Why the Vikings Aren’t Making Splashy Free Agent Moves
When the Minnesota Vikings fired Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer in January, hiring new faces in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell as replacements — there was always a chance the two men would rip the roster to shreds and conduct a fundamental rebuild.
Of course, the Vikings ownership insisted this would not occur, onboarding Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell after aligning with the vision for the future during the interview process.
Nonetheless, some onlookers of the franchise remained adamant it was all a ruse, and the team would indeed trade everybody and start over. Those onlookers were flatly wrong. Flash forward to free agency, and Minnesota has not made seismic moves to improve the roster.
Here’s why.
“The Winners’ Curse”
The number-one-with-a-bullet reason for lack of Vikings moves in free agency was spoken aloud by — you guessed it — Adofo-Mensah this week. Listen to his words; he is not lying or silently creating conspiracy theories.
“The job isn’t to win the bidding war.” Boom. Adofo-Mensah point-blank tells the listener the Vikings have no interest in overspending via free agency — unless the right player absolutely mandates it.
If you want to know the definition of Adofo-Mensah’s Minneapolis Moneyball, this is it — extracting value from players with dollars and sense in correlation to performance. He will not sign dudes just to sign dudes.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”974004″ player=”26279″ title=”WATCH%204%20ideal%20Baker%20Mayfield%20trade%20scenarios%20from%20the%20Cleveland%20Browns” duration=”120″ description=”Speculation has picked up steam regarding a potential divorce between former No. 1 pick Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns.” uploaddate=”2022-03-16″ thumbnailurl=”undefined” contentUrl=”https://cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/streaming/973913/973913.m3u8″ width=”16″ height=”9″]
Every player has a purpose, attached to a monetary figure. For the Vikings thus far, those men are Harrison Phillips (DT) and Jordan Hicks (LB).
While it isn’t quite as “fun” as a fan to watch your team be silent during free agency — as squads like the Jacksonville Jaguars are blowing through cash — this new brand of Vikings is patient and value-based.
Lack of Funds
Adofo-Mensah inherited a cap situation that butts up “against it” every offseason in March. The cap crunch is nothing new. Even if he was tempted to shed his winners’ curse philosophy during the first year on the job, he can’t. Compared to other franchises, the Vikings have peanuts for cash, instead placing large dollar sums in the piggybanks of Danielle Hunter, Kirk Cousins, Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, and Dalvin Cook.
It just so happens Adofo-Mensah claims he wouldn’t go hog-wild with spending regardless of his wallet. It’s a happy coincidence for Vikings fans.
But, let’s be frank. If Adofo-Mensah holstered something like $30 million in cap space, he probably would effectuate a mini-spending spree on value free agents like Za’Darius Smith.
Alas, he does not have ample cap cash. Free-agent inactivity, relatively speaking, is the result.
Contentment with the Roster
At O’Connell’s introductory press conference in February, he listed the players he envisioned using to build the 2022 team. He was not forced to name-drop players. Electively, he complimented Kirk Cousins, Harrison Smith, and Anthony Barr, among others.
If the Vikings are not amid a bonanza of player additions — newsflash: they are not — the symbolism is there. They like the core group of players. They think they can win with the group.
Consider Patrick Peterson’s opinion, a cornerback from the 2021 roster:
Indeed, Minnesota’s situational football — especially in the final two minutes of the first half — was vomit-inducing. The Vikings allowed more points in the final two minutes of the 2nd Quarter than any team in the history of professional football.
Conventional logic suggests a different coach might atone for that sin.
And based on the way the Vikings are keeping the roster primarily intact, O’Connell will get a crack at atonement on behalf of the enterprise.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. His YouTube Channel, VikesNow, debuts in March 2022. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sally from Minneapolis. His Viking fandom dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ and The Doors (the band).
Vikings Territory: Vikings Named a Landing Spot for Multiple Free Agents
You must be logged in to post a comment.