3 Vikings Mike Zimmer Could Lure to the Cowboys

Danielle Hunter, EDGE

This was a pipe dream for the Dallas Cowboys before the Mike Zimmer news. Maybe it still is, but the Cowboys should try everything they can to bring Hunter into the mix this offseason.

Danielle Hunter and Mike Zimmer worked together in Minnesota for the first seven seasons of the Pro Bowl pass rusher's career. Hunter emerged as one of the best edge defenders in the league under Zimmer, and at age 29, he is nowhere near slowing down. In fact, he finished 2023 with a career-best 16.5 sacks and a league-leading 23 tackles for loss, while making his fourth Pro Bowl appearance.

Now Hunter is hitting free agency for a big payday and the Vikings can't use a franchise tag on him. The Bears and Jaguars are seen as the frontrunners to sign him in March.

However, the Cowboys could quickly emerge as an option if Hunter wanted to reunite with his former head coach who helped him go from being a third-round pick to an elite pass rusher who got a five-year, $72 million contract.

The addition of Hunter would certainly relieve the pain of the potential departures of Dante Fowler Jr. and Dorance Armstrong in free agency. Hunter would most likely require over $15 million per season on a multiyear contract but perhaps he would be willing to give his old boss a discount. If he does, slotting him on the opposite side of Micah Parsons would be a scary sight for the rest of the league.

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