The Minnesota Vikings are in a unique spot right now. They sit at 1-4, but have played really well overall. That has raised questions about how they will handle the trade deadline.
Because of that, they are speculated about consistently in the media. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell floated the idea of the Vikings trading Danielle Hunter, but sending him to the rival Detroit Lions.
The package itself is really intriguing, with the Vikings sending of of their two fifth-round picks in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick, a 2025 conditional third-round pick and edge rusher James Houston
Hunter is probably the best player with a realistic chance of being moved by this deadline. The 28-year-old standout has six sacks and a league-high nine tackles for loss through five games this season. He landed a one-year, $17 million deal after a hold-in this summer, but with free agency looming and the Vikings repeatedly reticent to offer him a new deal, he is likely to leave the organization in the offseason.
Other teams know that, which is why the Vikings wouldn’t be likely to land a first-round pick for a player with three months remaining on his deal, even given Hunter’s pedigree, 2023 production and age. The acquiring team would get to recoup a potential compensatory pick for him in free agency if it lost him, although that pick would be canceled out if the team spent on new free agents accordingly.
Barnwell says the quiet part out loud in terms of Hunter’s future. He is destined to test the free agent market at only 29 years old.
Would the Vikings make a move to send Hunter away? It makes sense if they get enough draft pick compensation in return. This scenario also gives them a young edge rusher who flashed in his rookie season for the Lions.
