Kwesi Adofo-Mensah – Page 2 – Syndication Server

Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hints the 2022 NFL Draft has shaped his approach

Vikings general manager was asked what that draft meant for him, and he gave a very honest answer.

The 2022 NFL Draft was challenging for several teams as their draft picks didn’t pan out. For the Minnesota Vikings, the 2022 NFL Draft is one they would like to forget, at least the first two rounds,

This offseason, they turned the page on both of their first two draft picks by releasing one and trading another.

Lewis Cine and Andrew Booth Jr. were both sent away this offseason, creating a fog around General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. He had just accepted the general manager role in January of that year, so folks are quick not to hold that draft against him, while others see it as no excuse.

During his media availability, the Vikings general manager was asked what that draft meant for him, and he gave a very honest answer.

“I would say that everything that I do in the future has some relevance to what I’ve done in the past. These are things I have thought about for a long period of time. . .more specific to what types of decisions you need to make. . asking, ‘Hey, where can you go get those players?’ There’s other teams with third-fourth round picks on different practice squads.”

The brutal honesty was refreshing from an NFL general manager, let alone one who has such brutal misses as the start of his tenure. Learning from things and adapting the next time you are presented goes a long way to finding success.

The 2024 NFL Draft will serve as a potential of how Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has learned from his previous mistakes.

Vikings only favored in two games in 2024 in latest ESPN projections

Once rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy went down the for year, everyone took a step back and realized it was going to be different in 2024.

The Minnesota Vikings are expected to be in for a long season by more than one definition of the word. Once rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy went down the for year, everyone took a step back and realized it would be different in 2024.

The difference was that expectations dropped significantly, and so did win projections for the team.

Mike Clay of ESPN published his latest projections for the 2024 season. Within those is a bunch of functional data that we suggest looking at, but we want to focus on one thing specifically: projected win percentage.

That stat has the Vikings projected to be favored in just two wins in the 2024 NFL season.

These two games are the opener against the New York Giants in Week 1 and the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13. The Cardinals are an exciting projection, as Jonathon Gannon has proven to be a great coach who can get the most out of his players.

Coaches Kevin O’Connell and Brian Flores will have their work cut out for them this season. More significantly, it will be a significant year for General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, as 2025 is the last year on his contract.

The Vikings 2022 draft class has not gone the way Minnesota’s then-rookie GM hoped

The Vikings 2022 draft class has not gone the way Minnesota’s then-rookie GM, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hoped, with the top two picks gone already

The New York Jets announced they have signed Lewis Cine to the team’s practice squad. Cine jumps to the Jets after the team that drafted the Georgia safety in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings, pulled the plug on the Lewis Cine experiment.

It’s a frustrating ending to the draft marriage between Cine and the Vikings, one that was quite positively viewed back at in 2022. A devastating leg injury ruined Cine’s rookie season, and he’s never recovered enough for the liking of Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Cine played in 10 total games in Minnesota, logging exactly one snap per game on defense. No other team claimed Cine on waivers this week.

Cine was the first-ever pick for Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, then a rookie general manager running his initial draft. Obviously, the injury to Cine was unforeseeable, but that whole first draft class from Adofo-Mensah in Minnesota has not gone as planned back in 2022.

1st round, S Lewis Cine: Waived at the 2024 roster deadline.

2nd round, CB Andrew Booth: Traded to Dallas earlier this summer. Two starts in 23 games over two seasons, 20 total tackles and one PD.

2nd round, OG Ed Ingram: Started 32 games at right guard and will continue to start for Minnesota.

3rd round, LB Brian Asamoah: Zero starts, plays almost exclusively on special teams

4th round, CB Akayleb Evans: Started 32 games and coming off a season where he notched 65 tackles, 7 PDs and forced three fumbles.

5th round, DT Esezi Otomewo: Waived after playing 89 snaps on defense as a rookie,

5th round, RB Ty Chandler: Ran for 461 yards and 3 TDs in 2023 while also catching 21 passes. He’ll be the No. 2 RB behind Aaron Jones in 2024.

6th round, OL Vederian Lowe: Traded during the 2023 roster cutdowns to the Patriots for a 2024 6th-round pick.

6th round, WR Jalen Nailor: 12 catches for 208 yards and a TD in 15 games thus far, though Nailor is poised to see the field more in 2024.

