Tag: Rick Spielman

Vikings GM Rick Spielman thinks Kevin Stefanski will be ‘phenomenal’

Vikings GM Rick Spielman said that Kevin Stefanski improved the Vikings offense in 2019-20, and will be phenomenal as a head coach.

After serving as an assistant for the Vikings since 2006, Kevin Stefanski moved on in the offseason, taking a job as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

Vikings GM Rick Spielman has been with the Vikings since 2006 as well. Asked about Stefanski’s leadership at the NFL Combine, Spielman said the former Vikings coach has grown in that role.

“I went and sat in the offensive meetings and from when he was a young pup to where he is now. Even though it may seem calm, cool, collective, there is presence about him when he’s in front of a group,” Spielman told reporters. “He grabs (the players’) attention.”

Spielman said, that with help from Gary Kubiak, Stefanski was able to take the next step as a coach. Kubiak was offensive advisor for the Vikings and is now the offensive coordinator this season.

“From the last three games, when he took over as the offensive coordinator the year before and how much our offense improved this year, I think Kevin is going to be a phenomenal head coach in this league,” Spielman said.

Rick Spielman talks Stefon Diggs, Dalvin Cook and more at the NFL Combine 

Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman took questions on Tuesday morning, discussing some of the Vikings’ offseason needs. 

The NFL Combine is officially underway, meaning the draft is just two months away. Minnesota Vikings General Manager Rick Spielman took questions on Tuesday morning, discussing some of the Vikings’ offseason needs. 

The biggest news of the offseason thus far has been the speculation that Stefon Diggs no longer wants to be in Minnesota. Diggs deleted his Vikings pictures off his Instagram and has continued to send out tweets that have Vikings fans in a panic. In his press conference, Spielman shut down the Diggs trade rumors. 

This is good news for the Vikings, who are already thin at the wide receiver position. A lot can change between now and the beginning of the season, so it will be interesting to see if this story continues throughout the offseason. 

Spielman hinted that Dalvin Cook is a player that they are looking to extend after the draft. He noted that they are trying to keep together the core group of talent on offense, which includes both Diggs and Cook. 

While talking with Paul Allen on KFAN FM, Spielman touched on the hiring of Gary Kubiak as the offensive coordinator. Kirk Cousins hasn’t had consistency when it comes to play calling in his career, so Spielman believes keeping Kubiak will play a big role in the improvement of Cousins in his third year with the Vikings. 

The Vikings GM also discussed his offensive line and secondary, two positions with multiple question marks heading into the regular season. Spielman mentioned having two solid young guys in Brian O’Neill and Garrett Bradbury, but noted it is still a work in progress. 

“I think it’s still a work in progress,” Spielman told reporters. “I think when we went to the outside zone, there were specific guys who have to have specific physical traits that we’re looking for. I think that will be an area that we will continue to try and improve. But we made tremendous strides from last year.”

In terms of the secondary, there could be a lot of moving pieces for the Vikings once free agency begins. Spielman noted that Anthony Harris has improved drastically and that he is a part of the core group they will try to keep together for years to come. 

With the Vikings cap situation being the worst in the NFL, this offseason is set up to be interesting, to say the least. With the number of needs the team has, the combine is just the beginning of the puzzle.

Vikings GM Rick Spielman throws water on Stefon Diggs trade rumors

Vikings GM Rick Spielman makes it seem unlikely that Stefon Diggs leaves Minnesota.

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs has seemed to have his future in question for several months.

Most recently, he deleted the team’s presence from his social media accounts in an apparent attempt to distance himself from the Vikings. So there are questions about whether or not he’ll be in purple and gold again next season. The media (for quite some time) has suggested New England would be an interesting landing spot for the 26-year-old.

At the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Vikings general manager Rick Spielman faced questions about a potential trade for Diggs.

“There is no reason to anticipate that Stefon Diggs is not going to be a Minnesota Viking,” he told reporters, via SKOR North’s Matthew Coller.

Diggs has recorded 365 receptions, 4,623 yards, and 30 touchdowns in his five seasons in Minnesota. Diggs is in the second year of a five-year contract that seems to be fairly reasonable at $14.4 million per year.

It’s easy to take Spielman’s comments at face value. But it’s also possible that his remarks are an attempt to get more than what’s already being offered for the wide receiver on the trade market. If teams see that the Vikings aren’t looking to get rid of him, they may become more desperate and part with more in order to bring him in.

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Vikings GM Rick Spielman on the Vikings offensive line: ‘It’s still a work in progress’

Vikings GM Rick Spielman addressed the state of the offensive line at the NFL Combine.

The offensive line has to be a point of concern for the Vikings in the offseason.

What are they going to do about Riley Reiff? Will they cut him or restructure his contract due to the salary cap situation, or will they keep him on? Will the Vikings draft an offensive lineman in the first round to shore up depth or will they draft one in the later rounds? They could even hold off on drafting one altogether. And what is the team going to do in free agency when it comes to the offensive line?

Vikings GM Rick Spielman addressed the state of the offensive line at the NFL Combine.

“I think it’s still a work in progress,” Spielman told reporters. “I think when we went to the outside zone, there were specific guys who have to have specific physical traits that we’re looking for. I think that will be an area that we will continue to try and improve. But we made tremendous strides from last year.”

