Getty Minnesota Vikings star pass rusher Danielle Hunter in 2019.
New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh is never satisfied at the defensive end position. He loves employing waves and waves of pass rushers for the opposing quarterback and offensive line to deal with, and for that reason, this Jets regime will always consider adding another veteran edge.
That was the theory behind USA Today Vikings Wire writer Tyler Forness connecting Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowler Danielle Hunter to Gang Green during an article listing the six best fits for Hunter via trade. Forness also hinted that the current Jets D-ends haven’t been good enough.
“The Jets are priming to make a Super Bowl run with the addition of Aaron Rodgers among others,” he voiced. “One thing they haven’t had since the departure of John Abraham is a star at edge rusher. They drafted Will McDonald at 15th overall to help that, but adding Hunter in a 4-3 would be a huge addition next to Quinnen Williams.”
Forness did add that the “difficulty” trading with the Jets from a Vikings’ perspective would be that “both their first and second-round picks in 2024 are tied up in the Aaron Rodgers trade until the conditions of the trade are fulfilled.” That means the two franchises would have to get creative in order to strike a deal.
Vikings’ Danielle Hunter Is Generating ‘Trade Interest’ Around the NFL
On June 7, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport told the “Pat McAfee Show” that “teams have been calling the Minnesota Vikings regarding Danielle Hunter,” which has “generated some trade interest” around the NFL.
From Inside Minicamps LIVE on NFL+: The #Vikings are receiving trade calls centered around star pass-rusher Danielle Hunter, and the interest is real, sources say. A look inside the complex situation…
Rapoport also referred to Hunter’s future as “murky,” considering the way contract talks have gone with Minnesota.
The three-time Pro Bowler (including 2022) is entering the final year of a $72 million extension that was signed in 2018. He’s due a base salary of $4.9 million according to Over the Cap, but Hunter’s camp seems to believe that number should be higher after 10.5 sacks last year — a strong bounce back for the 28-year-old after two seasons impacted by injury.
2020 was lost completely, while 2021 yielded six sacks in seven appearances. Hunter placed 12th in the Comeback Player of the Year voting for his 2022 campaign.
Carl Lawson’s Contract Restructure Makes Vikings’ Danielle Hunter a Tough Sell for the Jets via Trade
As Forness made clear, any team trading for Hunter would likely have to surrender a future first- or second-round pick. That’s probably a bit more than the Jets would be willing to spend, considering the Rodgers trade.
If they did made a move like this, however, they’d have to balance it financially by releasing Carl Lawson and after his restructure, that’s not happening.
Lawson agreed to a reworked deal on May 18 (per ESPN insider Field Yates). “Lawson was due a non-guaranteed $15M, but is now due a base value of $9M, $8M of that is guaranteed,” Yates informed at the time. “He has $3M more available in incentives. The move creates $12.7M in 2023 cap space for the Jets.”
It also added void years to Lawson’s contract, meaning the Jets are stuck with him. John Franklin-Myers is in the same boat after an earlier contract restructure, and Gang Green also re-signed Bryce Huff to an expensive $4.3 million tender in free agency.
All of that — plus the fact that the Jets drafted Jermaine Johnson II and McDonald in the first round the past two offseasons — makes a Hunter trade highly unlikely at this time. The Vikes could certainly choose to deal their ferocious long-time pass rusher, but chances are NYJ general manager Joe Douglas won’t be the man on the other end of the telephone.