Kwesi Adofo-Mensah

NFC North Notes: O’Connell, Vikings, Adofo-Mensah, Packers, Clark, Jones, Bears, Lions

August 7th, 2024 at 10:46am CST by Sam Robinson

Kevin O’Connell and Kwesi Adofo-Mensah‘s first year produced a surprising 13-4 record and an NFC North crown. The Vikings took a step back in the power brokers’ second season, with Kirk Cousins‘ Achilles tear and Justin Jefferson‘s hamstring trouble playing central roles in the team’s 2023 struggles. Though, the Vikings held their own in a rare season that featured four starting QBs. Still, no extensions are being planned for the HC-GM combo just yet.

“I think that’s fair. I think right now we’re just focusing on the season and putting those things aside for now,” Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert) of the prospect of tabling extension talks with O’Connell and/or Adofo-Mensah to 2025. “It’s not something we’re talking about at this point.”

Considering the pair has only been in place since 2022, the Vikings exploring early extensions would have surprised. No coach or GM hired in 2022 has been extended, and only one tandem hired in 2021 (Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes) has been re-upped. O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah signed four-year contracts, which will make 2024’s direction — as the Vikings transition to Sam Darnold and eventually J.J. McCarthy — pivotal for the leaders’ futures. The Lions gave their bigwigs extensions despite authorizing six-year contracts in 2021, though they have accomplished more thus far.

Here is the latest from the NFC North:

Velus Jones did not become a regular option at wide receiver for the Bears since the team chose him in the 2022 third round, and the additions of Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze this offseason obviously did not help Jones’ prospects. As a result, the Bears are trying the third-year performer at running back. Matt Eberflus (via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley) confirmed the move. Primarily used as a kick returner over his first two seasons, Jones has just 17 receptions as a pro. The Bears’ RB situation is not quite as strong as their WR setup, but the team did add D’Andre Swift to a position group already housing Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert.
Kenny Clark‘s three-year, $64MM Packers extension includes $17.5MM guaranteed at signing — all in the form of a signing bonus — and, per OverTheCap, the veteran defensive lineman will receive a $7.5MM roster bonus if on Green Bay’s roster by Day 3 of the 2025 league year. This ups the practical guarantee to $25MM. On Day 3 of the 2026 league year, Clark will be due an $11MM roster bonus. Considering it would cost the Packers $17MM in dead money to cut Clark in 2026, the ninth-year defender has a decent chance to collect the second roster bonus as well. The extension lowered Clark’s 2024 cap hit by just $1.1MM, per ESPN.com’s Rob Demovsky.
Going into the final season of his rookie contract, Royce Newman accepted what amounts to a pay cut. The Packers dropped the former fourth-round pick’s base salary from $3.12MM to $1.25MM, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson tweets. Newman had seen his base salary increase due to the NFL’s proven performance escalator program. Newman has started 24 games along Green Bay’s O-line. The team included up to $1MM in per-game roster bonuses for the contract-year blocker.
Taylor Decker‘s three-year, $60MM Lions extension includes $31.83MM guaranteed at signing, with the longtime Detroit LT’s 2024 and ’25 base salaries ($1.2MM, $14.8MM) locked in, per OverTheCap. The contract’s remaining guarantees come via a signing bonus. Decker will be due $1.5MM roster bonuses on Day 3 of the 2026 and ’27 league years. His 2026 and ’27 base salaries are nonguaranteed, though two void years included to spread out the former first-rounder’s cap hits. Still, 2026 looms as a potential out here, as the Lions would only take on $9.4MM in dead money in 2026 — as opposed to $31.4MM in 2025 — by moving on.
The Vikings will pay Khyree Jackson‘s $827K signing bonus to the deceased cornerback’s estate, Seifert tweets. Jackson died tragically in a car accident in early July. The NFLPA is also expected to support Jackson’s estate.

