George Paton Joins Stefanski, Shurmur in Recent Tradition of Key Vikings Being Poached
The Denver Broncos hired Vikings Assistant GM George Paton as their next general manager on Wednesday, continuing a recent tradition that is somewhat peculiar because of the context in which it has occurred.
Over the past four seasons, the Vikings have had more key employees poached by other teams for head coach or GM gigs than they have playoff wins (credit to Nick Olson for that remarkable stat). In January 2018, fresh off of a season where the Vikings went 13-3, pulled off a miracle, and collapsed in the NFC title game, offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur was hired by the Giants to be their next head coach. Two years later, with the Vikings coming off of another strong season that culminated in a playoff victory followed by a disappointing loss, Kevin Stefanski left to become head coach of the Browns. And now, after years and years of being considered for GM jobs, Paton has decided to finally take one.
It's a trend that can be viewed in several different ways. For one, it's a sign that the Vikings are a respected, well-run franchise, which is clearly a good thing. While teams losing coordinators and front office leaders is a common occurrence in the NFL, it's rare for it to happen with this type of frequency over a short period of time. The Vikings have a 40-27-1 record (including playoffs) since the start of the 2017 season, which ranks ninth in the league over that four-year span. Given that level of success and their strong track record in the draft, it's not shocking that this has happened.
On the other hand, it's a bit strange that a team with just two postseason appearances in the last five years has been ransacked like this. The Vikings haven't made the playoffs in back to back years since 2008 and 2009; they're not exactly a perennial powerhouse. This is a trend that dates back to when Vikings assistants like Tony Dungy, Brian Billick, and Mike Tomlin left and went on to win Super Bowls elsewhere, while the team they left behind in Minnesota remains without a single title.
Regardless of how you view it, these recent departures have made life more difficult for the Vikings over the past few years. When you combine the departures of Shurmur and Stefanski with the sudden resignation of Norv Turner in 2016, the firing of John DeFilippo in 2018, and the expected retirement of Gary Kubiak this year, Mike Zimmer and company will be looking for their sixth offensive coordinator in as many seasons in 2021. That has made it tough to establish continuity on that side of the ball.
Paton leaving is a major blow. He's been Rick Spielman's right-hand man ever since Spielman arrived in Minnesota in 2006, is widely respected as a talent evaluator, and is a crucial voice in all of the team's personnel decisions. He has played a massive role in the Vikings' accumulation of star-caliber players through the draft over the years. And it could become even more damaging if Paton takes more people with him. There have been reports that he wants to bring Jamaal Stephenson, the Vikings' highly-valued director of college scouting, to Denver. There could be others, too, though the Vikings may be able to block staffers from leaving, to some extent. As long as cap guru Rob Brzezinski stays around and Spielman doesn't lose too many trusted people in the scouting department, the Vikings will survive. But this is inarguably a big blow that will become bigger if Stephenson follows Paton out the door.
Some will make the argument that the Vikings' loyalty to their leadership duo of Zimmer and Spielman has cost them. Stefanski is a bright, young, offensive-minded coach, which is currently all the rage in the NFL. If Vikings ownership had parted ways with Zimmer after the 2019 season, Stefanski might've been the natural successor. Instead, the Wilfs kept Zimmer around and let the OC go to Cleveland. The same could theoretically be said about Paton as the potential successor to Spielman, though it's possible that wouldn't have worked out because of how close those two men are. Either way, the Vikings have made –– and are continuing to make –– a big bet on Zimmer and Spielman to get over the hump soon and lead them to a Super Bowl.
What makes the Stefanski situation more notable is the immediate success he has had in Cleveland. The Browns went 11-5 this year, made the playoffs for the first time since 2002, and won a playoff game last weekend for the first time since 1994. Even if they lose to the Chiefs in the divisional round as expected, Stefanski has totally changed the culture and the fortunes of that tortured franchise. He's already done much more than Shurmur, who went just 9-23 in two seasons with the Giants and is now the offensive coordinator in Denver.
It'll be very interesting to see if Paton does well with the Broncos. It's a storied franchise that won a Super Bowl five years ago but hasn't been back to the playoffs since. There are some talented young pieces in place, but Drew Lock hasn't proven to be a franchise quarterback. If Paton can continue to draft well and find a QB of the future, they could be set up for success.
Going forward, I'd imagine the Vikings would like to buck this trend and keep their key coaches and front office employees in the building. But with Stefanski and Paton gone, pressure is mounting on Zimmer and Spielman to start achieving consistent success in 2021 and beyond. If they can't do that, the Vikings could eventually be headed towards a full rebuild of their coaching staff and front office.
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