The Minnesota Vikings may end up losing top edge rusher Danielle Hunter to free agency this offseason, which means they may need to turn to teams like Philadelphia Eagles for pass-rushing help.
Bleacher Report’s NFL Scouting Department lists Eagles defensive end Josh Sweat as a top trade target for the Vikings this offseason, particularly in the event that Hunter departs.
But would Philadelphia trade Sweat?
Sweat is entering the final year of his deal and is coming off of a rather lackluster season in which he registered 43 tackles, 6.5 sacks and a couple of forced fumbles.
While those aren’t bad numbers by any means, they pale in comparison to Sweat’s fantastic 2022 campaign in which he racked up 48 tackles, 11 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble and a defensive touchdown.
We saw Philly come apart at the seams at the back end of this past season, capped by the Eagles getting routed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs.
For that reason, Philadelphia may want to do some retooling, and considering how much of a premium teams around the league pay for decent pass rushers, Sweat may end up fetching the Birds a rather pretty penny in a trade.
Sweat, who played his collegiate football at Florida State, was selected by the Eagles in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
The 26-year-old barely played his first season but began to carve out a role in his sophomore campaign, finishing with 21 tackles and four sacks. After showing some improvement in 2020, Sweat went on to make his first Pro Bowl appearance in 2021, totaling 45 tackles, 7.5 sacks and a forced fumble.
Minnesota amassed a respectable 46 sacks in 2023, but 16.5 of those sacks came from Hunter, who may end up proving too pricy for the club to keep this spring.
If Hunter does walk, the Vikings are going to be starved for pass rushers, so pivoting and placing a call to the Eagles about Sweat may end up being a smart avenue for Minnesota to pursue in the coming months.
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