7th round, TE Nick Muse: Two offensive snaps in 2023, caught one pass for 12 yards in two years.

Ingram, Evans and Chandler ease some of the sting of those top two picks not working out, but teams that miss on premium picks are always at a major disadvantage. That’s been the development for Adofo-Mensah’s first draft class.

Vikings sign WR Justin Hall, waive two others, following game against Browns

The Vikings signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Justin Hall while waiving punter Seth Vernon and wide receiver Ty James.

The Minnesota Vikings signed cornerback Stephon Gilmore and wide receiver Justin Hall while waiving punter Seth Vernon and wide receiver Ty James. We have discussed the Gilmore signing after it broke early Sunday morning but the news of Hall signing is new to the team and fans.

Hall entered the NFL in 2022 after a college career at Ball State, where he averaged 10.6 yards per reception and had 17 touchdowns. He went undrafted but signed with the Las Vegas Raiders. He never appeared in a regular-season game for the team but signed with the Houston Roughnecks of the UFL, where he found success in one season with the team.

In corresponding moves, the team released punter Seth Vernon, who was competing for the starting job opposite Ryan Wright, and wide receiver Ty James.

Hall enters a loaded and competitive wide receiver room where he will have to fight for a roster spot with just one game left in the preseason. Meanwhile, the punting competition is now over, and Wright is seemingly awarded the job.

Where do things stand with Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah?

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has had a very good offseason and preseason for the Vikings on a variety of fronts. What does that mean for his future?

Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has quietly had a very good offseason and preseason for the Vikings on a variety of fronts. What does that mean for his future, though?

Despite his success, Kevin Seifert of ESPN chose him as a potential hot seat candidate.

To be fair, the article’s point made each NFL beat reporter choose someone within the franchise to be on the hot seat, but it doesn’t mean he necessarily is. Despite that, Seifert does make some strong points in regard to him being on a hot seat heading into a contract year in 2025.

“After he used 7 draft picks in April to maneuver for edge rusher Dallas Turner, Adofo-Mensah has only 3 picks in the 2025 draft to further improve the team,” Seifert wrote. “A bad season wouldn’t necessarily cost Adofo-Mensah his job, but it could inform owners Zygi and Mark Wilf’s decision on whether to extend his contract or let him enter its final season in 2025.”

It is safe to say Adofo-Mensah will get a contract extension; it is just a matter of when. He has turned around his draft woes into successes in recent years, getting Jordan Addison, J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner. He also has done a good job of identifying talent in the UDFA pool post-draft.

In 2023, Adofo-Mensah was able to secure Ivan Pace Jr., who is now the team’s Mike linebacker. In 2024, we saw plays made by Dwight McGlothern, Bo Richter and Taki Taimani during the preseason.

Adofo-Mensah has built a strong roster. While injuries have caused some issues, it is important to look at the big picture, and the Wilfs have shown they can do that.

Despite Darrisaw’s new contract, Vikings have plenty of cap room in 2025

The Vikings have done well paying players with contracts that allow flexibility, look no further than the extension of Christian Darrisaw.

The salary cap is the boogeyman of the NFL world, it is only real if you make it real. The Minnesota Vikings have done a tremendous job paying players with contracts that allow the boogeyman to remain away at all times.

Look no further than the latest contract extension of Christian Darrisaw.

The team extended Darrisaw on Wednesday to a contract worth up to $113 million over four years. The deal is being tacked onto the end of his rookie contract which will allow the team to remain flexible in the salary cap next offseason.

They spent some money this year, shelling out over $130 million in contracts to their free-agent signings. Not to mention the $253 million they gave between Justin Jefferson and Darrisaw to extend them. Despite all of that, the team is expected to have somewhere in the neighborhood of $75 million to spend on free agent salaries in 2025.

According to Spotrac, that is good for the fifth-most cap space in the NFL.

The defense is expected to be the focus in terms any overhauls in the next offseason as the offense proved to be the focus this year. The secondary and defensive line have some big names in free agency the team may be able to pull away from rivals and future opponents.

Time will tell but it appear General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has set himself up nicely for the next offseason.

Packers extend DL Kenny Clark taking away a Vikings free agent target in 2025

The Vikings were expected to address the defensive line in 2025 free agency but one of the stars is no longer apart of the class.