Vikings Wanted Kirk Cousins To Stay As Bridge; Veteran Viewed Minnesota First-Round QB Pick As Unlikely

July 31st, 2024 at 5:29pm CST by Sam Robinson

After two long-term contracts came during Rick Spielman‘s final years as Vikings GM, Kirk Cousins received bridge treatment under Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. The new Falcons QB had sought a team more committed to him, though he has since said the Vikings were more likely than not to put off their long-term need for another year had he stayed.

Minnesota did not go near Atlanta’s four-year, $180MM offer ($100MM in practical guarantees), and Cousins said during an appearance on The Athletic’s Scoop City podcast with Dianna Russini and Chase Daniel had he agreed to stay it would have been through one-year contracts while the team aimed to determine his successor (subscription required).

Cousins said Kevin O’Connell told him if he were to re-sign it would be unlikely the Vikings would draft his heir apparent this year. While Cousins stopped short of confirming O’Connell slammed the door on such a move, it is rather interesting he still ended up in a situation where a successor arrived in Round 1. The Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. pick stands to put a clock on Cousins’ Atlanta stay, while the Vikings have Sam Darnold in place as the bridge to J.J. McCarthy, chosen two picks after Penix.

“I don’t think they were ready to go there yet in March,” Cousins said on the Vikings’ interest in drafting a first-round QB. “I think the reality is just that they wanted to give themselves that flexibility. And I remember Kevin’s words, which I’m not going to hold them to, were, ‘Hey, if we sign you back, I would think it’s very unlikely that we would draft somebody.’ It was something to that effect. But I also know in the league things change.”

Cousins’ comments contradict a recent report from ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert, who indicates O’Connell, Adofo-Mensah and ownership wanted the soon-to-be 36-year-old passer to stay — but as a bridge to a rookie who would be drafted in 2024. Neither Adofo-Mensah nor O’Connell wanted the to-be-determined rookie to play immediately, Seifert adds, though convincing Cousins — given the value he carried as a free agent — to stay on a short-term arrangement would have been quite difficult. The Falcons bringing big money to the table made it nearly impossible, as the sides battled over guarantees during the 2023 offseason.

The 13th-year veteran said he would have been more open to a bridge plan in Minnesota if that were his only option; the Falcons ensured that would not be the case. The Vikings did memorably join the Patriots in checking in on Justin Herbert, being quickly turned down by the Chargers’ new regime. The team zeroed in on a rookie soon after, obtaining a second first-round pick from the Texans; though, that became used to trade up for Dallas Turner at No. 17. O’Connell, per Seifert, informed Cousins the team would explore this deep QB class with an aim to use its highest draft slot in a decade (11th) to find its next starter.

Adofo-Mensah said before the draft the team would be comfortable with multiple options in this year’s class, but McCarthy — viewed as a Minnesota target pre-draft — impressed O’Connell at the Michigan product’s private workout. Although it seemed like the Vikings traded up from No. 11 to No. 10 to prevent the Broncos from doing the same, Seifert adds Minnesota was confident Denver would draft Bo Nix.

As for who will end up starting in Week 1, Seifert indicates the Vikings informed Darnold before the draft he would likely get the call. It should be expected McCarthy will take the reins at some point this season, but O’Connell was also in Washington when the team rushed Dwayne Haskins

“Those things [O’Connell] talked about are the reason why I have so much faith in him,” Adofo-Mensah said, via Seifert. “To take a mold-and-play like [McCarthy] with talent and traits that are as high-end as anybody, and mold him into that player we want him to be. A lot of times when we go back over history and we say, ‘These quarterbacks have missed.’ There’s a lot of hands that are dirty in that regard, and we’re going to make sure that our hands are clean and give him the best opportunity he can to be the best player he can be in this offense.”

