Yeah, it’s June, and a lot of NFL writers are bringing home the bacon by speculating on trades that probably won’t happen — but it’s fun, right? And Bleacher Report has no shortage of that kind of content (we quickly shot down one of their previous trade ideas for New Orleans Saints offensive lineman James Hurst here).
But we’re on the other side of the equation this time. If the Saints were offered this trade proposal from Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton, New Orleans would be foolish to turn it down. Here’s how the Saints could acquire Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter:
- New Orleans receives: DE Danielle Hunter
- Minnesota receives: 2024 second-round pick, DE Payton Turner
Bailing on a former first-round pick would be disappointing, but that’s the word to describe Turner’s career so far. He’s missed too many games with injury and hasn’t played well enough to get in the lineup at times when healthy. A change of scenery might be good for him.
And the Vikings just signed Marcus Davenport in free agency, which has the Saints projected to receive a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2024 draft, so another way of looking at this trade would be swapping Davenport, Turner, and next year’s second-round choice for Hunter and a fourth-round selection. That’s a fair deal.
Here’s some of what Moton wrote on this trade idea:
This offseason, second-year general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah parted ways with or didn’t re-sign multiple veterans, including Dalvin Tomlinson, Za’Darius Smith, Eric Kendricks and Patrick Peterson.
As for Danielle Hunter, his contract voids in 2024. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, the three-time Pro Bowl defensive end hasn’t seen “eye-to-eye” with the team on a new contract. Per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, teams have inquired about his availability.
Adofo-Mensah doesn’t have a strong allegiance to roster holdovers from the previous regime. Though Hunter has proved he’s worth a big-money deal with at least 10.5 sacks in three of the last four seasons, he may not get a lucrative extension offer from the current Vikings’ front office.
Though this move would hurt the Vikings defense in the short term, the club may continue to move on from veterans close to or older than 30 years old—in this case for an early-round pick and a younger player. Hunter will turn 29 years old in October.
The Saints need an edge-rusher to complement Jordan, who’s going into his age-34 term. Ironically, they let Marcus Davenport walk in free agency, and he signed with the Vikings. Turner has a ton of upside, but he’s only suited up for 13 games in two seasons because of injuries. As a rookie second-rounder, Isaiah Foskey is an unknown commodity.
Typically, defensive players don’t move the needle in division races, but with the addition of Hunter, New Orleans could field one of the league’s stingiest defenses and a balanced roster.
Hunter fits the athletic prototype the Saints look for at defensive end — he’s listed at 6-foot-5 and 263 pounds, with 34-inch arms. He produced 76 quarterback pressures last season, per Pro Football Focus charting, more than both Davenport (34) and Turner (13) combined. He’ll turn 29 in October and is in the middle of his athletic prime. Plus, he has a lot of fans in Louisiana after playing college football with the LSU Tigers. If he’s available, the Saints should look into acquiring him, even if he’ll need a lucrative contract extension after a trade. Just don’t expect Minnesota to part ways with him so cheaply.
