Getty General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears have been holding out for the right edge rusher, and one of the NFL’s best was just made officially available via trade.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Saturday, July 29, that the Minnesota Vikings have put word out that star edge rusher Danielle Hunter can be had for the right price.
“Sources from multiple teams saying Minnesota has made the former Pro Bowler available,” Fowler wrote.
Bears Have Motivation, Draft Assets to Pursue Danielle Hunter Trade With Vikings
GettyEdge rusher Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings looks on prior to an NFL game against the Indianapolis Colts in December 2022.
The news of Hunter’s availability comes amid what Fowler described as a “hold-in,” as the defensive end is in attendance at Vikings training camp but is not participating in practices. The three-time Pro Bowl selection also skipped organized team activities (OTAs) and mandatory minicamp in May and June.
Hunter, who will turn 28 years old in November, is entering the final season of a five-year, $72 million deal but will earn just $4.9 million in base salary and $5.5 million total in 2023 due to his contract structure.
Fowler reported earlier this summer that while the Vikings preferred to keep Hunter, a trade was possible if the opening bid included at least a second-round pick.
“Danielle Hunter would have real trade value (might take a 2+ to pry),” Fowler tweeted on June 12.
That reporting now looks spot on, as Fowler added Saturday that the Vikings have made an offer to Hunter, though the edge rusher has declined it based on the terms.
“The Vikings have attempted to extend Hunter, but not on a long-term deal the player feels is commensurate with his skill set,” Fowler wrote.
Chicago has the kind of draft assets needed to get a deal done for Hunter. The team owns its own first-round pick as well as the Carolina Panthers‘ first-rounder in 2024. Chicago also holds the rights to its own second-round and third-round selections next year along with two fourth-round picks, the second of which the Bears acquired by way of a trade with the Philadelphia Eagles, per NBC Sports Chicago.
Hunter has struggled with injury issues in the recent past, missing the entirety of the 2020 campaign due to a neck injury and more than half of the 2021 season after suffering a torn pectoral. However, he has been a Pro Bowler every year he has remained healthy over the last half-decade (2018, 2019, 2022).
The star edge rusher tallied 65 tackles, including 12 tackles for loss, 34 quarterback pressures, 22 quarterback hits, 10.5 sacks, three pass breakups and one forced fumble last season, per Pro Football Reference. Hunter won’t turn 30 until the middle of 2024, and the Bears have nearly $34.8 million in salary cap space to work with as of Saturday.
Bears Still Have Free Agent DE Option in Yannick Ngakoue
GettyFormer Indianapolis Colts edge rusher Yannick Ngakoue has expressed interest in playing with the Chicago Bears in 2023.
It looked for awhile as though Chicago might enter the regular season without adding a significant upgrade to what was the league’s worst pass rush last year (20 total team sacks), per NFL.com.
That is no longer the case considering Hunter’s now confirmed availability, though that is actually the second piece of potentially good news the Bears’ defense got this week regarding the DE position.
Chris Emma of 670 The Score reported on Tuesday that free agent defensive end Yannick Ngakoue has voiced “interest in signing with the Bears.” Ngakoue is looking for a multiyear deal, Emma added, as the pass-rush specialist has bounced around the league over the last several seasons.
Ngakoue has amassed 65 sacks across his seven-year NFL career and has never failed to produce fewer than eight sacks in an individual season, per Pro Football Reference. He played last year as a member of the Indianapolis Colts, where now Bears head coach Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator for the four campaigns prior.
As a traditional tight end comfortable in a 4-3 base defensive scheme, the 28-year-old Ngakoue is a reasonable fit on Chicago’s defensive front and provides a specific skill that the team is sorely lacking. The question is whether the Bears want to commit several years to Ngakoue, who has struggled to set the edge against the run and is more of a specialist in passing situations.
Hunter is a better all-around player than Ngakoue, though he plays outside linebacker for the Vikings in a base 3-4 defense, which makes him a less natural fit with Chicago. Hunter also has a more significant injury history than Ngakoue and will probably cost more to sign, not to mention the draft capital the Bears will need to surrender to procure Hunter in a trade.
Ngakoue most recently signed a two-year deal worth $26 million with the Las Vegas Raiders in 2021 before that franchise traded him to Indianapolis in return for cornerback Rock Ya-Sin.
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