Tag: Rick Spielman

Justin Jefferson made it clear on day one what his goals were as a Viking

Justin Jefferson wasn’t a highly touted wide receiver prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. His goals though would make him an all-timer.

Justin Jefferson wasn’t a highly touted wide receiver prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. He was seen as a first-round talent but wasn’t seen as the top receiver in the group. Fast-forward four years, and he is not only the best wide receiver in the group but also the best wide receiver in the NFL as a whole.

The general manager who drafted him was Rick Spielman, and according to the former Vikings front office leader, Jefferson wasn’t shy about his goals. In a video posted by The 33rd Team, Spielman discussed what the then-rookie wide receiver told him when he was drafted in 2020.

“When he came in, the one thing he talked about was ‘I want to be known as one of, if not the, best receivers to ever play in the NFL. . .I want to have that gold jacket.”

Spielman mentioned that he had only seen the type of talent Jefferson had twice before: Barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson. Both are considered among the best ever to play their position, and Jefferson is on track to be in the same discourse when his career is over.

Former NFL GM not high on Commanders’ quarterback

The former GM said the Commanders are doing everything possible to make sure Jayden Daniels starts Week 1.

“They signed Marcus Mariota as a backup quarterback. And we all know what he is; he’s a backup at best.”

That was what former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman said when asked about the Commanders’ quarterback situation for this 2024 season.

Spielman, a guest of Ryan Wilson on the CBS Sports Network, was asked about each of the quarterbacks drafted in the first round of April 2024’s NFL draft.

He continued, “He’s struggled every time he has had to start. New regime coming in, new GM, new head coach, new offensive coordinator. They will do everything they can to get him (Jayden Daniels) prepared to start Week 1.”

Wilson then responded, “Here’s something Dan (Quinn) said recently talking about Jayden, ‘He’s further along than he probably should be.’

Wilson interjected, “That’s high praise for this time of year, even though you haven’t seen him take a hit. Because you can tell whether he knows the playbook or not.”

Back to Quinn’s evaluation of Daniels: “There’s no doubt that Jayden’s making unbelievable progress. It was really clear that he has put the work in.”

Kliff Kingsbury (offensive coordinator) added, “He has a really high football IQ. He understands protections. I’ve been really impressed by that. A lot of guys come into the league, and that’s not an area they major in in college.”

Spielman added he was impressed with Daniels coming in at 5:45 in the mornings to get in more mental reps in the new offense he is learning. Wilson then added that tackle Andrew Wylie and receiver Terry McLaurin have both been pleased with Daniels’ work ethic and leadership.

The experienced Spielman then warned their viewers that it is yet to be determined how good Daniels will be on the football field. “I mean, is anyone saying, ‘You know, we have a horse crap football team coming out to OTA’s and minicamps. We are packing it in’.”

For their complete dialog regarding this discussion of other first-round quarterback selections, you can watch here.

 

Former Viking: Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer ‘hated’ each other

Things are usually cold in Minnesota but they seemed to be especially cold in the team’s offices between Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman.

Things are usually cold in Minnesota but they seemed to be especially cold in the team’s offices between Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman. The former head coach and general manager for the team, respectively, always had tension between them but it was never confirmed until now.

While appearing on Matt Folk’s podcast, former Viking Kyle Sloter mentioned that Zimmer and Spielman “hated each other.”

He would explain it as it related to his situation on the team.

“Spielman really liked me. Zimmer and Spielman hated each other, so Zimmer hated me, they both knew they were getting fired, so when they needed a QB, it was a last f-you to Zimmer.”

This reported hate for each other shouldn’t come off as surprising. Towards the end of their tenure with the Vikings in 2021, they publicly had grown tired of putting up a front, and several press conferences got testy.

Both men have since returned from their strenuous relationship and found new homes, with Spielman landing at CBS Sports and Zimmer back in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys.

Ex-NFL GM Rick Spielman believes Giants will stick with Daniel Jones

Former NFL GM Rick Spielman believes the New York Giants will pass on a QB in Round 1 of the 2024 NFL draft and stick with Daniel Jones.

Will the New York Giants select a quarterback in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft?

That’s a question no one can answer with any level of certainty at the moment but it hasn’t stopped most analysts from mocking a Daniel Jones replacement to Big Blue in their pre-draft projections.

However, former NFL general manager Rick Spielman sees fault in that line of thinking. Despite the noise, he doesn’t believe the Giants will go quarterback in Round 1 because the current regime has already hitched their wagon to Jones.

