Vikings risk losing $65 million star in declining trade to rival
The Minnesota Vikings had a chance to gain valuable draft capital at last year’s trade deadline by signing offensive tackle Daniel Hunter, who is set to become a free agent next week.
NFL insider Ari Meilov said the Vikings submitted an offer to Hunter at the trade deadline, but with the loss of Kirk Cousins this year, they decided to keep Hunter and aim for a competitive season. told the team. Many of these top prospects will now have a chance to acquire Hunter, including the Detroit Lions.
“One of the teams that called Minnesota was our division rival, the Detroit Lions,” Meiroff said March 6. “Those two teams have already completed the trade for T.J. Hockenson. They didn’t do it this time, so I’ll take care of that as well.
Hunter, 29, had a career-high 16.5 sacks last season and will sign a three-year, $65 million contract as a free agent. The Vikings are still sorting out their quarterback situation, but have “paused” discussions with Hunter until they know what their roster will look like until a final decision is made on Cousins, according to ESPN.
According to The Athletic, if Hunter were to sign as a free agent this year, the Vikings would receive a compensatory third-round pick in 2025. Daniel Hunter pleads with Vikings to keep him before trade deadline: Report
Minnesota Vikings defensive end Daniel Hunter played for several years under Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.
Hunter’s name has remained an NFL target since last summer, when the Vikings renegotiated a trade offer and signed him to a one-year contract worth $20 million.
His stock rose even further at the trade deadline, when he recorded a league-high 10 sacks in eight weeks. Meyeroff said Hunter begged the front office to keep him until the end of the season.
“He actually walked up to the front desk and said, ‘Please don’t trade me.’ I want to be here until the end of the year,” Meilov said.
KSTP’s Darren Wolfson said via Hunter Story that Hunter likes his position in Minnesota and wouldn’t mind making a roster cut, but the Vikings should meet him halfway if they want to attract a lucrative player on the market. I have been claiming that. Daniel Hunter says his time with Vikings seemed incomplete
Heading into the 2024 offseason, Hunter is ranked the No. 12 free agent prospect by Pro Football Focus (PFF). A team that feels like it’s missing out on a playoff spot may be willing to spend money on a proven player like Hunter. After years of contract disputes between the Vikings and Hunter’s agent, Hunter is set to become a free agent for the first time in his career. Hunter was already on a low five-year, $72 million contract, which he quickly surpassed, but then had to prove he could stay healthy. Hunter hasn’t missed a game the past two seasons and has expressed his desire to remain in Minnesota despite a long-standing contract dispute.
“Honestly, I feel like I’m lacking. People may think this is a good year, but I feel I could have done more for the team. We really want to make the playoffs,” Hunter said in a locker room interview on Jan. 8.