Darnold will receive the bulk of the first-team reps during training camp, O’Connell said, though McCarthy will also receive select reps with the starters. The seventh-year vet is still the more likely Week 1 QB, per the Minneapolis Star Tribune’s Ben Goessling. As could be expected, O’Connell does not have a range for when McCarthy will replace Darnold — assuming the veteran is indeed the Week 1 starter. The Vikings do have a Week 6 bye, however, representing a potential transition point. Though, Darnold impressing with Minnesota’s talented skill-position corps could lead to a more extended McCarthy apprenticeship.

Vikings Waiting For 2022 Draft Class To Step Up

June 23rd, 2024 at 8:20pm CST by Ely Allen

2022 was the first draft in Minnesota for general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. While there have been some success stories like fourth-round cornerback Akayleb Evans becoming a starter in Year 2 and fifth-round running back Ty Chandler serving as a decent RB2 in his sophomore campaign, the class has overall been a bit of a disappointment.

We already commented on Kevin Seifert of ESPN’s stance that former first-round safety Lewis Cine could be on the roster bubble, but Seifert didn’t stop there, claiming that the other three picks in the first three rounds could run into similar difficulties this offseason.

This statement expands to the later picks of the draft class, as well, though it obviously doesn’t pertain to Evans and Chandler. Worth mentioning, though, is former sixth-round offensive tackle Vederian Lowe, who was traded to the Patriots for a seventh-round pick and went on to start eight games in New England last year, and fifth-round pass rusher Esezi Otomewo, who was waived after a year with the team.

Of the remaining players in the class, LSU second-round offensive guard Ed Ingram has been the most impactful player. Ingram became an instant, full-time starter as a rookie and has only missed two games in his time with the team. That being said, head coach Kevin O’Connell seemed to indicate recently that both starting guard spots are being fought for in a three-way competition between Ingram, backup tackle Blake Brandel, and Dalton Risner.

The battle could be a result of underwhelming performance from the second-rounder. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), Ingram graded out as the 57th-best guard in the league out of 77 graded players his rookie year. Though he improved to the 38th-ranked guard in 2023, his overall score that determines those rankings only rose from 57.0 to 59.5. For reference, the top players at the position graded out in the 80s. Ingram could certainly win one of the two available starting jobs over Brandel and Risner, but the fact that, going into his third year, Ingram’s in danger of losing his job as the incumbent starter points to relative disappointment.

Taken 17 picks before Ingram, former Clemson cornerback Andrew Booth has also failed to play up to his second-round draft stock. Booth was already playing behind the starters, Evans and Byron Murphy, last year, but he is in danger of continuing to tumble down the depth chart as free agent addition Shaquill Griffin comes in with far more starting experience and fourth-round rookie Khyree Jackson could have more goodwill to win a roster spot in his first year with the team.

Third-round linebacker Brian Asamoah has likewise failed to crack the rotation in his first two years out of Oklahoma. He’s not likely to earn any starting time in 2024 as he’s been consistently working behind Ivan Pace and Blake Cashman so far this offseason. The free agent addition of veteran Kamu Grugier-Hill will likely take away any snaps as the primary backup at the position, as well.

Seventh-round pick Nick Muse was maybe not expected to do much as a late-round tight end, but he’s only been on the field for two offensive snaps in his career and missed all but two games last year. He may not see much room for improvement in 2024 as he’s been buried on a depth chart that now includes T.J. Hockenson, Josh Oliver, Robert Tonyan, and Johnny Mundt.

Lastly, sixth-round receiver Jalen Nailor was also mentioned by Seifert but on a slightly more positive note. Seifert claims that the coaching staff really wants to see Nailor make an impact and possibly earn the WR3 role this offseason. That role was vacated as K.J. Osborn departed for New England in free agency, and the Vikings didn’t really do much to replace Osborn after he left. With Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison leading the receiving corps, Nailor has an opportunity to step up into a crucial role.

