7 teams Rams must outbid for OLB Danielle Hunter as free agency heats up

IV: Denver Broncos

Where there is a will, there is a way. After eating a lot of dead salary cap space to release veteran quarterback Russell Wilson, you would not be on an island to believe that the Broncos have little interest in signing a new megadeal contract. The Broncos have created nearly $28 million in clear salary cap space.

Is that enough to sign a player of Hunter's caliber?

With tricks of the trade at their disposal, the Broncos could construct a multi-year contract that averages $30 million a year, but only have a minimal cap impact in 2024 of less than $10 million. Do the Broncos want to play kick-the-can with salary cap space? I don't see how the team can avoid doing so this season with limited draft picks and limited cap space.

Danielle Hunter is definitely worth the investment. He is young, productive, and consistent. If the Broncos want to rebuild, Hunter gives them a cornerstone to do so for years to come.

III: Minnesota Vikings

Even though the Minnesota Vikings were unsuccessful in their efforts to extend Danielle Hunter, do not expect them to wave the white flag just yet. They did make a strong push to extend him, but as often happens, they are also working on multiple extensions and Danielle Hunter is further down in their queue.

To nobody's surprise, the team appears to have focused on extending veteran QB Kirk Cousins.

The Vikings have some salary cap space to work with, for now. And they clearly would love to have Hunter back on the roster. But they have to fight a war of finances on all fronts, and have executed a strategic retreat from Hunter's extension for the time being. If and when the Vikings extend Cousins, the situation could change dramatically.

Can the Vikings pay both Hunter and Cousins in the same offseason? Of course. But they may hesitate due to the future impact on their salary cap.