If the Vikings keep their cousins, they are predicted to lose a $67 million star to a rival.
Should the Minnesota Vikings decide to extend Kirk Cousins this summer, it might mean that Pro Bowl edge rusher Danielle Hunter will be going.
The Vikings have placed their contract negotiations with Hunter “on hold” while they determine whether to re-sign Cousins or allow the seasoned quarterback to go in free agency, according to an ESPN story from February 10.
Hunter is probably going to go in free agency if the Vikings decide to extend Cousins, according to Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon. The Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars are both “very high” on Hunter, according to ESPN’s Dan Graziano.
An even worse scenario may occur if Hunter signs a $67 million contract with the NFC North champion Detroit Lions, who will let him harass the Vikings for the next three seasons.
According to Bleacher Report:
Assuming the Vikings retain Cousins, their cap shortage may force Danielle Hunter to become available for grabs.
Even worse, he might not get very far.
Hunter finished with a career-high 16.5 sacks in 2023, having recorded 10 or more sacks in five of his eight seasons. He is worth more now than ever before, very literally. Although Minnesota’s financial situation is unfortunate due to their own actions, their competitor in the NFC North, the Detroit Lions, have a significant need for a pass rusher.
The Vikings would be hurt by losing him to anyone, but the sorrow would be exacerbated by seeing him depart for a division enemy.
Kirk Cousins and Danielle Hunter can be re-signed by the Vikings, but there is a price.
Although they are nearing the end of their careers, Hunter and Cousins, two of the Vikings’ highest-paid players, still have a few strong years left in them. Both players have compelling arguments to be signed, and the decision of whether to re-sign will dominate conversations for the upcoming month.
However, there is another possibility in which the Vikings save money and maintain both.
It makes sense to resign both of them until 2024. According to Over the Cap, Hunter has a possible dead cap of $14.9 million if he does not resign, while Cousins has $28.5 million that will count against the 2024 cap sheet if he quits.
Regardless of whether they are on the roster or not, that $43.4 million must be paid.
Should they decide to resign, they can apply those bonuses to their new contracts, which will reduce their cap hits by carrying over those earnings into subsequent contract years. It makes sense to prolong both players and use that money.
But considering that the terms of those agreements would put the team in the same situation as this offseason, there is a risk that the Vikings would jeopardize their financial future.
If the Vikings put their all into the draft, they will not miss.
Returning Hunter and Cousins would be a no-brainer if the Vikings squad was still at the top after making it to the 2018 NFC Championship Game.
But years of subpar drafting combined with pay cap restrictions have made the roster atrophic. Cornerback, edge rusher, and the offensive and defensive lines are all in need of reinforcement.
Even if the Vikings went all in, shifting as much money as possible onto future years and extending Hunter, Cousins, and Justin Jefferson, they wouldn’t have enough salary space to acquire impact players at every position.
Depth is still a problem. The Vikings need a few excellent draft classes to get back into the race.
They could keep their competitive window open by re-signing Cousins and Hunter, but in order to really benefit from going the competitive path with Cousins and Hunter, they would need to hit for the cycle and then some in the draft during the following two years.
It is more possible, though, that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah would adopt the same competitive rebuilding mindset for the 2024 campaign, which may require him to decide between Hunter and Cousins.
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