Nailor’s early career has been hampered by injury. He missed seven games early in the season last year before sitting out the final four contests, as well. But coaches have pegged him as a “slippery target that defenders have trouble tracking” during his limited time in games and practice. While the coaches are hoping that he’ll force their hand, he’ll be competing with Brandon Powell, who was the fourth receiver on the team after coming over from the Rams last year, and Trent Sherfield, who has been an inconsistent contributor over his six years in the league.

So, Adofo-Mensah’s first draft did not produce the desired results in 2022, and while he did a little better by nailing Addison in the first round last year, the rest of the 2023 class has yet to make their impact. He’ll hope to continue hitting on first-rounders with quarterback J.J. McCarthy and pass rusher Dallas Turner this year, and he’ll hope that late-round picks like Jackson and kicker Will Reichard show their impacts, as well. Entering a bit of a rebuild post–Kirk Cousins, the team’s success will depend partially on how well Adofo-Mensah can build the team moving forward.

Vikings GM On Justin Jefferson Extension Talks

April 28th, 2024 at 7:47am CST by Rory Parks

The Vikings have a new franchise passer on the roster, and now that the 2024 draft is in the books, they can turn their focus back to an extension for perhaps the best wide receiver in the league. Minnesota and three-time Pro Bowler Justin Jefferson tabled their contract negotiations during draft weekend, but as GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made plain, that pause had nothing to do with a breakdown in the talks themselves.

“We continue to have great dialogue with [Jefferson’s] representatives,” Adofo-Mensah said (via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert). “The process is still ongoing. We did say, ‘Hey, [let’s pause] a couple days.’ The draft’s coming. The [agents] have players they represent. We have our process.”

In addition to noting that the two sides continue to make progress, Adofo-Mensah also said that when (not if) an agreement is reached, it will be cause for celebration that should not be overshadowed by other matters like the draft.

“Either way, whenever we sign him, we want Justin to have his whole week,” the GM said. “You know that friend that has a birthday that takes the month? I think Justin would deserve his whole month if we signed a contract to celebrate it. We’re excited to work towards it. We’re going to keep going. You can’t have all these plans when you talk about all these visions and not talk about the king linchpin, so we’re going to keep working toward that end goal.”

Jefferson, who is entering his age-25 season, was not present to start the Vikings’ offseason program as he continues to seek his mega-deal, although he did not participate in the club’s voluntary work last year either (he did attend the mandatory minicamp). Both the Eagles’ A.J. Brown and the Lions’ Amon-Ra St. Brown have inked extensions of their own over the past several days, deals that place those players at the very top of the ever-booming WR market in terms of both average annual value and total guarantees.

Brown now holds the wide receiver record for AAV ($32MM) and guaranteed money ($84MM), and Jefferson will surely be aiming to meet or top those figures. Despite the hamstring injury that kept him off the field for much of the 2023 season, the LSU product’s youth, importance to his club, and accomplishments to date give him plenty of ammunition in that regard.

After player and team got “unbelievably close” to reaching an extension last offseason, there is optimism that they may soon push this matter over the finish line.

Vikings Ownership Pushing For Long-Term Quarterback Move?

April 3rd, 2024 at 10:17pm CST by Sam Robinson

It certainly is no longer a secret the Vikings are interested in moving up for a quarterback. Linked to such a climb before their pivotal trade with the Texans, that deal made other QB-needy teams well aware the Vikes are serious about replacing Kirk Cousins with a potential first in franchise history.

From Fran Tarkenton to Tommy Kramer to Daunte Culpepper to Christian Ponder, the Vikings have never used a top-10 pick on a quarterback (though, Culpepper and Ponder were each top-12 choices). This year may well bring that elusive investment. Vikings ownership may have a hand in this as well.

Although GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is running point on this operation, the Washington Post’s Jason La Canfora notes ownership has “made it clear” a long-term quarterback solution — after the first two years of the Adofo-Mensah era featured short-term Cousins-based fixes — will be sought. The Vikings hold the Nos. 11 and 23 overall picks. While a passer like Michael Penix Jr. or Bo Nix could potentially be available at 23, the Vikings are probably setting their sights higher.

