Mike Sando on KOC Rumors

[smleh]

Glazer isn’t saying O’Connell will be traded. He’s saying the idea is on other teams’ radar.

Why would other teams think they might have a shot at acquiring O’Connell, who is beloved in Minnesota and seems to love coaching the Vikings? Because other teams think three things as O’Connell enters the final year of his contract in 2025:

• That O’Connell deserves outsized credit for the team’s success, not just for his work with Darnold, but also for his hiring of defensive coordinator Brian Flores and his overall success in the absence of strong drafting;

• That O’Connell is in a great position to seek additional power under terms of any new deal;

• That Vikings ownership might not grant O’Connell that kind of power and/or the type of money O’Connell might command elsewhere.

Teams therefore sense the potential for opportunity.

There is another part of the equation that must be discussed.

How executives from other teams view Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah informs how they see O’Connell’s situation in Minnesota. Many longtime NFL evaluators scoffed privately when the Vikings hired Adofo-Mensah, a former Wall Street commodities trader who played basketball at Princeton and did not have a traditional scouting background, as their GM. Adofo-Mensah then took the lead in the search that resulted in O’Connell’s hiring.



Those executives now see the Vikings’ struggles in the draft as justifying their skepticism. If they were in O’Connell’s position, they would use their leverage to forge a direct link with ownership.

“Which business guy do you want making your evaluation: the GM or the owner?” a veteran coach asked.

How coaches and executives from other teams view things is interesting and can be instructive, but it isn’t what matters. O’Connell will decide what’s important to him. How things shake out will reveal to what extent his view aligns with the views held by other football people in the league.

[MaroonBells]

Makes sense that teams who would offer up draft capital (presumably a lot of it) would know they'd have to offer him more than just the HC position to get him to move.

[StickierBuns]

Don't see KOC as a power grab kind of guy. But I do see this type of story as manufactured horseshit for clicks and views. Let's create the news, spread it, have others talks about it and then it gets 'validated'.

Had a birthday dinner last night and one of the friends that attended was a 26 year veteran news reporter from a Miami ABC affiliate. She said the worst thing ever to happen to news was cable news (CNN) which caused the 24/7 news cycle....this caused news agencies to search high and low for content, which much just ends up being created or manufactured. Same with sports news. It also put true investigative reporting on the sidelines because it just takes too long to vet out.

[purplefaithful]

Do the Vikings have internal issues re: power structures, scope of duties etc...I'm sure there are some as you can expect in any org that big.

But we haven't heard of any "significant issues" that need addressing or need to be solved.

The record the last 3 years is good - relative to a lot of the league.
The drafts have been shitty (hopefully JJM/Turner turn out).
They havent won a playoff game, let alone make a run for a SB.

The Wilfs are quoted speaking happy thoughts in the media, so if that is true, I am not expecting big changes in Eagan.

Wilfs dont want drama, I am expecting both KAM/KOC to be back.

[pattersaur]

Do the Vikings have internal issues re: power structures, scope of duties etc...I'm sure there are some as you can expect in any org that big.

But we haven't heard of any "significant issues" that need addressing or need to be solved.

The record the last 3 years is good - relative to a lot of the league.
The drafts have been shitty (hopefully JJM/Turner turn out).
They havent won a playoff game, let alone make a run for a SB.

The Wilfs are quoted speaking happy thoughts in the media, so if that is true, I am not expecting big changes in Eagan.

Wilfs dont want drama,  I am expecting both KAM/KOC to be back.

Yep. From the outside KO would seem to have everything he wants and yeah if he wants a bigger chair at the table, give it to him. I have no reason to think he'd want to leave until there is one.

[MaroonBells]

Don't see KOC as a power grab kind of guy. But I do see this type of story as manufactured horseshit for clicks and views. Let's create the news, spread it, have others talks about it and then it gets 'validated'.

Had a birthday dinner last night and one of the friends that attended was a 26 year veteran news reporter from a Miami ABC affiliate. She said the worst thing ever to happen to news was cable news (CNN) which caused the 24/7 news cycle....this caused news agencies to search high and low for content, which much just ends up being created or manufactured. Same with sports news. It also put true investigative reporting on the sidelines because it just takes too long to vet out.

I'm not sure why the idea that Kevin O'Connell could draw interest from other NFL teams is manufactured horseshit. Is it really that hard to believe? 

But I agree with your friend. 24-hour news created a monster. An insatiable appetite to create and consume content. We're all guilty of it to one degree or another. But the thing that bugs me most is that it also fostered a desire in people to create, consume and BELIEVE the most ridiculous conspiracy theories you can imagine. When the truth isn't exciting enough, just make something up and give it the headline "YOU ARE NOT BEING TOLD THE TRUTH" and there are literally millions of morons who will lap it up...even PAY you to lie to them.  It's a fucked up time.

[purplefaithful]

Give me back the good olde days of real news reporting....

[TheWinterSKOLdier]

Will Ragatz
@WillRagatz
Kevin O’Connell on the rumors that teams could try to trade for him:

"I'm not really interested in addressing the rumors or speculation. What I can tell you is I love this team, I love everything about this organization, and this is where I want to be. This is where I want to keep coaching and leading."

2:41 PM · Jan 6, 2025

3,384 Views

[medaille]

But … like why?

Why not say that they could trade for Ben Johnson or McVay or Harbaugh or whoever?

Theoretically any team can think about trading for any coach, but how many coaches have been traded in history?

There’s a better chance that the Wilfs buy me and this “Senior Writer” matching purple and gold Ferraris than there is that KOC gets traded.

Or for that matter JJ. Would every team in the league have some interest in trading for JJ if the price was right? Absolutely. Is there any chance of us trading JJ. No. Is there any team actually calling us and asking us what our price is for either JJ or KOC? No.

[TheWinterSKOLdier]

And yeah, it does feel like this sometimes.

Leighton Glodek
@LGlodek
·
Jan 5
Every time the Vikings have success, the media attempts to undermine it all.

*Justin Jefferson is being traded
*JJ McCarthy is being traded
*KOC IS BEING TRADED!?