As previously reported, Pro Football Focus gave just one Vikings offensive lineman above a grade of 70 on a 100-point scale this season.

It will be interesting to see if the salary cap, plus the level of play, leads to the Vikings finding an offensive lineman in the draft.

“All the passing and everything that’s done in this league, you’re going to win in the trenches, both on the offensive and defensive side,” Spielman said.

Vikings GM Rick Spielman: ‘There is no reason … to anticipate that Stefon Diggs is not going to be a Minnesota Viking’

Vikings GM Rick Spielman addressed the rumors about Stefon Diggs at the combine.

Wide receiver Stefon Diggs has been a cause of concern for Vikings fans as of late for his suspicious behavior on social media.

But when Vikings general manager Rick Spielman was asked about Diggs at the 2020 NFL Combine, he didn’t make it seem like the wide receiver is on the move anytime soon.

“Stefon (Diggs) last year probably had his most productive year,” Spielman told reporters. “He’s a young receiver we’ve just extended. And he’s not only a major part of our offense and a major part of our organization (for) winning games, but he also does a lot of things for this organization off the field as well.”

Diggs was the Vikings leading receiver last year with 1,130 yards, which was also a career high for the wide receiver. He had six touchdown receptions as well.

“There is no reason … to anticipate that Stefon Diggs is not going to be a Minnesota Viking,” Spielman said.

Vikings currently more than $11 million over 2020 cap

The Vikings are in a tough spot as they head into the 2020 offseason.

The Vikings are in a tough spot as they head into the 2020 offseason.

According to Over The Cap, the Vikings are already $11.36 million over the 2020 cap.

Now, the Vikings do have plenty of options to create more cap space. If the Vikings cut ties with Riley Reiff ($8.8 million), Everson Griffen ($13.1 million) and Xavier Rhodes ($8.1 million), that will already free up $30 million.

Griffen’s situation is a little different because his contract will technically be voided because he had six or more sacks last season.

Of course, there are players that the Vikings will try to bring back and there’s a possibility that the team will want to restructure deals with Reiff and Griffen instead of cutting them outright. (There’s not as much hope for Rhodes.)

There’s also safety Anthony Harris, who is an unrestricted free agent after having one of the best seasons among safeties in the league in 2019.

Cornerbacks Trae Waynes and Mackensie Alexander are also unrestricted free agents.

Rick Spielman and Co. have plenty of work in front of them.

Vikings draft T Josh Jones in Draftwire mock draft

This could mean the end of Riley Reiff’s time in Minnesota.

Our guy Luke Easterling put together a first-round 2020 NFL mock draft.

You can check out the full mock draft here.

With the 25th pick, Easterling has the Vikings drafting Houston tackle Josh Jones.

Here’s what Easterling wrote about the pick:

The Vikings have a strong core at the skill positions, but the offensive line continues to be inconsistent at best. After spending last year’s first-rounder on an interior blocker, the Vikings use this one to upgrade at tackle, where Riley Reiff hasn’t lived up to expectations. After a strong week at the Senior Bowl, Jones has planted himself firmly in the first-round conversation.

Jones would certainly be a welcomed addition on an offensive line that has struggled through the years.

It will be interesting to see if the Vikings decide to cut Reiff to save $6.6 million

Other positions the Vikings could look at in the first round are cornerback, safety, any defensive lineman, and even receiver with the lack of depth there.

Rick Spielman and his scouting team will have their hands full.

Vikings ownership intends Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman will be back in 2020

Zimmer has been with the Vikings since 2014 and has compiled a record of 57-38-1.

We can probably put the Mike Zimmer to the Cowboys rumors to rest.

Per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Vikings ownership has said that coach Mike Zimmer and GM Rick Spielman will be back in 2020, regardless of what happens on Sunday against the Saints in the wild card round.

Zimmer has been with the Vikings since 2014 and has compiled a record of 57-38-1, advancing to the postseason three times. The team made it to the NFC Championship in 2017.

Spielman has been with the Vikings since 2006. The team has advanced to the NFC Championship in both 2009 and 2017 under Spielman.

This is probably a good move from the Wilf family to avoid the distractions of who could lose their job if the Vikings lose on Sunday. It’s been a successful run as of late for both Spielman and Zimmer, but eventually, they’ll have to get over the hump.

Vikings were one of the teams to attend Colin Kaepernick’s scheduled workout

We’ll see if Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, gets another opportunity in the league before the 2020 season.

It was quite the Saturday for Colin Kaepernick and NFL scouts on Saturday.

Kaepernick was supposed to have his kind of weirdly scheduled workout at the Atlanta Falcons training facility. Instead, Kaepernick’s team moved the workout about an hour away after a few disagreements between his team and the NFL surrounding the language in the workout contract.

On Tuesday, Vikings GM Rick Spielman told reporters that the Vikings were one of the teams at the scheduled workout, but wouldn’t say whether or not they attended the workout once it moved, per Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune.

With the Vikings specifically, they aren’t in the market for a starting quarterback, but it certainly doesn’t hurt to watch Kaepernick to see if he’s a potential backup fit behind Kirk Cousins.

We’ll see if Kaepernick, who hasn’t played in the NFL since 2016, gets another opportunity in the league before the 2020 season.