The Vikings sent their 2024 and 2025 second-rounders — the latter of which the Texans just dealt to the Bills for Stefon Diggs — and a 2024 sixth to move up to No. 23. The expectation around the league is for Minnesota to trade up for a quarterback. Many around the NFL have mentioned J.J. McCarthy as Minnesota’s most likely target. With the Michigan alum in play to go No. 2 overall to the Commanders — after an impressive pro day — the Vikings may need to set their sights on another passer. Considering the prospect statuses of Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels compared to McCarthy entering 2024, it would be strange if the Vikes had a chance at one of them while the once-lower-regarded QB was unavailable.

Daniels has since come up as a Vikings target, with the Raiders’ interest in reuniting the 2023 Heisman winner with one of his ex-college coaches (Antonio Pierce) not a secret. It could require the Vikings to part with two first-round picks and change to move from No. 11 into the top four. But the Patriots, Cardinals and Chargers — particularly the latter two clubs — have been connected to a willingness to trade down. It cost the 49ers two future firsts to climb from No. 12 to No. 3 for Trey Lance. New England, Arizona and Los Angeles will likely seek a similar haul. The Vikings having a second first-round pick this year might change the equation slightly, but it will still be quite costly to climb up that far.

Sam Darnold is in place as a stopgap option, and while the former top-three pick has an interesting opportunity ahead due to the skill-position cadre the Vikings possess, owner Zygi Wilf desiring a long-term QB be desired this year would solidify Darnold’s role as a placeholder. Additionally, La Canfora suggests Adofo-Mensah may be feeling some heat going into his third season.

Minnesota’s GM being on the hot seat already would be quite the development, considering the team’s 13-4 season in 2022. While that season did bring the worst point differential in NFL history for a 13-win team, the Vikings were not expected to finish in that realm that year. Minnesota took a step back last season, with Cousins’ injury derailing a nice midseason stretch. But the team did not implode without its starting passer. Adofo-Mensah ultimately opting to move on from a QB Kevin O’Connell endorsed many times over, bringing a $28.5MM dead money bill due to a 2023 void years decision, could confirm rumblings of friction between the team’s top two decision-makers.

For now, the two power brokers are working together to land a Cousins replacement. Armed with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Aaron Jones and T.J. Hockenson (along with young left tackle Christian Darrisaw), Minnesota represents a solid destination for a young passer. It will be interesting to see which one the Vikes end up with, as it seems highly improbable they will leave the first round without their hopeful long-term option.

The NFL’s Longest-Tenured GMs

July 6th, 2023 at 9:25am CST by Sam Robinson

The latest NFL general manager hiring cycle only produced two changes, but each took over for an executive who appeared in good standing at this point last year.

Steve Keim had held his Cardinals GM post since January 2013, and the Cardinals gave both he and Kliff Kingsbury extensions — deals that ran through 2027 — in March of last year. Arizona has since rebooted, moving on from both Keim and Kingsbury. Keim took a leave of absence late last season, and the Cardinals replaced him with ex-Titans exec Monti Ossenfort.

As the Cardinals poached one of the Titans’ top front office lieutenants, Tennessee went with an NFC West staffer to replace Jon Robinson. The move to add 49ers FO bastion Ran Carthon also came less than a year after the Titans reached extension agreements with both Robinson and HC Mike Vrabel. But controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk canned Robinson — in place as GM since January 2016 — before last season ended. Adams Strunk cited player unavailability and roster quality among the reasons she chose to move on despite having extended Robinson through the 2027 draft months earlier. The Titans are now pairing Vrabel and Carthon.

