Blow it all up: 3 players Vikings should trade after 0-3 start

Vikings trade candidate after 0-3 start, No. 2: Danielle Hunter, EDGE

Prior to training camp this past offseason, the Vikings agreed to a new contract for edge rusher Danielle Hunter, one that increased his pay for the 2023 season but will still make him a free agent after this season. And for all the faults that Minnesota has shown to start the year, particularly on defense, the 28-year-old pass rusher has been highly effective getting after the quarterback.

Hunter has registered at least one sack in each of the team's first three games now, including notching an impressive tally of three against the Eagles in Week 2, giving the LSU product a total of five on the season. He also has a total of seven tackles for loss, a forced fumble, and a pass defense as well to his credit.

With that being said, Hunter is like a luxury car sitting in a garage that's about to fall in on itself right now. He simply doesn't have the juice singlehandedly to save a defense that, frankly, just looks like it doesn't have enough talent to compete in the NFL. That could make him an asset worth moving for a contender that is in need of improving its pass rush or a team that suffered an injury already on the edge.

The tricky part for the Vikings would be dealing with the dead cap hits for Hunter given his new deal. Per Over the Cap, Minnesota would incur roughly a $9.45 million dead cap hit (for this full season) if he were to be traded, in addition to void years in 2024 and 2025. Having said that, for the draft capital and the overall savings, it could be worth it.