Vikings New GM Must Really Enjoy the Existing Roster
As of dinnertime Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings had signed two new players to the organization — a defensive tackle named Harrison Phillips from the Buffalo Bills and a linebacker, Jordan Hicks, a former Arizona Cardinal.
And that’s it.
The new league formally began on Wednesday, allowing any free agents to sign with any NFL team. On Monday and Tuesday, players could legally speak with teams. Wednesday is the official day and the moment on the calendar when every organization must be cap-compliant.
Aside from Phillips and Hicks, Minnesota has made no splash-splash moves in free agency as the team didn’t have a lot of cap space to do, well, anything really.
To get in on the bonanza of new players — the Vikings need cornerbacks, pass rushers, and interior offensive linemen — Kwesi Adofo-Mensah could’ve traded veteran players, offloading those players’ salaries to other franchises while stockpiling draft capital (often called rebuilding).
With big-name free agents flying off the board, Adofo-Mensah has traded no one. Nary a soul.
This is not a criticism of the new bossman. If he enjoys the roster — great. That would indicate the Vikings are ready to contend for the postseason, in his estimation. Otherwise, this week would’ve been his first-best opportunity to trade bloated contracts, release aging vets, etc.
Adofo-Mensah has done nothing of the sort.
Instead, his moves to date feel Rick Spielman-like. He extended Kirk Cousins by an extra year, something Spielman did in 2020 (but for longer). Adofo-Mensah signed a defensive tackle to plug the middle of the defense — that’s also what Spielman did in 2020 with Michael Pierce (his splash move). Adofo-Mensah hasn’t spent big money on big-name players — another Spielmanesque business tendency.
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Before you know it, Adofo-Mensah will be stockpiling 6th and 7th-Round picks. We digress.
The inactivity can be attributable to two things. A) Spielman was actually quite effective in his job, and Adofo-Mensah realizes it. Perhaps there’s a reason the Vikings renew all-in Super Bowl stakes year in and year out. Maybe this existing roster is that damn close to the Promised Land, only needing better coaching to shove the squad into meaningful January football games. B) If not the former, Adofo-Mensah could be sitting on a whirlwind of transactions that folks believed would transpire last week.
Maybe he’s just more patient than fans. It has to be one of those two options or potentially a merger of both thoughts.
Yet, as of Day Three of the free-agent period, it sure feels like Rick Spielman never left.
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).
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