Vikings, Hunter come to terms

He'll hit free agency next March. Probably always headed this way. Should get his best this season. 

@"MaroonBells" said: https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status/1685634804081967104?s=20

Excellent news

Naturally, I wish we we locked him up for 5 years, but I understand the apprehension that the Vikings had with his neck.  If he can say that this year, healthy (we hope), under Flores (we trust), he has the dominant year, I see two things...A) he will have earned the big long-term payday he seeks and B) we will be in a better cap space and we have the option to go after him as a FA.  Anyway...this is good and put that distraction aside and play some football.  Next stop:  Hockenson; and then JJ.

Great, another Kwesi non-move.  So we get Hunter for this year (good for this season) but basically assures Hunter and his agent will want to test FA.  Then we either have to overpay to keep him (unlikely) or he leaves and we get at best a 3rd round comp pick.

All the pressure was on the Vikings to get something done. Him @ camp and not practicing was kinda toxic if you ask me.

1 year deal is meh to me as a fan...

I would rather have bit the bullet and traded him for picks now. 

Maybe they didnt get an offer the wanted (the Vikings) but they assured themselves of no more than 1, 3rd rounder next year for him to walk

It's done. It is what it is. Hard to bargain with someone when you have no leverage 

@"Vikergirl" said: It's done. It is what it is. Hard to bargain with someone when you have no leverage 

I think this was a poor decision,   either extend him or trade him,  this one year deal was a waste of time IMO. 

Hunter and Cousins are on final year contracts which, in my opinion, will get the best out of them.

@"FLVike" said: Hunter and Cousins are on final year contracts which, in my opinion, will get the best out of them.

If you still don't see the plan, you're not looking.  

@"JimmyinSD" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: It's done. It is what it is. Hard to bargain with someone when you have no leverage 

Not sure you understand leverage,  the team had plenty of leverage.  

I think this was a poor decision,   either extend him or trade him,  this one year deal was a waste of time IMO. 

I was talking to a friend about this yesterday and put the odds as follows:

1 year deal: 65%
trade: 25%
longer deal: 10%

So this doesn't surprise me, in fact I think it's the best option for the team.

To me the longer deal was least likely because from the Vikings p.o.v. I think such a deal would represent a cave-in to Hunter.   They view him as I do - he's a good player, but he's on the verge of 30 aka NFL decline.  He's going into his 9th year.  He has an injury history.   For all these reasons, the long-term big $ deal he wants doesn't make sense for the Vikings.   They are turning over the roster and not investing heavily in older players - the only one who stuck was Harrison Smith who agreed to a pay cut.   

Next year when he hits f.a., Hunter will likely find out what the market is for a 30 year old edge in his 10th year as a pro with an injury history, and it won't be a 5 year Nick Bosa-level deal with a hundred million gauranteed.   It might even be possible for the Vikings to re-sign him to something shorter/team friendly once he sees what's out there.  Depends on how he does this year.   

I'm happy the team is holding the line on contracts with older vets, and that the Rick Spielman contract candy store is closed.   Eventually the dead weight and dead cap from Rick's misadventures will be gone.

@"Wetlander" said: Great, another Kwesi non-move.  So we get Hunter for this year (good for this season) but basically assures Hunter and his agent will want to test FA.  Then we either have to overpay to keep him (unlikely) or he leaves and we get at best a 3rd round comp pick.

The 1-year deal was the obvious (probably the only) solution. It keeps the Vikings competitive rebuild, well, competitive. And the Vikings continue to avoid 2024 money like the plague. 

From the fans perspective, which IMO is get to the SB this year, this is the best option for Hunter and Cousins.At some point fans will reach an age where rebuilding makes absolutely zero sense. I'm at that age.

I expected@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Wetlander" said:
Great, another Kwesi non-move.  So we get Hunter for this year (good for this season) but basically assures Hunter and his agent will want to test FA.  Then we either have to overpay to keep him (unlikely) or he leaves and we get at best a 3rd round comp pick.

But there are a dozen contingencies at play here. I think we draft a QB no matter what in 2024. But let's say for the hell of it, that Cousins has a bad year or gets hurt, the Vikings have no QB money in 2024 and a ridiculous amount of cap space. Vikings can decide then, based on his 2023, whether or not they want Hunter long-term before he even sees the market. 

The 1-year deal was the obvious (probably the only) solution. It keeps the Vikings competitive rebuild, well, competitive. And the Vikings continue to avoid 2024 money like the plague. 

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Wetlander" said: Great, another Kwesi non-move.  So we get Hunter for this year (good for this season) but basically assures Hunter and his agent will want to test FA.  Then we either have to overpay to keep him (unlikely) or he leaves and we get at best a 3rd round comp pick.

But there are a dozen contingencies at play here. I think we draft a QB no matter what in 2024. But let's say for the hell of it, that Cousins has a bad year or gets hurt, the Vikings have no QB money in 2024 and a ridiculous amount of cap space. Vikings can decide then, based on his 2023, whether or not they want Hunter long-term before he even sees the market. 

The 1-year deal was the obvious (probably the only) solution. It keeps the Vikings competitive rebuild, well, competitive. And the Vikings continue to avoid 2024 money like the plague. 

I have one rule going into this season, bet the over on Viking games...

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"FLVike" said: Hunter and Cousins are on final year contracts which, in my opinion, will get the best out of them.

That's the point I think everyone is missing. Vikings still don't have any money to speak of hitting the 2024 cap. So while the Vikings can now remain competitive in 2023 by keeping their best defensive player, they will have a nearly clean slate in 2024. 

If you still don't see the plan, you're not looking.  

@"Vikergirl" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"FLVike" said: Hunter and Cousins are on final year contracts which, in my opinion, will get the best out of them.

That's the point I think everyone is missing. Vikings still don't have any money to speak of hitting the 2024 cap. So while the Vikings can now remain competitive in 2023 by keeping their best defensive player, they will have a nearly clean slate in 2024. 

If you still don't see the plan, you're not looking.  

They have to finish cleaning up from the previous regime in order to move forward 

@"Wetlander" said:

@"MaroonBells" said:

@"Wetlander" said: Great, another Kwesi non-move.  So we get Hunter for this year (good for this season) but basically assures Hunter and his agent will want to test FA.  Then we either have to overpay to keep him (unlikely) or he leaves and we get at best a 3rd round comp pick.

But there are a dozen contingencies at play here. I think we draft a QB no matter what in 2024. But let's say for the hell of it, that Cousins has a bad year or gets hurt, the Vikings have no QB money in 2024 and a ridiculous amount of cap space. Vikings can decide then, based on his 2023, whether or not they want Hunter long-term before he even sees the market. 

The 1-year deal was the obvious (probably the only) solution. It keeps the Vikings competitive rebuild, well, competitive. And the Vikings continue to avoid 2024 money like the plague. 

This does keep us competitive this year like I said above, but it essentially guarantees Hunter walks after this season with the no tag option.  His agent has a history of demanding new money for Hunter and I don't see that changing if he has a good year.  All it does is increase the cost to keep him after this season and likely prices us out of re-signing him once other teams have the opportunity to offer him contracts. With the way these negotiations have gone, I think we'll need to offer a sweet deal for him to even consider coming back.

In this case, I think it makes more sense to either commit to him as one of your core players moving forward and sign him long-term or trade him for picks that can help the team remain competitive in the future.  This is a bandaid for this season when the defense is in flux with new players and a new scheme.