Vikings Bendy Offseason Takes Next Turn on Tuesday
Twelve NFL teams commence mandatory minicamp on Tuesday as the Minnesota Vikings bendy offseason continues among the twelve.
The franchise is undergoing its most significant era of change since 2006, the season former general manager Rick Spielman was hired, and ex-head coach Brad Childress took over.
After 16 years, Minnesota parted ways with Spielman in January, opting for the youthful services of new boss Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Along with Spielman’s exodus, former head coach Mike Zimmer departed, too, paving the way for an offensive-minded coach in Kevin O’Connell, the offensive coordinator from the Los Angeles Rams, a team that won the Super Bowl in February.
Mandatory minicamp in Eagan lasts three days, a required event for all players under contract. Even without the term mandatory attached to the festivities this week, Vikings attendance at spring team-building activities has been stronger than in years past, probably a nod to the new leadership regime.
Meandering the bendy path, the Vikings, in addition to firing Spielman and Zimmer, flirted with a head-coaching relationship involving Jim Harbaugh. It didn’t pan out. After Adofo-Mensah was plopped in the saddle, he had a decision to make on Kirk Cousins, the most expensive player on the roster. The new general manager chose more of Cousins, extending the passer through the end of the 2023 season. He even slapped a no-trade clause onto the agreement.
Adofo-Mensah also navigated the contract of EDGE rusher Danielle Hunter, who is underpaid by league standards, although the defender has missed 81% of all football games in the last two seasons. To prove the Vikings are “all-in” for the seventh consecutive season, Adofo-Mensah signed Za’Darius Smith from the Green Bay Packers. Then, in the draft, the “economics” guy really rocked the boat by trading with division rivals, the Detroit Lions and the aforementioned Packers during the event’s first two rounds.
Now, the Vikings have on-the-field matters to mitigate. With a new coaching staff, the following questions will begin the path to answers on Tuesday:
- Who starts at RG, a position providing angst for the club since 2018?
- Which man, Greg Joseph or Gabe Brkic, will win the kicker battle?
- Does the team stay “as-is” at TE2? The only suitor for the job in June is Johnny Mundt, a largely unknown commodity.
- How many rookies ascend amid the summer to start in September?
- Will Kellen Mond, alas, seize the QB2 job from the underwhelming Sean Mannion?
- Does Dalvin Cook truly experience more snaps as a WR?
- Which player emerges as the team’s “third pass rusher?”
- With Andrew Booth in the house, will Cameron Dantzler remain a starter?
Of course, many more subplots will play out, but Vikings mandatory minicamp is a forum for answer seedlings.
The Vikings regular season kicks off in 96 days.
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. 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).
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