Matthew Coller: The Vikings executed their plan
When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah first uttered the words “competitive rebuild,” he probably had no idea that it would define the Minnesota Vikings’ plan for years to come. When he used that phrase early in his tenure it felt vague and nebulous but on Monday it came to fruition.
The strategy that the Vikings general manager laid out from the start reached its pivot point as the franchise was faced with a decision to back up a(nother) Brinks truck to Kirk Cousins’ house or let somebody else go all in on him. Had they decided to sign Cousins to the same contract that the Atlanta Falcons ultimately landed on — four years, $180 million with $100 million guaranteed — it would not have made much sense with everything that came before or after the “competitive rebuild” concept.
In 2022 the Vikings signed Cousins to the shortest extension they could work out and took a swing at running the 2021 roster back (plus Za’Darius Smith) and aimed to find out whether Mike Zimmer’s culture was truly the problem. They kinda answered the question by going 13-4 but then kinda got the real answer when they lost in the first round of the playoffs to the New York Giants. Then they boldly tore down major pieces of the roster. If you don’t think it was bold, check out all the other 13-win teams in the recent past and see if they let go multi-time Pro Bowlers after running away with the division the year before.
But that was the plan. They cut ties with Adam Thielen, Eric Kendricks, Dalvin Cook, Dalvin Tomlinson and Patrick Peterson and turned things over to the next wave. They found key young players in Jordan Addison, Ivan Pace Jr., Mekhi Blackmon, Ty Chandler and Josh Metellus. They created cap space for the future and set themselves up to be players in free agency in the future. And when it came to the biggest decision — whether to extend Cousins — they elected not to pay his price and commit to him as their long-term quarterback. All very competitve-rebuildy moves.
When this offseason arrived and the Vikings’ depth chart had a dozen holes they still could have brought Cousins back to Minnesota and changed course. They could have bailed on the plan and gone buck wild with the salary cap in order to pour everything into the next year or two. That’s the same recipe that cost the previous regime their jobs.
Instead the Vikings let Cousins walk and added three defensive players in their prime, spending the third most total dollars of any team on Monday. Prior to this year the highest price tag the club had given out to a free agent was Michael Pierce. Funny what you can afford when the mortgage is paid off.
Adofo-Mensah noted at the NFL Combine that the team had its eye on this quarterback class for years. Passing on a massive deal for Cousins matched up with the timing of a class that could include five or six first-round quarterbacks. In previous years they could not talk themselves into Malik Willis or Kenny Pickett or Will Levis. This year it’s clear they have targets who they could buy into as the QB of the future.
Drafting a quarterback would officially bring the “competitive rebuild” concept to life. By now everyone has noticed that a rookie quarterback contract is worth its weight in gold if the guy can play. The last two Super Bowls featured QBs on rookie deals who were surrounded by monster rosters. The Vikings are now in position to recreate the NFL’s cap hack with the sixth most projected cap space in 2025 per OverTheCap.com. That’s when Cousins’ dead cap money is officially off the books.
If you thought they were spending now, they could really go nuts in 2025 (yes, even with a massive extension for Justin Jefferson). With key pieces at wide receiver and tackle already in place, the Vikings will not need to completely rebuild the most important parts of the squad. They have a chance to be the team that trades for players like Jalen Ramsey, Montez Sweat or Bradley Chubb when they hit the trade block.
Of course, the plan has to be executed. Calling a great play doesn’t matter if it isn’t converted. Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell have to hit on their quarterback pick. The free agent signings need to work. They need to get to the finish line on a Justin Jefferson extension. The owners have to be patient if they hit some rocky times next season as they work through the next competitive rebuild phase.
But Step 1 was going through with their vision. They did that in letting Cousins move on. It feels like the first time that we have seen a thought-out approach from this franchise since Zimmer was hired and they drafted Anthony Barr and Teddy Bridgewater in 2014. It feels competent and together rather than panicked and desperate.
Now the Vikings go down a road they have not traveled in a long time and it’s the best place they have been in a long time, too.
Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah talks to the media at the 2024 NFL Combine at Indiana Convention Center.
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
