Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pursued breakout 2024 MVP candidate last offseason, proving brilliant approach sets him apart
The 2024 offseason for the Minnesota Vikings is going to down in team history as one of the best ever. After a difficult decision to move on from quarterback Kirk Cousins, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah went to work with nearly $40 million in salary cap space and made a huge impact on the future of […]
The 2024 offseason for the Minnesota Vikings is going to down in team history as one of the best ever.
After a difficult decision to move on from quarterback Kirk Cousins, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah went to work with nearly $40 million in salary cap space and made a huge impact on the future of the franchise.
They didn't just get multiple impact players, they got three Pro Bowlers in quarterback Sam Darnold, edge rusher Jonathan Greenard, and edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel. Pair those moves with bringing in running back Aaron Jones, inside linebacker Blake Cashman, cornerback Stephon Gilmore, and cornerback Shaquill Griffin and you have an excellent offseason.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah targeted Saquon Barkley in free agency
Those weren't the only players the Vikings were targeting this past March. Along with the players that they did sign, they pursued Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins among others.
On Tuesday, we learned that Adofo-Mensah pursued another high-profile free agent this offseason thanks to Sports Illustrated's Matt Verderame: Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.
In Minnesota, the conversations about whom to target in free agency are a group effort led by Adofo-Mensah, his leadership team, along with Director of Pro Personnel Sam DeLuca and Executive Vice President Rob Brzezinski. Typically, the Vikings’ front office comes up with 10 top targets and whittles the list to three. The same list is also given to the coaching staff, which ranks its top three.
Once the targets are established, Brzezinski begins working on the quantitative analysis, figuring out a player’s value while Adofo-Mensah speaks with the representatives on their contractual ask.
This winter, Cashman, Van Ginkel and Greenard were key targets along with Zack Baun, who ended up signing with the Philadelphia Eagles and flourishing under coordinator Vic Fangio. Another target who landed in Philadelphia? Saquon Barkley.
This one is very interesting. Adofo-Mensah was widely considered the analytics general manager when he was hired in January of 2022. What is one position that analytics people normally don't prioritize: running back.
It's been widely reported how much Adofo-Mensah loved Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs in the 2023 NFL Draft, pursuing Barkley, and signing Jones shows that Adofo-Mensah isn't the standard run-of-the-mill analytics guy.
What does this mean for the Vikings? Well, the first round of April's NFL Draft could end up with the Vikings prioritizing running back, especially with a stacked class. The likes of Boise State's Ashton Jeanty and North Carolina's Omarion Hampton could be in play and that could take the offense to another level.
However, just because they have prioritized high-profile free agents, that won't always equate to a high draft pick. It does leave the door open for that possibility. With how the running game has stalled out for the Vikings over the last three seasons under O'Connell, taking an elite prospect at the position could theoretically fix those issues.
Make no mistake, Adofo-Mensah beats to his own drum and it's absolutely working.
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