Vikings Urged to Add Former Jaguars Star in Free Agency: ‘Take the Next Step’

The Minnesota Vikings‘ pass rush has lingering questions considering the departure of Za’Darius Smith and the ongoing contract dispute with Danielle Hunter.

Minnesota signed Marcus Davenport to replace Smith, however, Davenport has struggled to stay healthy in his career — begging the question of whether the Vikings need a reliable option.

On July 7, Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton suggested the Vikings are an ideal fit for free-agent pass rusher Dawuane Smoot, who spent the past six seasons as an unsung hero of the Jacksonville Jaguars defense.

“Smoot has logged at least five sacks in four consecutive campaigns, and he’s registered 80 pressures over the previous three years,” Moton wrote, acknowledging Smoot’s rotational role with the Jacksonville Jaguars. “He can take the next step with a team that may not have the cap space to sign Yannick Ngakoue or Justin Houston.”

The Vikings have the eighth-most cap space ($17.9 million) in the league currently but have several pending contract extensions to work through, including Hunter’s which appears to be the most pressing. Smoot could be a serviceable starter if Hunter is traded or holds out and would be a solid depth piece if Hunter stays in Minnesota.

“According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Hunter doesn’t see “eye-to-eye” with the Vikings front office on a new deal. If Minnesota trades him, someone would have to fill a huge void on the front line. Smoot could garner some buzz at Vikings headquarters if the club cannot meet Hunter’s financial demands,” Moton added. “If the Vikings strike a deal with Hunter, new defensive coordinator Brian Flores can get creative with the three-time Pro Bowl defensive end, Marcus Davenport and Smoot all on the field simultaneously.”

Pro Football Focus found Smoot’s 15.9% pass-rush win rate ranked among the top 35 at the edge position across the 2021 and 2022 seasons. He also has experience lining up as a three-technique, which would allow Flores to deploy Davenport and Hunter on the outside.

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Duwuane Smoot Fits Vikings D-Coordinator Brian Flores’ Need for Versatility

The Vikings defense will undergo a transformation with Flores at the helm of a unit that hopes to create more pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

That will require disguising where pressure will be funneled, especially at a crowded line of scrimmage in Cover 0, which Flores revels in presenting before the snap. Having versatile players is his calling card for keeping opposing offenses guessing.

“I’m big on versatility. Guys being able to play multiple spots,” Flores said in a February 15 media conference.” To do that, we’ve got to get them coached up to play those multiple spots. We’ll cast a wide net to see what we do best, and we’ll try to highlight the things our players do well.”

Smoot has excelled over the years by being adaptive playing in a 4-3 and 3-4 base scheme and lining up all over the defensive front.

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Vikings Receive Trade Calls for Danielle Hunter: Report

Amid the contract standoff with Hunter, teams have started calling the Vikings about the possibility of a trade for the three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher.

“Somewhat murky future for Danielle Hunter in Minnesota,” NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported on June 7. “Here’s my understanding of where it stands: Sources say that teams have been calling the Minnesota Vikings regarding Danielle Hunter. He has, in fact, generated some trade interest. This is something we’ve heard rumors about for the last several months.”

Those calls have created a value for what the Vikings may fetch for Hunter in a trade. However, it’s worth mentioning that Hunter was one of the first players Kwesi Adofo-Mensah called when he was hired and could still be an integral piece to the franchise for the next five years.

Hunter showed he’s every bit his old self last season, tallying 10.5 sacks and the eighth-most pressures in the league despite a first-year transition into a 3-4 base scheme.

Whether the Vikings are willing to offer Hunter a contract worth more than $20 million a year seems to be the question that’s stuck throughout the offseason. However, if teams are lowballing their trade offers for Hunter, Minnesota may be left with no choice but to bend to his needs in an extension.

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