“At number six, you’re going to get a significant player,” Spielman said. “Assuming Daniel Jones is healthy they have to go with him. If he struggles, maybe Drew Lock comes in. . . but they won’t address the quarterback need in the first round this year.

“You still have to give Daniel Jones a chance, and maybe he can emulate what he did the first year he was under (Brian) Daboll and the success that he had to get that kind of contract. So to me, it makes no sense that people are talking about them looking at number six and a quarterback right now because there’s a significant player that’s going to be there that will help them win this year.”

The flaw in Spielman’s stance is that Giants co-owner John Mara has already given general manager Joe Schoen a stamp of approval if he decides to draft a quarterback. It’s something that Mara has even acknowledged publicly.

Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean Schoen will draft a quarterback. He’s certainly under no pressure to do so, as he outlined during his pre-draft press conference earlier this week.

“I think with Drew’s experience. . .  with Daniel’s experience and what Tommy (DeVito) did last year,” Schoen said, “I think we could go into the season with the three that we have and I’d be comfortable with that.”

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Former general manager thinks team will overpay for J.J. McCarthy

Former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman thinks the team is poised to overpay in a trade up if they miss out on the top quarterbacks.

Quarterbacks are expected to fly off the board at the start of the 2024 NFL Draft. In less than three weeks, all the speculation will be settled and the top quarterback prospects will know where they are starting their careers.

The Minnesota Vikings are one of the teams vying for some of the top talent at the position. Their former general manager, Rick Spielman, believes the team will overpay in a trade-up if J.J. McCarthy is the sole remaining option for the team.

Speaking on CBS’ With the First Pick podcast, Spielman stated, “They’re (the Vikings) going to have to give (picks 11 and 23) and their 2025 first, plus some more draft capital. I think J.J. (McCarthy) will be a good pro, but Minnesota will overpay to get him. At this point, they don’t have a choice (given their current QB room).”

During his time with the Vikings, Spielman, like Justin Jefferson, had his fair share of talent fall into his lap in the draft. He also had some picks that forced ownership to change leadership. Regardless of fans’ feelings about him, Spielman issued a fair warning.

The NFL isn’t the league where you want to be injured in the water. The way this quarterback room is shaping up, they need to make a move. The desperate nature of the team may be in will allow for teams to take advantage of them in trade talks, or they will be running the 2024 campaign with Sam Darnold.

Pick your poison.

Commanders adviser Rick Spielman thinks Drake Maye will go before Jayden Daniels

An interesting perspective from someone with recent ties to the Commanders.

Rick Spielman is a longtime NFL executive who most recently spent 10 seasons as the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings. Since his firing in 2022, Spielman has mostly worked in the media, covering the NFL draft and other topics.

However, in January, Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris revealed in a statement that he had hired Spielman to serve on an advisory committee along with two-time NBA executive of the year Bob Myers. The purpose was to help Harris identify a new general manager.

The Commanders quickly hired 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters, considered by most to be the top candidate for anyone with a GM opening. From there, Washington’s advisory committee, now with Peters, began a coaching search that saw Dan Quinn emerge as the Commanders’ new head coach.

We later learned of Spielman’s role in identifying GM candidates for Harris.

With the NFL draft less than one month away, the Commanders pick No. 2 overall, where they are expected to select a quarterback. USC’s Caleb Williams is likely heading to Chicago at No. 1, meaning Washington is set to choose between Drake Maye (North Carolina) and Jayden Daniels (LSU).

Daniels and Maye had their pro days this week. By all accounts, it went well for both passers. The Commanders were well represented at both pro days, with Peters, Quinn, offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and Lance Newmark in attendance. Peters and Quinn were spotted talking to both quarterbacks, while Kingsbury spent plenty of time with North Carolina offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

What did Spielman think of Maye and Daniels?

On his “With the First Pick” podcast, Spielman was impressed with both quarterbacks, but believes Maye will be drafted ahead of Daniels.

“No, I do believe Drake will go first,” Spielman said. “We watched them back to back.”

Spielman’s comments came when his co-host Ryan Wilson repeated a text he received about Maye: “You’re crazy if you think Jayden is going before Drake.”

Here’s the clip.

Spielman also tweeted out the following on his X account:

He tweeted the following after Daniels’ pro day:

So, what does this mean? Ultimately, nothing, but we don’t know Spielman’s current status with the Commanders. We do know he is not involved with Washington’s draft preparation. Peters is over personnel. Spielman was only hired to be an advisor and it’s uncertain if that role is ongoing.

It is interesting to hear his viewpoints for multiple reasons. One, he’s a longtime NFL general manager. Secondly, he was in Washington’s building. No one knows if Spielman and Peters ever discussed draft prospects.

