Souhan: If Vikings trade Hunter, Diggs for Jefferson has to be the model

Former general manager Rick Spielman attended the memorial for legendary Vikings personnel guru Frank Gilliam on Thursday. Seeing him prompted memories and reminders of how this team's past remains connected to its summer decisions.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, who replaced Spielman, faces contract negotiations with three of his most important players. He is navigating the personnel and salary cap ramifications of these decisions as Stefon Diggs is reminding us of one of Spielman's greatest triumphs.

Adofo-Mensah is negotiating a lucrative long-term contract extension for star receiver Justin Jefferson. That should be the simplest of his tasks. The Vikings value Jefferson and Jefferson has been a pro while becoming one of the league's best receivers.

Adofo-Mensah has tabled discussions with quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins said this week that there won't be further negotiations until next March. The Vikings value Cousins to a degree but don't want to have to overpay him just because the Giants signed their good-not-great quarterback, Daniel Jones, to a deal worth $40 million a year.

Based solely on Jones' deal, Cousins could ask for $50 million. The Vikings don't want to pay him that, so this will be yet another prove-it season for him.

The most gnarly negotiation will be with star defensive end Danielle Hunter. Hunter is scheduled to make about $5 million in base salary, a ridiculous total for a player of his accomplishments. Hunter is just 28, he's a remarkable physical specimen who keeps himself in spectacular shape, he has been highly productive and the Vikings' defense probably can't function without him.

If Hunter wants to stay in Minnesota, this should be a simple negotiation. There are a dozen ways to increase his pay and keep him happy, or happy enough, if that is the Vikings' goal.

This is where Spielman and Diggs come in.

From a fan and media perspective, this is an important year for the Vikings. They are coming off a 13-victory season, they have an established quarterback and star receiver, they hired an excellent defensive coordinator and they should win the division and give themselves a chance at a playoff run.

From inside the organization, the view probably skews toward the long-term.

Adofo-Mensah termed the Vikings' situation a "competitive rebuild'' when he arrived. Despite the 13 victories last year, the Vikings probably don't view themselves as a contender to win the Super Bowl this year. They don't have the roster depth and excellence that Philadelphia and San Francisco have, and Cousins, for all of his accomplishments, has never carried a team deep into the playoffs.

Any NFC team that makes it to the Super Bowl will likely have to contend with a superior quarterback, be it Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen or a half-dozen other standouts.

This is a franchise trying to determine what its future is at quarterback, and trying to build a defense, which can be a long, slow, struggle.

In 2019, Diggs became unhappy with Cousins and the Vikings' run-first offense. He skipped practices and was fined by the team. When asked in media sessions about his purported "illness,'' Diggs would execute a fake cough.

The Vikings had little choice but to trade their best receiver.

This felt like armageddon for Cousins, coach Mike Zimmer and the franchise. They were coming off a season in which they won a road playoff game. What would they do?

Here's what Spielman did: Traded Diggs to Buffalo for a first-round pick that he turned into Jefferson.

The Bills initially got what they wanted from the deal. Diggs became the best receiver on a championship contender. This week, though, Diggs left the Bills' facility before the end of a practice. We don't know exactly what happened, but this sounds much like his antics with the Vikings.

At the moment, trading Hunter sounds like armageddon for the Vikings.

Spielman turned an unhappy Diggs into a superior player. Jefferson is better than Diggs, and more professional.

There is no guarantee that if the Vikings eventually feel forced to trade Hunter that they will be able to execute a similar jiu-jitsu move.

But, as a Spielman sighting reminded, it has happened before, and not that long ago.