and change, so they can control their own future next offseason. But if Lance happens to be on the table, it's an option I'd think awfully hard about.
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