Sunday afternoon at U.S. Bank Stadium, Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah chatted with an old friend in the press box. Adofo-Mensah was wearing loafers with no socks.
This offseason, Adofo-Mensah will need to get fitted for some mukluks. He has messy work to do.
The Vikings won 13 games this year because new coach Kevin O'Connell and his staff maximized the clutch play of quarterback Kirk Cousins and the production of receiver Justin Jefferson.
Former general manager Rick Spielman signed Cousins and somehow turned Stefon Diggs' trade demand into an upgrade at receiver, in Jefferson.
Spielman's staff also found Adam Thielen, drafted Brian O'Neill and Christian Darrisaw, and drafted and developed defensive stars Harrison Smith, Eric Kendricks and Danielle Hunter.
In Adofo-Mensah's first offseason, he produced just one starter in the draft, guard Ed Ingram, and just one impact free agent, Za'Darius Smith. He also made an impressive midseason trade for tight end T.J. Hockenson.
O'Connell isn't a finished product, and he might want to avoid calling more pass plays with Cousins on the receiving end, but he deserves credit for turning a struggling, aging team into a 13-game winner.
Now it's Adofo-Mensah's turn to prove himself.
Here's what his to-do list looks like:
— Work with O'Connell in hiring a new defensive coordinator who will be able to manage the transition from old, savvy veterans to young, more explosive athletes. It's a difficult job, but it can be done. Go back and look at the talent Tony Dungy had to work with when he made the Vikings a defensive powerhouse in the 1990s. Other than John Randle, he was working mostly with average NFL players.
— Choose wisely and, perhaps, ruthlessly when deciding which veterans to retain. The Vikings' most admirable players are among those who either need to be cut or have their contracts restructured.
— Sign Justin Jefferson to a large contract. This has to happen, and Adofo-Mensah and his staff need to find a way to accommodate the large contracts of Jefferson and Cousins. It won't be as hard as you might think, but this is where NFL general managers distinguish themselves.
— Replace center Garrett Bradbury. Bradbury gives all he has, but he shouldn't have been a first-round draft pick and hasn't earned another contract. If the Vikings can upgrade at center, their offensive line should be quite good going forward.
— As Thielen declines, decide whether K.J. Osborn should be the new No. 2 receiver, or whether the next No. 2 receiver will have to be brought in from the outside.
— Get his top two draft picks, safety Lewis Cine and cornerback Andrew Booth, healthy and up to speed. If they play well in 2023, the defense could rapidly improve.
— Keep Hunter. He wasn't the every-down force this season that he once was, but he had a productive season and finished the season healthy.
— Follow the approach popularized by many of the league's best franchises, and save money at running back. Not since the 2013 season has a Super Bowl winner relied on an expensive star running back, when Seattle won big with Marshawn Lynch and an otherworldly defense. You can win it all with a running back committee or an affordable veteran. Dalvin Cook was healthy and productive this season, but he's no longer the centerpiece of the offense.
— Seek athletes. The Vikings defense had plenty of experience and savvy. That doesn't matter much if you can't keep up with a receiver or shrug off a block. Spielman's strength was finding great athletes and having a coaching staff that could develop them. Remember, Hunter was a relatively unproductive college player who went in the third round. Adofo-Mensah needs more explosiveness and a defensive staff that can develop players.
— Embrace the role of a public figure. Adofo-Mensah, who felt burned by an interview he did last summer with USA Today, he rarely speaks publicly. He should. When first hired, he came across as charming. Now he looks like he's hiding. That's a bad look, and unnecessary for someone who is impressive and likable.
