Report: Vikings Not Exploring Trade For Danielle Hunter, Despite Interest

Hunter makes sense as a trade piece, but as of now, it sounds like he may be staying in Minnesota.

Despite external interest, the Vikings are not currently exploring a trade involving star pass rusher Danielle Hunter, according to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. 

Hunter might be Minnesota's most realistic trade piece if the franchise decides to sell before the October 31st deadline, considering Kirk Cousins isn't expected to consider waiving his no-trade clause. It's understandable that there would be significant interest from teams in the three-time Pro Bowler, who is tied for the NFL lead with 8.0 sacks through six weeks. But at least for now, it sounds like the Vikings will likely be keeping Hunter, who turns 29 this month and is set to hit free agency in the spring.

Three-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher Danielle Hunter is a player that several execs are watching closely. If available, he would have a big market. A few teams pointed out to me that his reworked one-year bridge deal at $17-million carries $10 million in base salary, modest for a player of his caliber and flexible for trade purposes.

Here's my understanding on Minnesota and Hunter: The Vikings gauged trade interest in the offseason when they didn't have a new deal, as a contingency if they couldn't re-sign him. Lately, they have

not

been exploring a trade for Hunter, despite some external interest. And there's a sentiment in the building that Hunter, who leads the league in sacks, is valuable for a team that isn't out of it yet.

So, the sense is it would take a sizable deal to pry him. One league exec who's very high on Hunter said he's not in position to give up a first-rounder for him, suggesting that might be what it would require.

It's true that the Vikings aren't yet out of the hunt for a postseason spot. At 2-4, they're just a game back from several teams who are tied for the seventh seed in the NFC, and all four of their losses have come by one score against teams who made the playoffs last season. If the Vikings can win at least one of their two games before the trade deadline (vs. San Francisco on Monday night, at Green Bay), the schedule opens up quite a bit in November.

Hunter is an extremely important player for the Vikings as they look to get back into the playoff hunt, especially with fellow OLB Marcus Davenport going on injured reserve this week. He is, by far, their best and most consistent edge player.

Still, it would be hard to write off a Hunter trade completely at this point. What if the Vikings lose their next two games to fall to 2-6? Even if they don't, what if a team decides to offer a first-round pick? The Jaguars have been linked to Hunter since the offseason and are a logical fit as a contending team that could really use another star pass rusher.

Right now, the Vikings aren't shopping Hunter, according to Fowler. But in the NFL, things can always change.

---

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all season long.

Subscribe to the Inside the Vikings newsletter

Follow Will Ragatz on Twitter