Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Talks Kirk Cousins, Justin Jefferson, Competitive Rebuild
Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O'Connell held their season-ending joint press conference on Wednesday. They discussed the year that was and, more importantly, looked ahead to what will be a critical offseason for this regime as it enters year three.
Unsurprisingly, there wasn't much in the way of groundbreaking news or definitive declarations. But there were some interesting comments nonetheless — particularly from Adofo-Mensah, who speaks publicly far less often than O'Connell does.
On Kirk Cousins...
Asked once again if he wants Kirk Cousins back this offseason, Adofo-Mensah said "yeah." But, as he's said before, it's a negotiation that's going to have to work for both sides.
"I've said it, I think I've been pretty consistent with that," he said. "Kirk, the player, is someone that we saw what he does to this team. I thought we were playing really good football before he got injured and it's the most important position in sports. Ultimately, it always comes down to can you find an agreement that works for both sides and all of those things, but as a player, it's certainly my intention to have him back here."
So nothing new on that front, really. The Vikings would love to have Cousins back — it has always seemed like that's what Kevin O'Connell wants — but it'll have to be on a deal that makes sense for their team-building goals. That's where the idea of Cousins taking a "hometown discount" comes in, but his history suggests that's unlikely.
"These aren’t new conversations that are happening," Adofo-Mensah said. "Each side kind of understands the other and we’re going to go have those conversations and see where we end up."
On Justin Jefferson...
The decision with Cousins is a fascinating one. The negotiations with Justin Jefferson's camp should be, to some extent, "name your price and let's do this." Obviously, it's not that straightforward, but the Vikings need to make sure they extend their best player as soon as possible, which will mean giving him record-breaking money for his position.
Talks were had last offseason, when Jefferson first became eligible for an extension, but a deal didn't get done. Then he went out and continued to dominate, exceeding 1,000 yards in just eight full games. Now the pressure is mounting for the Vikings, even with Jefferson secured under the fifth-year option for 2024.
"I had a great dialogue with his representation this morning," Adofo-Mensah said. "We catch up, obviously I stay in contact with all of our players’ representatives, but we had a great, great relationship, and the good part is we have a shared history now. We did a lot of the work last season, so we talked and said, ‘Let’s plan to talk again soon.’ I’m always optimistic about those things. Obviously, we have to address that and a bunch of other things, but I’m looking forward to those conversations."
This is a massive offseason for Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah.
On the "competitive rebuild"...
When he first took over in this role, Adofo-Mensah described the Vikings' approach as a "competitive rebuild," a term he perhaps didn't think would stick as much as it has. Since then, just about every time he speaks to the media, he gets asked about where the Vikings are in that process. Wednesday was no different.
"The point of that (idea) was to still provide ourselves a chance in the tournament every year while regaining financial flexibility, finding the next generation of great Vikings players, incorporating our systems that we value so much, and I think when you look back at it, I think we’ve done a lot of positives," Adofo-Mensah said. "I think we’ve regained some of our financial flexibility. We have competed to be in the tournament last year as the division champions and this year, through adversity, had a lot of meaningful games late.
"There’s some things we need to be better at, no question. I think, again, you want to get to a point from a depth, from a top-end standpoint, where you can overcome the adversity we have. So right now, in the competitive rebuild, we want to get to a place where there’s no rebuild, it’s just competitive in a window, and I think we’re close to that. It’s going to take a big offseason ... and I’m excited for the challenge."
The goal for the Vikings has been to live in both worlds. They wanted to compete every year, which they've done by going 20-14 in two seasons despite a rash of injuries this year. They also wanted to build for the future, which they've done by moving on from a bunch of expensive veterans last offseason (guys like Adam Thielen, Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, and others) and creating some financial flexibility for the future.
Now comes a pivotal offseason. Adofo-Mensah talked about a three-year time horizon when he was hired, and this is year three. The Vikings have to make a massive decision at quarterback — one that could involve re-signing Cousins and/or trading up to draft a QB. If they dole out big contracts to both Cousins and Jefferson (with another one looming for Christian Darrisaw soon), can they also afford to pay Danielle Hunter? There are a lot of holes on the defensive side that need to be addressed, which would be easier to do if they let Cousins walk. But if that happens, you're rolling the dice at the most important position in the sport.
There's inherent risk in whatever the Vikings do. There's risk in re-signing Cousins — who is coming off an Achilles tear and turns 36 in August — and trying to patch up the defense without a ton of cap space. There's risk in letting Cousins walk and taking a swing at a quarterback in the draft. That's what makes this offseason so fascinating.
"I do believe we do have the ability to both address those offensive players but also provide resources for the defense," Adofo-Mensah said.
If only it were that simple.
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