Getty Defensive end Brian Burns of the Carolina Panthers.
The script has flipped for the Minnesota Vikings, at least for this week, and the timing of the resurgence could reshape the franchise.
If the Vikings fall to the Green Bay Packers on the road next Sunday, the situation changes. But as it sits now, Minnesota (3-4) has a better chance to make the playoffs than to miss them in a wide open NFC, per ESPN’s Football Power Index. A victory over the Packers will extend the Vikings’ win streak to three games and push the franchise to .500 for the first time all season.
Not only does the recent paradigm shift render the notions of trading quarterback Kirk Cousins and defensive end Danielle Hunter less likely, it opens the door for Minnesota to become buyers ahead of the league’s October 31 trade deadline. If they approach the next six days from that perspective, the roster is liable to heat up in Minneapolis even as the weather cools down.
Carolina Panthers two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns is among the best players who will potentially hit the trade block over the next few days, and he makes a ton of sense as a target for the Vikings if the team is willing to sign him long-term.
Vikings Should Consider Adding Help for Elite Edge Danielle Hunter Ahead of Trade Deadline
GettyEdge-rusher Danielle Hunter of the Minnesota Vikings sacks quarterback Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears during an NFL game in October 2023.
The argument for Minnesota to deal Hunter remains what it was two and three and four weeks ago, and still carries water as a logical path forward.
Hunter leads the NFL, or is tied for the lead, with 12 tackles for loss and 9 sacks. But he is only under contract through the remainder of this season, turns 29 years old next October and could not persuade Vikings management to offer him a long-term contract extension over the summer.
All signs point to Hunter leaving Minnesota next spring, but he is still there now, and as long as he is the Vikings should try and maximize his talent. This is where Burns enters the equation.
Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report listed Burns as the top player on the website’s Week 8 trade big board under the umbrella of the following logic.
Carolina desperately needs a true No. 1 receiver to pair with [Bryce] Young, and there could be a few available in the 2024 draft.
Moving the 25-year-old Burns could get Carolina back into the first round. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last year that Carolina turned down a package of two first-round picks and a second-rounder from the [Los Angeles] Rams. The price is likely much lower now, as Burns will be a free agent in the spring. However, he’s a logical trade target for contenders and rebuilding teams alike, assuming those rebuilding teams are willing to extend him.
Trade for Brian Burns Is Short-Term & Long-Term Play for Vikings
GettyEdge-rusher Brian Burns of the Carolina Panthers.
Minnesota has a good number of roster holes to fill. Defensive end isn’t necessarily one of them when Marcus Davenport is healthy, though he hasn’t been for much of the season.
The Vikings defense has been something of a surprise, in a good way, after bringing in former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores to design a new and more aggressive scheme. Burns has produced 131 pressures, 86 QB hits and 42 sacks across 70 career starts in the NFL, per Pro Football Reference, which will aid Minnesota’s new defensive aspirations immensely.
Burns is going to be pricey, as Spotrac projects his market value at $23.4 million annually over a new five-year deal, which totals out to $117 million. Considering Burns’ age and the fact that he pushed for upwards of $28 million per season in extension talks with the Panthers over the summer, Minnesota will probably have to pay him even more.
But with Kirk Cousins’ $35 million deal and Hunter’s $17 million contract both coming off the books next March, the Vikings should be able to make a long-term agreement with Burns that satisfies both parties.
Davenport is also under contract for just one year, which means Minnesota is looking at losing both starting edge defenders come next spring. Burns is worth the contract and the Vikings’ first-round pick in 2024 as a top-flight pass-rusher who the team can expect to perform at a high level for at least the next five seasons.
Given the circumstances of both the 2023 campaign and the coming offseason, Burns makes sense for Minnesota as a short-term play in an effort to repeat as a playoff team and a long-term play in an effort to eventually replace what Hunter brings to the team.