The Minnesota Vikings have been expected to address the defensive line in the 2025 free agency cycle since it was considered a loaded class. That group lost one of its star names on Sunday when the Packers extended the veteran defensive tackle.

Clark signed a three-year, $69 million extension with the team and will make an average of $21.3 million annually.

The expected free-agent defensive linemen group included Clark, but it remains a strong group despite his absence. Other players who could make an impact include Cameron Heyward, Maliek Collins, Davon Godchaux, and B.J. Hill. All of those players would be a tremendous upgrade to their defensive line, which is a group that is vital to the success of Brian Flores’ defense.

If they don’t dip their toes into the free agent pool, the 2025 NFL Draft class is very talent-heavy at the defensive tackle position as well. If the Vikings finish as poorly as some project, they could be in a position to draft one of the top defenders in the class.

Lots of time left, but it will be a situation worth monitoring as players get extended throughout the calendar year.

Vikings first-round draft pick Dallas Turner signs rookie contract

Edge rusher and Minnesota Vikings first-round draft pick Dallas Turner signed his rookie contract, the team announced on Sunday.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reported the contract as a four-year, fully guaranteed contract worth $15.76 million, including a $8.28 million signing bonus and a fifth-year team option.

He and fellow first-rounder quarterback J.J. McCarthy signed their deals officially on Sunday, coinciding with the start of rookies reporting for Training Camp.

The Vikings had two first-round picks when the 2024 NFL Draft started, selections 11 and 23 overall. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah traded up from 23 to 17 overall to select Dallas Turner after he was expected to go in the top ten but fell in the draft, as did all defensive players.

Turner played three years at Alabama and accumulated 22.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss. He is expected to make an immediate impact as a starter on the edge, opposite Jonathan Greenard, who joined the team during the offseason.

Turner and McCarthy were two of the last three first-round draft picks to sign with their team. Amarius Mims of the Cincinnati Bengals joined them with that distinction, but no more.

Rookies reported to training camp on Sunday, and veterans report on July 23.

Bleacher Report says Christian Darrisaw extension is most important for Vikings

The Jefferson extension was a major hurdle for the Vikings franchise, now it is time to focus on the next one for another franchise pillar.

The Justin Jefferson extension was a major hurdle for the Vikings franchise, now it is time to focus on the next one for another franchise pillar. It is one thing to draft great players if you are a front office, it is another to be able to retain them.

For Christian Darrisaw, all signs point to him not only deserving of an extension but also making it a priority to get one done.

In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Ryan Fowler discussed which team’s most important player should be extended next. Christian Darrisaw was the obvious answer, and he agreed. What, again, is the interesting discussion around Darrisaw is the money for his extension.

“Darrisaw’s likely average per year will land near $28 million. But, with Penei Sewell’s recent deal and the expected extension to come with Tristan Wirfs (Tampa Bay), Minnesota would present themselves with leverage monetarily if they are able to get a deal done sooner rather than later.”

That Tristan Wirfs detail is most important because the Vikings did this to the Cowboys and 49ers. They extended Justin Jefferson before they could extend Brandon Aiyuk and CeeDee Lamb. Had they extended their players before Jefferson, who knows what the situation would’ve turned into.

Thankfully, the Darrisaw deal seems like a foregone conclusion, like Jefferson, but that doesn’t change the fact the Vikings are better to get a deal done as soon as possible.

Vikings GM: ‘Never a second in my mind’ Justin Jefferson extension wouldn’t get done

On Monday, the Vikings extended Justin Jefferson and gave him an extension and in Kwesi Aodofo-Mensah’s mind it was always happening.

On Monday, the Minnesota Vikings extended Justin Jefferson and gave him the richest contract to someone who doesn’t play the quarterback position. In the mind of General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, that was always going to be the end result.

Speaking at a press conference announcing the deal, Adofo-Mensah made it very clear that this deal and the future of Jefferson were never up in the air. He confirmed they never entertained any trade scenarios, while also stating that this process was never frustrating or prolonged. He explained it as a negotiation that started last offseason, took a break, and returned to it this offseason to finish it.

“There was never a second in my mind that we weren’t going to be here,” Adofo-Mensah said at the press conference.

Both he and Kevin O’Connell also acknowledged how special a player Justin Jefferson is. They know keeping him in a Vikings uniform is and was important, now, they do that for the next five years.