Getty Minnesota Vikings pass rusher Danielle Hunter.
Back in 2018, the Las Vegas Raiders had a predicament when Khalil Mack wanted to get paid. Instead of giving him what he wanted, the team traded him to the Chicago Bears. In hindsight, that move looks like a big mistake as the Raiders have had one of the worst pass rushes in the NFL over the last three seasons.
Well, it’s looking like the team could take advantage of the Minnesota Vikings, who are in a similar situation with their superstar pass rusher Danielle Hunter. The two-time All-Pro missed all of 2020 with an injury but had 29 combined sacks between 2018 and 2019. He’s easily one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. At this stage, it seems like there’s a real chance he’ll force his way out in a trade. He removed all of the Vikings’ content from his Instagram. What should get the Raiders interested is the fact that Hunter liked a post that suggested Las Vegas go after him.
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Raiders Should Be All Over Hunter if He’s Available
Time will tell if Hunter actually hits the trade market. He’s one of Minnesota’s five best players and might even be their best. In 2019, the Vikings were 14th in the NFL in pass defense. Last season, they dropped all the way down to 24th. It’s no coincidence that they took a huge dip without Hunter on the field.
He’s exactly the kind of impact pass rusher the Raiders need. While some fans aren’t willing to concede that trading Mack was a failure, it’s hard to argue that it hasn’t been a disaster for the team. Landing Hunter would give the Raiders a pass rusher who is arguably just as good as Mack. He has 54.5 sacks in his first five NFL seasons. Mack has 51.5 in his last five seasons played. It’s time for Jon Gruden to admit he made a mistake and sell the farm for an elite pass rusher.
Raiders Need to Start Investing in Defense
It’s easy to talk about how a team should trade for a star player but things get trickier when we start talking about price. If the Vikings actually trade Hunter, it’s going to cost a lot. Not only will they want a lot of draft compensation, but the star defensive end is also going to want a massive contract.
That shouldn’t stop the Raiders. If the asking price is a first-round pick for Hunter, the team should offer that up in a second. The Vikings will likely want more but Hunter’s impending contract and recent injury issues should drive down the price. When the Raiders got two first-round picks for Mack in 2018, he was healthy and had no injury concerns. The most Las Vegas should probably offer for Hunter is a first and a third. Former Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther is now on the staff in Minnesota. Perhaps he’d want to reunite with one of his former players. Either way, the Raiders should be willing to play ball with the Vikings. Hunter is just 26-years-old and entering his athletic prime. It’s time for the team to stop focusing on offense and make a serious splash on defense.
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