One NFL Team Reportedly Itching to Trade for Danielle Hunter
Minnesota Vikings fans await the result of the team’s next two games, as more losses could cause general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to lean heavily into the rebuild section of his competitive rebuild strategy.
The Vikings travel to Chicago for a date with the Bears this weekend and return home Monday, October 23rd, for a showdown with the close-to-unbeatable San Francisco 49ers.
One NFL Team Reportedly Itching to Trade for Danielle Hunter
One or two losses could generate trades involving players like Kirk Cousins, Danielle Hunter, or Ezra Cleveland, for example, although those theories are totally speculative at the moment.
And if Hunter is on the trade block — he may be the most likely candidate for draft picks amid a fire sale — the Jacksonville Jaguars are reportedly interested in his services.
Jacksonville sits atop the AFC South through five weeks, tied for first place with the 3-2 Indianapolis Colts. If the Jaguars believe the time is now to push toward a Super Bowl, Hunter would indeed boost Doug Pederson’s defense.
KSTP”s Darren Wolfson talked about Jacksonville’s Hunter interest this week on SKOR North’s Mackey and Judd Show, “I know this, Jacksonville has all sorts of interest in Danielle Hunter. What are they willing to offer? Can you complete that trade?”
The Vikings and Jaguars did pass-rushing business three years ago when Yannick Ngakoue was shipped to Minnesota in 2020. Ironically, Hunter was en route to missing the entire season with a neck injury, and former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman traded for Ngakoue as a proposed solution — that didn’t work out. Ngakoue was packaged and shipped to the Baltimore Ravens about a month and a half later.
Now, though, the Jaguars could evidently be suitors for Hunter, with the Vikings as the possible recipient of draft picks. It is unclear how much draft capital Jacksonville would cough up for Hunter, but at least a 2nd-Rounder is a safe bet.
Some still believe Hunter could fetch a 1st-Round draft pick, but he turns 29 in two weeks, and his contract expires after this season. A 1st-Round ask could be too steep.
Should the Vikings trade Hunter — or Cousins — Minnesota would enter a full rest-of-season rebuild mode, stockpiling draft assets in exchange for losses, perhaps eyeing the 2024 NFL Draft for a new quarterback like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. Minnesota has never historically “tanked,” but with the Caleb Williams Sweepstakes ultra-enticing and the club potentially sitting at a 1-5 or 1-6 record, all options would be on the table.
The NFL’s trade deadline is Halloween.
Jacksonville’s starting EDGE rushers are Travon Walker and Josh Allen, so it is unclear where Hunter would fit in the starting lineup.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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