Spielman’s thoughts are interesting, for sure, but what Adam Peters thinks is what matters the most, and, he isn’t about to reveal his preference.

Commanders’ advisor Rick Spielman likes Drake Maye ‘a lot’

Spielman believes all three of the top QB prospects will be successful in the NFL.

When Josh Harris announced on Jan. 8 that he had fired Washington head coach Ron Rivera, he also announced an advisory committee that consisted of Harris, some of his minority owners, and two outside executives: Former NBA two-time executive of the year Bob Myers and longtime Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman.

The purpose of the advisory committee was to help Harris find his next general manager and head coach. Within one week, the Commanders found their GM, Adam Peters.

After interviewing eight candidates, Washington landed on Dan Quinn as its new head coach. Since then, Quinn has hired an impressive coaching staff.

Now, Washington’s front office and coaching staff are examining the roster ahead of free agency and the 2024 NFL draft.

With the coaching search over, what is Spielman’s role? He isn’t involved in the day-to-day operations of the Commanders. Peters is over personnel. But we do know the former GM loves projected No. 1 pick Caleb Williams. Spielman called Williams a “franchise-changing quarterback” in an October interview before he took on the advisory role in Washington.

The Commanders have the No. 2 overall pick, and if, as expected, the Bears take Williams as No. 1 overall, they’ll be deciding between Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels.

Who does Spielman think is the next-best QB behind Williams?

“I like Drake Maye a lot,” Spielman said on the PFF NFL podcast recently. “I had the ability to watch him play live down in Miami last year. And his size, I think he is very athletic, I think he has arm talent. I think he’s another one; he didn’t have the same talent around him this year. He made some poor decisions turning the ball over or forcing the ball over where he probably could have kept it.”

What does he think of Daniels?

“Jayden Daniels is an incredible story,” Spielman said. “Coming from where he started at, at ASU, Arizona State, where he was still developing. You could say, “God, this guy will never be a first-round pick.’ But when he transferred to LSU and the strides he made from last year to this year. And how much better he has improved. I think all three of these are going to very successful quarterbacks in the league. I think there is a drop-off into the next tier.”

While Spielman will not be making decisions on which quarterback the Commanders will take in April, he’s likely had a conversation or two with Peters about each of the top passers in the 2024 draft.

Rick Spielman enjoying his short-term role with the Commanders

Rick Spielman is enjoying his advisory role with the Commanders, praising Josh Harris as the right person to own the franchise.

Former Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman is enjoying serving the Washington Commanders in their two key searches.

Spielman joined the Vikings in 2006 and, for the next 17 seasons, worked in the front office, first in player personnel manager and then as the general manager.

Yet, Spielman is still taking the posture of learning from others’ NFL experiences and knowledge while helping the Commanders in last week’s search for Adam Peters as GM and now their head-coaching search.

Spielman spoke with Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports Wednesday and wanted to set the record straight from the beginning that he (Spielman) is not going to be involved in any player personnel evaluations for Adam Peters and the Commanders.

The brother of former Detroit Lions linebacker Chris Spielman assured Wilson he is not doing any work with Peters and the Commanders on the direction they are going to go in April’s NFL draft.

Josh Harris was the object of Spielman’s praise, expressing that Harris was the right guy to own the Commanders franchise at this time. He referred to Harris’s approach in interviewing the general manager candidates as “diligent” and also “detailed.”

“I was excited because interviewing all the five candidates that came through, they were all more than qualified. I believe all of them are going to be a GM here in the near future.”

Spielman offered that he learned much during the process as well. He learned something about how teams run their draft process, analytics, and sports science. “As much as I was trying to interview them I actually was really fascinated by the way the NFL has changed in the last five or six years.”

He also offered that through the interviews and listening and interacting with the candidates, he could see how each of them had already been successful.

Here is the video of the entire dialog between Wilson and Spielman.

Josh Harris’ advisors played key role in Commanders landing GM Adam Peters

Josh Harris’ search for a new GM was “thorough and rapid,” and his advisory committee

Thorough and rapid. That’s how Washington Commanders managing partner Josh Harris described his search for a general manager last week.

Harris met with the media last Monday — the day after Washington’s season-ending loss to the Cowboys. By Friday, he had hired San Francisco 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters as the team’s new general manager.

Over two days last week, Harris and members of his advisory committee, Bob Myers and Rick Spielman, met with five assistant GMs from other franchises. After the initial set of interviews, Harris narrowed the list to Peters and Chicago Bears assistant GM Ian Cunningham.