The Bills reached an extension agreement with GM Brandon Beane two weeks ago. Hired shortly after the team gave Sean McDermott the HC keys, Beane has helped the Bills to five playoff berths in six seasons. Beane’s deal keeps him signed through 2027. Chargers GM Tom Telesco has hit the 10-year mark leading that front office, while this year also marks the 10th offseason of Buccaneers honcho Jason Licht‘s tenure running the NFC South team. Although Jim Irsay fired Frank Reich and later admitted he reluctantly extended his former HC in 2021, the increasingly active Colts owner has expressed confidence in Chris Ballard.

Here is how the NFL’s GM landscape looks going into the 2023 season:

Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys): April 18, 1989^[1]
Mike Brown (Cincinnati Bengals): August 5, 1991^[2]
Bill Belichick (New England Patriots): January 27, 2000^[3]
Mickey Loomis (New Orleans Saints): May 14, 2002
John Schneider (Seattle Seahawks): January 19, 2010; signed extension in 2021
Howie Roseman (Philadelphia Eagles): January 29, 2010; signed extension in 2022
Les Snead (Los Angeles Rams): February 10, 2012; signed extension in 2022
Tom Telesco (Los Angeles Chargers): January 9, 2013; signed extension in 2018
Jason Licht (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): January 21, 2014; signed extension in 2021
Chris Grier (Miami Dolphins): January 4, 2016^[4]
John Lynch (San Francisco 49ers): January 29, 2017; signed extension in 2020
Chris Ballard (Indianapolis Colts): January 30, 2017; signed extension in 2021
Brandon Beane (Buffalo Bills): May 9, 2017; signed extension in 2023
Brett Veach (Kansas City Chiefs): July 11, 2017; signed extension in 2020
Brian Gutekunst (Green Bay Packers): January 7, 2018; agreed to extension in 2022
Eric DeCosta (Baltimore Ravens): January 7, 2019
Joe Douglas (New York Jets): June 7, 2019
Andrew Berry (Cleveland Browns): January 27, 2020
Nick Caserio (Houston Texans): January 5, 2021
George Paton (Denver Broncos): January 13, 2021
Scott Fitterer (Carolina Panthers): January 14, 2021
Brad Holmes (Detroit Lions): January 14, 2021
Terry Fontenot (Atlanta Falcons): January 19, 2021
Trent Baalke (Jacksonville Jaguars): January 21, 2021
Martin Mayhew (Washington Commanders): January 22, 2021
Joe Schoen (New York Giants): January 21, 2022
Ryan Poles (Chicago Bears): January 25, 2022
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (Minnesota Vikings): January 26, 2022
Dave Ziegler (Las Vegas Raiders): January 30, 2022
Omar Khan (Pittsburgh Steelers): May 24, 2022
Monti Ossenfort (Arizona Cardinals): January 16, 2023
Ran Carthon (Tennessee Titans): January 17, 2023

Footnotes:

Jones has been the Cowboys’ de facto general manager since former GM Tex Schramm resigned in April 1989.
Brown has been the Bengals’ de facto GM since taking over as the team’s owner in August 1991.
Belichick has been the Patriots’ de facto GM since shortly after being hired as the team’s head coach in January 2000.
Although Grier was hired in 2016, he became the Dolphins’ top football exec on Dec. 31, 2018

Vikings’ Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Kevin O’Connell Address Potential QB Addition

April 14th, 2023 at 10:54am CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings will enter the 2023 season with stability under center, but questions regarding the future beyond the coming campaign. The uncertainty surrounding starter Kirk Cousins has led to plenty of speculation that Minnesota will draft a quarterback this month to eventually succeed the veteran.

When speaking on the subject, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah declined to confirm one way or the other if he would be targeting a signal-caller at some point in the near future. He did say, however, that it would be “ideal” for the long-term Cousins replacement to be on the roster one year before taking over. That time could very well be the fall of 2024, since the Vikings restructured (rather than extended) Cousins’ contract last month.

