01-11-2018, 02:08 AM
Rick Spielman's work in reshaping Minnesota Vikings' roster has made them Super Bowl contendersPFW's Executive of the Year said he wanted to find players who fit Mike Zimmer's mold
General manager security isn’t what it used to be in the NFL. In years past, GMs were often longer-tenured positions, and they tended to outlast head coaches by a few cycles, often getting to hire at least two during their stays.
Recent history has shown those days might be history. A whopping five general managers were fired in 2017, and three more jobs opened up during this year’s cycle when New York Giants GM Jerry Reese was let go, Ted Thompson was moved into a new role for the Green Bay Packers and when Rick Smith stepped down from the Houston Texans’ post to care for his sick wife.
So that makes Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman one of the longer-tenured men at his post in the NFL. Considering that two other GMs (the Oakland Raiders’ Reggie McKenzie and the Rams’ Les Snead) were hired to their respective jobs in 2012, the same year Spielman was promoted, and that two team owners serve as de facto GMs (Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones and Cincinnati Bengals’ Mike Brown), there are only nine true GMs who have served longer than he has.
Although Spielman — Pro Football Weekly’s selection for 2017 Executive of the Year, as voted on by an 18-person panel — has been building this Vikings team over the course of several years, one piece at a time, some of his best work was done this past offseason.
The Vikings lost eight of their final 11 games following a 5-0 start in 2016, but Spielman said he felt good about the foundation of the team when he spoke with his coaches and the scouting staff. This past offseason was less about overhaul and more about stabilizing the core with smart player additions.
So that makes Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman one of the longer-tenured men at his post in the NFL. Considering that two other GMs (the Oakland Raiders’ Reggie McKenzie and the Rams’ Les Snead) were hired to their respective jobs in 2012, the same year Spielman was promoted, and that two team owners serve as de facto GMs (Dallas Cowboys’ Jerry Jones and Cincinnati Bengals’ Mike Brown), there are only nine true GMs who have served longer than he has.
Although Spielman — Pro Football Weekly’s selection for 2017 Executive of the Year, as voted on by an 18-person panel — has been building this Vikings team over the course of several years, one piece at a time, some of his best work was done this past offseason.
The Vikings lost eight of their final 11 games following a 5-0 start in 2016, but Spielman said he felt good about the foundation of the team when he spoke with his coaches and the scouting staff. This past offseason was less about overhaul and more about stabilizing the core with smart player additions.