Peters and Cunningham would undergo another interview, with Harris and his advisors meeting with minority partners Mitchell Rales, Magic Johnson, and David Blitzer to finalize their decision.

In his weekly column for Sports Illustrated, Albert Breer highlighted the impact of Myers and Spielman in the process of hiring Peters.

Breer noted that Spielman began working with Harris on the weekend of Week 16. That’s the week when the Commanders played the New York Jets on Christmas Eve. However, it was Myers, a longtime friend of Harris from their time in the NBA, who first reached out to Spielman to gauge his interest in meeting with Harris.

Harris made it clear no decision had been made on head coach Ron Rivera’s future, but he wanted to have a list of candidates ready if he moved on from Rivera. So, Spielman, the longtime Minnesota Vikings general manager, accepted Harris’ offer to join his advisory committee, along with Myers, Harris, and his minority owners Mitchell Rales, Magic Johnson, and David Blitzer.

Spielman went to work on creating a list for a new head of football operations and a head coach.

Spielman’s work through the final two weeks of the season was done quietly. He made calls but didn’t tell folks who he was working for, gathering information discreetly. Then, the Monday after Week 18, once Harris let Rivera go, Spielman drove to Miami and got to work talking with folks such as former Arizona Cardinals GM and Fritz Pollard Alliance exec Rod Graves, former New York Giants GM Jerry Reese, former Jacksonville Jaguars exec Michael Huyghue and former Pittsburgh Steelers GM Kevin Colbert, all whom worked in the league for decades, and attended last month’s accelerator program.

He was on the phone from 7:30 a.m. to about 11 p.m., checking every box on the five guys he’d identified, all of whom carried assistant GM titles: Peters, as well as Kansas City’s Mike Borgonzi, Cleveland’s Glenn Cook, Chicago’s Ian Cunningham, Philadelphia’s Alec Halaby.

Breer’s column included more, detailing the impact of Myers and Spielman on Washington’s search.

Washington fans were concerned, even upset, throughout the season when Harris chose not to fire Rivera. He was correct all along. What would firing Rivera in Weeks 10, 12, or 15 have done for the Commanders?

Instead, behind the scenes, Harris was ahead of the curve, preparing for the most important offseason, arguably, in franchise history.

Josh Harris is using relationships to rebuild the Commanders

Josh Harris is making all the right moves.

When the Washington Commanders fired head coach Ron Rivera last week, owner Josh Harris released a statement that he’d hired outside advisors to assist with his search for the franchise’s next head of football operations and head coach.

Joining Harris and minority partners Mitchell Rales, Magic Johnson and David Blitzer on Washington’s advisory committee were former two-time NBA Executive of the Year Bob Myers and former NFL Executive of the Year Rick Spielman.

There was some initial confusion as to why Harris — a longtime NBA owner — would bring on an NBA executive. It didn’t take long to realize that you didn’t need to be an NBA fan to see Myers’ accomplishments. He’s a team builder. He’s a program builder, and he’s all about relationships.

Spielman spent 32 years in different front offices around the NFL, including a stint as general manager of the Minnesota Vikings that ended in 2021.

Shortly after Harris’ statement, the Commanders requested permission to speak to potential GMs and head coaches. They began the interview process on Tuesday and, by Friday, had hired San Francisco 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters as the franchise’s new general manager.

Peters was the most coveted executive available, and Harris and his partners interviewed him on Tuesday, and by Friday, he was Washington’s GM.

What was the connection here? It was Myers.

While Garofolo’s initial report was incorrect — the pair didn’t go to the same high school — they are pretty friendly with one another. Both are natives of the Bay Area, and Peters accepted a position with San Francisco in 2017. At that time, Myers was GM and president of the Golden State Warriors, roles he stepped away from last May.

Myers had been to several 49ers’ games and built a friendly relationship with Peters over the years.

What about Spielman? His younger brother, Chris, a former NFL standout linebacker, is a special assistant to the Detroit Lions’ President/CEO.

What does that have to do with Washington?

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is reportedly the Commanders’ top target to be their next head coach.

Johnson joined the Lions in 2019, while Spielman returned to the franchise in his role in 2020. Of course, Spielman would know Johnson well.

Well played.

Of course, this doesn’t mean Johnson will be Washington’s next head coach. Johnson may seek another job, or the Commanders may be blown away by someone else in the interview process, such as Texans OC Bobby Slowik or Rams DC Raheem Morris.

You never know.

However, Harris is one step ahead. Could you ever say the same about former owner Dan Snyder? It’s a refreshing change for Washington to be a desirable place.