The Vikings will interview Giants wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert for their offensive coordinator vacancy (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). Tolbert worked closely with recently-retired coordinator Gary Kubiak in Denver, so Tolbert could help the Vikings keep the same system in place.
Tolbert was on Kubiak’s staff during the Broncos’ run to Super Bowl 50. He impressed during his time in Denver, and Kubiak has long lobbied for Tolbert to get his big break.
“He’s an amazing coach, a great person, handles personalities extremely well [and] gets the most out of his players,” Kubiak said in 2016 (via the Broncos’ team website). “So I think that would be an exceptional thought. He’s a heck of a football coach.”
The Vikings were a disappointment on the whole, but that was mostly on the defense. Offensively, the Vikings saw Dalvin Cook rush for 1,557 yards and 16 touchdowns while rookie wide receiver Justin Jefferson showed serious promise. In terms of talent, Tolbert would have tons to work with.
The Vikings’ biggest problem by itself on defense was the extreme youth in the secondary. As those players mature, they will play better. The second problem was a bad defensive front. Between opt-outs and injuries, they couldn’t really afford subpar play there, but that’s what they got. The offense, after some early struggles from Cousins, ended up looking really good afterward. The defense never picked it up.
There has been a lot of coaching turnover so far with Minnesota this offseason, so it remains to be seen how the team responds, but they have a chance to return to contention next year if the secondary improves and the defensive line returns to health. They ended up with a very young defense that saw quite a few younger players step in, so that should help in the future. D.J. Wonnum looked great for them in his snaps, and a larger role for him could be in the cards next year.