As a result, a number of pundits have pointed to Minnesota as a destination for one of the second- or third-tier quarterbacks in this year’s class. The top four (Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, Anthony Richardson and Will Levis) are widely expected to be off the board by the time the Vikings turn in their top selection, No. 23. The next group of passers, led by Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, could be a list of targets, however.

Connections have already been made between the former Volunteer and the Vikings, who could represent Hooker’s floor in terms of draft stock. The 25-year-old is recovering from a torn ACL, something which will limit his availability in his rookie campaign. His level of play before suffering the injury leaves him with notable upside, though, and landing in Minnesota could give him a relatively straight path to playing time in quick fashion.

“Ideally you would like to have that person in that role developing behind a great player like Kirk, but I don’t think you ever sacrifice it being the right player,” head coach Kevin O’Connell said, via Pro Football Talk’s Josh Alper, when asked about drafting a quarterback. “Regardless of the when, where, why, how, you can’t sacrifice that. You have to have ultra belief and connection on making that decision because it is such an important decision.”

Adofo-Mensah confirmed that discussions within the organization are “ongoing” with respect to adding a passer. Other options will be available after round one, of course, but waiting to add a developmental option would add to the uncertainty concerning their depth chart at the position beginning next season. Cousins, 34, is on the books at a cap hit of $20.25MM this season. Backup Nick Mullens is under contract for the next two years after re-signing last month. Whether the Vikings look to add to that group at the draft will be a storyline worth watching.

Vikings Prioritizing New Contracts For Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Tomlinson

March 2nd, 2023 at 8:54pm CST by Adam La Rose

The second offseason at the helm for Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will involve a number of key decisions, but working out an extension with wideout Justin Jefferson will obviously be one of them. The former’s remarks indicated that the star receiver is at or neat the top of Minnesota’s to-do list.

“I don’t want to be the Vikings’ GM without that guy on our team,” Adofo-Mensah said, via ESPN’s Kevin Seifert. “So it’s a high priority. We’ve got to make sure we do in the order that we can do it in, obviously, given all of our other decisions we have to make.”

Having played three seasons in the NFL, Jefferson is now eligible for a new deal. Given his production, it would come as no surprise if it were to place him atop the pecking order in terms of compensation amongst receivers. The 23-year-old led the NFL in receptions and yards in 2022; those numbers earned him a third straight Pro Bowl nod, a place on the All-Pro First Team and Offensive Player of the Year honors.

Jefferson has racked up 4,825 yards in his career – the most in NFL history over the course of a player’s first three seasons. That, coupled with the substantial increase seen in the value of high-end WRs last offseason in particular, make the LSU product an obvious extension candidate. The Vikings are more than $24MM over the cap at the moment, however, and the team could wait until later in the offseason (or 2024) before inking Jefferson to his second contract.

That same cannot be said of defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, though. Minnesota recently pushed back the void deadline on his contract to give themselves more time to work out a new deal. The 29-year-old put up a nearly identical statline to his previous season (42 tackles, 2.5 sacks) in 2022, which has drawn praise from the team and opened up the possibility of a new Vikings deal for the former Giants draftee.

“We love Dalvin,” Adofo-Mensah said. “Whenever you have good players in your building, good people, you want to do everything you can to keep him. Obviously we have a lot of decisions to make so we’re trying to buy ourselves a little bit more time, but… he’s a great guy, great player and we love him.”

Adofo-Mensah’s comments come in the wake of others which pointed to Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook having an uncertain future in Minnesota. The four-time Pro Bowler finds himself a cut candidate with the Vikings in a complicated financial situation. Becoming cap compliant will top the team’s priority list in the coming days, but keeping Jefferson and Tomlinson in the fold for the foreseeable future will be key offseason goals as well.

Vikings Express Support For Kirk Cousins As 2023 Starter

January 21st, 2023 at 6:59pm CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings’ early playoff exit came as a surprise to many given the team’s success in the regular season, and it has already led to the dismissal of defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. While plenty of questions remain for his former unit, the team’s offense has plenty of pieces in place to give them optimism for repeated success in 2023.

