The Minnesota Vikings are facing a huge offseason. Two of their most important players are quarterback Kirk Cousins and edge rusher Danielle Hunter. Both are on track to be free agents at the start of the NFL League Year which will commence March 13. While Cousins has been at the head of most of the discussions, finding a way to retain Hunter may the most important move the team can make in the offseason.
The Vikings demonstrated significant improvement on defense during the 2023 season. Prior to last year, they had been among the worst defensive teams in the league. They hired Brian Flores as their defensive coordinator and he was able to put together a unit that was challenging for opponents to compete against.
The improvement was most noticeable following their Week 14 game against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Vikings registered a 3-0 shutout and improved to 7-6 with the victory and appeared to be in an excellent position for a spot in the NFC playoffs.
The Vikings struggled badly after that and the defense also hit a downturn, but it seems clear that Flores has built the semblance of a solid defense. The key to that defense is Hunter.
He led the Vikings with 16.5 sacks, and that marked a career-high for him. Hunter is a brilliant athlete who combines speed and power. The Vikings need him to serve as the anchor of the defense.
It's clear that in order to continue to improve, the defense needs more talent, but retaining Hunter appears to be a must.
Hunter will have options
As obvious as it is that Flores and head coach Kevin O'Connell need Hunter in the lineup, it appears they have missed their opportunity to wrap him up early.
They may still be able to retain Hunter, but it doesn't seem likely that will happen before the start of free agency.
Hunter is going to be one of the most sought after free agents this season, and any one of a number of teams could make a major effort to sign him. However the teams that may be his best landing spot are probably close to home.
The Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears know Hunter extremely well after seeing him twice a year throughout his career, and both teams are in a position to improve significantly with a star like the Minnesota defensive end in the lineup.
He is likely to give both of those teams serious consideration
Lions are close to championship level, and Hunter could put them over the edge
The Detroit Lions were one of the best stories in the NFL last season, dominating the NFC North and winning the division title. Once they reached the postseason, the Lions won two postseason games.
They were very close to winning a third in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers and that would have put them in the Super Bowl for the first time in team history, but they fell short in the final quarter.
The Lions have a defensive leader in Aidan Hutchinson, and he contributed 11.5 sacks, 14 tackles for loss and 7 passes defensed. The Lions have several other strong defensive players including linebackers Alex Anzalone and Jack Campbell, but it is clear that Hutchinson could use some help when it comes to putting pressure on the quarterback and destroying the pocket.
That's where Danielle Hunter would fit in quite well. If Hutchinson is getting off the mark early and providing pressure in the first three quarters of the game, Hunter could take over and clinch games in the final quarter.
While it doesn't always work out that way, it is clear a star like Hunter would help the Lions continue to grow.
Bears showed improvement on defense, and Hunter would help them grow
The Bears are the team that may have the best chance to improve in the offseason because they have the No. 1 pick in the upcoming player draft in late April, and they also have nearly $60 million under the salary cap to spend in free agency.
The Bears demonstrated quite a bit of improvement in 2023 as they went from 3-14 to 7-10. They acquired Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders prior to the trade deadline, and the defense responded extremely well to his presence. He gave the Bears a much-improved pass rush.
Chicago is in a position to improve significantly if they can add a pass rusher of Hunter's ability. If they were able to sign him, a 1-2 punch of Sweat and Hunter would give the Bears a chance to possibly challenge for a playoff spot in the 2024 season.
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