Vikings Restructure Danielle Hunter's Contract to Make Room for Za'Darius Smith
The Vikings have restructured Danielle Hunter's contract to make room for his new edge rusher partner, Za'Darius Smith, according to ESPN's Field Yates.
This isn't a pay cut for Hunter. It just means the Vikings are taking the $18 million roster bonus that hit their books this weekend, converting it into a signing bonus, and spreading it out across the remainder of Hunter's contract. The result is $13.5 million in cap savings for this year, which helps accommodate Smith and the $14 million average annual value on his new deal.
The Vikings agreed to terms with Smith on Tuesday in what is the biggest addition of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell era thus far.
But they needed to create some cap room to fit him into the picture. Restructuring Hunter's deal was always the most obvious way to do that.
Hunter gets the full $18 million just the same — this is an accounting move that spreads that money over the next four years. Hunter is under contract for two more years, and there are two void years in 2024 and 2025 tacked on. That means his 2021 cap hit drops from roughly $25.8 million to roughly $12.3 million.
Smith missed almost all of last season with a back injury, while Hunter's last two years have been marred by neck and chest injuries. But if the two can stay healthy for the Vikings in 2022, they could be one of the best pass-rush duos in the NFL. Smith and Hunter were the only two players in the league with at least 88 pressures during the 2019 regular season.
The Vikings will likely have to use additional restructures for players like Eric Kendricks, Dalvin Cook, or Brian O'Neill if they want to continue adding in free agency. They still need at least one interior offensive lineman and at least two cornerbacks, although the draft will present an opportunity to add at those spots as well.
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