Hunter's Contract Situation 2.0 - one-year deal worth $20M

I'm not sure I agree with this logic. Hunter was and is still one of the better DEs in the league. Donatell certainly used him poorly, and I'd argue he's on an HOF track (still) and in his prime. I generally argue that this is the talent you build around, not jettison. Yes, the defense was bad. Last I checked, there are 11 starters on the defense. I don't expect Kirk to carry the offense any more than I expect Hunter to carry the defense, and DE is probably one of the more important roles there, so securing generation talent is generally a good idea if that whole competitive thing is really what the ownership wants. 

Now that said, there are some factors here. First, I have no idea what Hunter's price is. He's probably very upset from a money standpoint at this point, and rightfully so. He's taken a lot of risk and lost a lot of market value because of it. I can understand that. This is his last real crack at a big contract and his next (if he even gets that, will be much smaller deals). Second, I don't know what his trade market is either. I know this, I'm at all interested in trading him for a second. I'm not sure just a first cuts it, though I think at a minimum it's a first. But to me, even a first isn't enough because what are the odds you find someone that can produce what he does over the next 3 years with that pick? Pretty low. That's my value equation. A first has a 50% bust rate, and if you hit, can that hit produce anything close to what you lose with Hunter? If the answer is no, then a first isn't enough. Third, I don't even know if he's negotiating. The fact that everyone is silent says that he probably is, or at least acting in good faith, but that's the other big factor here. 

So, I'll say what I said before, everyone has a price. If someone offers the right price, sure, I'll trade him happily. I don't think teams will do that, so the point is moot, and I lean towards extending him. I think that's fair to everyone. Now KAM may truly be in a bind here because of factor 1 as that will drive down what teams will offer as well since just about any trade likely comes with an extension. Not all of this is KAM's fault, just as not all of the Cook situation was (though I'm pretty sure KAM overplayed his hand there, even though I have zero shred of proof other than my opinion based on a few random reports of trade offers being on the table).  To be fair, both were messes of Rick's making, though Hunter's situation was better for the team than Cook's. But the point being is that I think if the team is trying to compete, then having Hunter on it is probably the right answer.