According to a report from the Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling, the Minnesota Vikings are trying to trade defensive end Danielle Hunter.
The Vikings began the league year with approximately $256,000 in cap space but agreed to terms with nose tackle Harrison Phillips, tight end Johnny Mundt and guard Austin Schlottmann on Wednesday afternoon.
Despite releasing nose tackle Michael Pierce and creating $6.2 million in cap space, the Vikings need to find a way to clear more money in order to make those deals official.
Hunter becomes an easy target thanks to his $25.83 million cap hit next season. That includes an $18 million roster bonus due on Sunday. While Minnesota could convert that money into a roster bonus to save $13.5 million, the Vikings are reportedly looking to deal Hunter instead.
Hunter’s injury history could play a key role in this decision. The 27-year-old has played in just seven games over the past two seasons and is coming off a torn pectoral muscle. But his track record may be too good for other teams to pass up.
His 60.5 sacks rank ninth all-time in franchise history according to Pro Football Reference and he collected six sacks in seven games last season. According to The Chiefs Wire’s Charles Goldman, the Kansas City Chiefs could be a team interested in Hunter’s services.
The #Chiefs should be in the market for a Danielle Hunter trade. They could clear enough cap space before Sunday (when Hunter's bonus is due) to make that happen. Basically would amount to a two-year deal with about $25 million in cap fees left on the books between 2022 and 2023.
— Charles Goldman (@goldmctNFL) March 17, 2022
If the Vikings could make a deal, it would clear $14.3 million in cap space. This would allow the Vikings to add more players via free agency. That includes Patrick Peterson, who according to the Pioneer Press’s Chris Tomasson, expressed interest in returning to Minnesota during an interview on NFL Network.
But without a deal, the Vikings could continue to lose players. The team’s salary cap woes prompted Tyler Conklin to sign with the New York Jets on Wednesday and more moves could be coming if the Vikings don’t figure something out.
