On the Athletic Football Show, former NFL general manager Randy Mueller hosts The Football GM where he gives insight from a front-office perspective
The most recent episode had Mueller going into his notebook to discuss the Minnesota Vikings and their team-building strategy. It started as a simple discussion about the viability of Danielle Hunter’s contract. It ended with Mueller calling it a rebuild.
Mueller believes that with the new-look defense under Flores and the shaky return Minnesota would get in a trade, it would be best for both parties for Hunter to stay put. Mueller stated that the Vikings “are not afraid” to get younger on defense where necessary.
Contrary to last season’s success, Mueller is right. This is a rebuild., competitive or not. And the Vikings need to see what they have in their young defensive pieces. However, if Adofo-Mensah wants to remain competitive, keeping players like Hunter to help ease this defense into the next stage of Vikings football is essential.
Since 2020, the Vikings are 20th in EPA/play defensively, but the team is getting younger. They are looking toward the future of Minnesota. But to stay relevant in the present, keeping cornerstones like Hunter in purple and gold will be paramount.