One key member of the offense, quarterback Kirk Cousins, is on the books for next year and received a vote of confidence from the team’s new power brokers at their season-ending press conference regarding his status heading into next year. The 34-year-old’s financial situation could change in the near future, but he is slated to remain at the top of the depth chart.

“It’s our expectation that he’ll be our quarterback,” general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah said, via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. “I can’t say exactly how [his contract status] would look. Again, we have everything at our disposal. We’ll consider all those things just like we would with everyone else on the roster ”

Cousins inked a one-year, $35MM extension last March to keep him signed for the 2023 campaign. The deal helped lower his cap hit dramatically, though the new figure ($31.42MM) still ranked third amongst all players this season. As a result of the new contract, Cousins is slated to count for $36.25MM against the cap in 2023, and another $12.5MM the following season through a void year.

The four-time Pro Bowler earned a second straight all-star game selection this season, one in which he threw for 4,547 yards (the second-highest total in his career), and 29 touchdowns. His play helped lead the team to a 13-4 record (including 11-0 in one-possession games), making the first season under head coach Kevin O’Connell a success.

The latter echoed Adofo-Mensah’s support of Cousins, saying he was impressed with his “ownership” of the team’s new offensive system. That will inevitably lead to expectations for a repeat of this season’s performance and efficiency on that side of the ball – the Vikings ranked top-10 in both scoring and total offense – with Cousins no doubt playing a large role in the unit’s level of play.

Of course, any moves Minnesota makes this offseason will come not only against the backdrop of Cousins’ deal, but also that of Justin Jefferson being eligible for an extension. Adofo-Mensah added that preliminary talks have taken place regarding what will no doubt be a monster deal for the star wideout. Regardless of the progress made on that front in the near future, both Jefferson and Cousins will be in place to lead Minnesota’s offense in 2023.

Latest On Extension Talks Between Vikings, WR Justin Jefferson

January 18th, 2023 at 9:30pm CST by Ben Levine

Justin Jefferson has put up historic numbers to begin his career, and the Vikings are naturally interested in keeping him for the long run. Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah acknowledged today that the organization has had “preliminary conversations” with Jefferson’s camp about a long-term deal (via Chris Tomasson of the St. Paul Pioneer Press on Twitter).

ESPN’s Adam Schefter slightly pushed back at that report (on Twitter). A source told Schefter that while the two sides are expected to have contract talks this offseason, they haven’t officially started negotiations.

Either way, it sounds like the Vikings are prepared to pay to make Jefferson a long-term staple. This doesn’t come as a huge surprise; since entering the league as a 2020 first-round pick, Jefferson has averaged more than 100 receptions and 1,600 receiving yards per season. He took it to another level in 2022, finishing with 128 catches for 1,809 yards and eight touchdowns (plus another score on the ground) en route to his first career first-team All-Pro nod. Jefferson also set an NFL record for most receiving yards through a player’s first three seasons.

Considering Jefferson’s youth and prolific production, there’s a good chance he’ll set at least one new contract benchmark at wide receiver. Davante Adams‘ contract leads the way with $140MM, but Jefferson could also strive for a league-setting AAV (Tyreek Hill, $30MM), total guarantee (Cooper Kupp, $75MM), and/or full guarantee (A.J. Brown, $56.4MM).

Considering the impending financial investment, Adofo-Mensah described the situation as a “champagne problem” for the front office to deal with.

“I wouldn’t use the word challenge,” Adofo-Mensah said (via Andrew Kramer of the Star Tribune). “You got a special player, a special person. Those aren’t problems. Or at least those are champagne problems. So we’ll start there.

“We’ll get back to [contract talks] in the planning. It really starts from the player, the person and we’ll work on solutions from there on.”

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