NFL insider pours gas on Brian Flores’ coaching future, and it raises questions about impact on the Minnesota Vikings
Brian Flores’ contract expires on Jan. 14th, and he’s being linked to the head coach opening for the Las Vegas Raiders.
The two biggest stories for the Minnesota Vikings this offseason are very simple: Is J.J. McCarthy the future at quarterback, and will Brian Flores return at defensive coordinator?
Any discussion about McCarthy’s future will get murky due to the limited data we have about him. He’s started just 10 games of a possible 35 regular and postseason games, and, even though he sports a 6-4 record as a starter, it’s a tough one for the Vikings to sort through due to the inconsistent play and 11:12 touchdown:interception ratio.
That won’t be solved for quite awhile, and the more timely one is with Flores.
Brian Flores is linked to Las Vegas Raiders head coach opening
On Monday morning, the Las Vegas Raiders fired head coach Pete Carroll after just one season. He only signed a three-year contract since he’s over the age of 70 and the Raiders decided to move on after securing the first overall pick.
One of the intriguing elements with the Raiders job is the presence of minority owner and future Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady. His voice is growing in the organization, and that could lead to them hiring Flores. That noise continues to get louder, and ESPN’s Peter Schrager made the case on First Take Monday morning.
I think you should get the band back together for Tom Brady. And I think you should look at some of the guys he won with,” said Schrager. “He won five different Super Bowls with Brian Daboll, and he won four different Super Bowls with Brian Flores. They are both going to be available. Flores, of course, defensive coordinator of the Vikings. I would talk to Brian Flores and say, Do you want to be a head coach? Yes. Brian Flores, in the middle of a lawsuit against the league, guess what NFL organization, historically does not care about the league office? The Las Vegas Raiders and Al Davis, the patriarch of that thing, was notorious for going up against the league. I love the idea of a Flores/Daboll regime. Go and make this New England West, but do it with your guys and your vision.”
Brian Flores being hired could land Vikings draft picks
Schrager makes an interesting link between Flores and the Raiders, as they are the punk rockers of the NFL. They have never been afraid to go against the grain, including filing lawsuits against the NFL, something that Flores currently has due to their hiring practices.
Said hiring practices could end up benefiting the Vikings, as they could get two third-round compensatory picks for losing Flores. The one thing that clouds this potential is the fact that Flores’ contract expires on Jan. 14th. Here is what the operations manual states about the hiring of a minority candidate.
“In November 2020, team owners approved a proposal rewarding teams who developed minority talent that went on to become GMs or head coaches across the league. If a team lost a minority executive or coach to another team, that team would receive a third-round compensatory pick for two years. If a team lost both a coach and personnel member, it would receive a third-round compensatory pick for three years.”
It doesn’t state what happens if the coach’s contract expires after the season. The Vikings want to re-hire Flores and aren’t going to fire him, which makes it an interesting discussion point. It will be something to keep tabs on over the next few weeks.
If the Vikings end up getting those compensatory picks, it will help out the roster, but losing Flores will be brutal. The next few weeks will be fascinating to keep an eye on.