Justin Jefferson is tired of hearing about it, but the trade talk involving some of the Minnesota Vikings‘ top players isn’t going to stop until the losing does.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report on Wednesday, September 27, updated his trade block big board, which has included Hunter during every week of the regular season and continues to name the Cleveland Browns as one of the linebacker’s most likely landing spots.
“[Hunter’s] contract prohibits the Vikings from using the franchise tag on him in 2024, so now might be the time for the team to cash in via a trade,” Knox wrote. “If the Browns want to continue building up their impressive defense, they would be a sensible landing spot. Cleveland added former Vikings [players] Za’Darius Smith and Dalvin Tomlinson this offseason and has the second-most cap space in the league ($35.9 million).”
Danielle Hunter’s Trade Value High After Quality Start to Season
GettyOutside linebacker Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings looks on prior to an NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts in December 2022.
The reasons Hunter continues to be mentioned in trade talks are simple, despite the linebacker putting up 5 sacks through three games so far in 2023, which is second to only T.J. Watt of the Pittsburgh Steelers who has 6 sacks.
Minnesota made Hunter available via trade in late July after a contract standoff that spanned months. The team ended up agreeing to increase the OLB’s salary to $17 million guaranteed, and $20 million with incentives, this season. However, this is the last year of Hunter’s deal and the Vikings chose not to extend the three-time Pro Bowler, despite the fact that he will turn just 29 years old in October.
Minnesota may change its mind on Hunter, but after an 0-3 start the Vikings are on the brink of irrelevance. Their situation may not improve meaningfully ahead of the NFL’s October 31 trade deadline with the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers on the schedule over the next four weeks.
If that ends up the case, Minnesota may opt to deal Hunter while his trade value is high rather than enter into an expensive bidding war next offseason that probably ends with some team (the Vikings or otherwise) signing the star edge-rusher to a multiyear contract worth north of $100 million.
Vikings and Browns Have History of Making Trades, Common Interest in Players
GettyOutside linebacker Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings celebrates a play during an NFL game against the Detroit Lions in October 2021.
If the Vikings do decide to put Hunter on the block, his destination will come down to price.
Minnesota wanted negotiations for the pass-rusher to begin with a second-round pick during the preseason, and that price has probably gone up given his performance through three games. The Browns make a lot of sense considering their financial flexibility and clear intention to go all-in on an attempt at a deep playoff run in 2023.
Cleveland owns its own picks in rounds 2, 3 and 5 next year. The Browns also have an extra fifth-round selection from the Carolina Panthers via the Baker Mayfield trade, per the team’s official website. Some grouping of those assets, which includes the second-round choice, may well be enough to get Hunter into an orange and brown uniform at some point over the next month.
Minnesota and Cleveland are also uniquely paired to do business with one another, as Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah worked closely with Browns general manager Andrew Berry in Cleveland before accepting the role of GM in Minnesota ahead of the 2022 campaign.
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Trade Pitch Sees Vikings Part Ways with $17 Million Pro Bowler