3 trade offers for the Carolina Panthers to land Danielle Hunter in 2023
By Dean Jones
What trade offers could the Carolina Panthers make to acquire Danielle Hunter from the Minnesota Vikings after being touted as a potential landing spot?
With the Carolina Panthers desperately seeking some consistent production from the edge rushing position opposite Brian Burns next season, it's been surprising to witness those in power not treat this need with the urgency it deserves. Only third-round pick D.J. Johnson came in during the offseason, which is a sign that those in power believe Ejiro Evero's 3-4 base scheme could be enough for improved numbers with the options already available.
That is a big gamble to take on the likes of Marquis Haynes Sr., Yetur Gross-Matos, Johnson, and Amare Barno. The Panthers also have $27.24 million in salary-cap space remaining, which could mean another move or two might be on the way depending on which opportunities present themselves.
Carolina Panthers linked to Danielle Hunter trade
After Ian Rapoport from the NFL Network revealed that the Minnesota Vikings were taking calls from teams looking to acquire Danielle Hunter in a trade, Dallas Robinson named the Panthers as a potential fit via Pro Football Network. Although risky given the edge defender's contract status, this could solve all their pass-rushing problems in the blink of an eye.
"The [Carolina] Panthers’ defense has the makings of a potential top-10 unit in 2023, but they have a glaring hole at edge rusher opposite Brian Burns. [Danielle] Hunter managed 10.5 sacks, 76 pressures, and a career-high 22 quarterback hits last season and would instantly give Carolina one of the most fearsome pass-rushing duos in the league. New Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero will essentially run the same scheme that the Vikings deployed in 2022, so Hunter wouldn’t face much of a learning curve."
- Dallas Robinson, Pro Football Network
Pairing Hunter and Burns together within Evero's creative system would cause absolute havoc. But what could a potential trade for the former LSU stud look like from Carolina's perspective?
Let's examine three possibilities.