Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, I salute you

Also not everyone that works in football played football. Does that have to be required for a GM? Oh you're disqualified, you didn't play football. Take a look around the league, not everyone played. 

Poles is 36. Is that too young? Should we get someone that is over 60 just cuz. 

@"Vikergirl" said: Also not everyone that works in football played football. Does that have to be required for a GM? Oh you're disqualified, you didn't play football. Take a look around the league, not everyone played. 

I don’t think it disqualifies you, but if the question becomes would you rather have someone that did play versus someone that didn’t, I vote for “did” every time.  If this guys people skills and intelligence are so overwhelmingly positive strengths, then you start to say you can live without the playing experience.

I don’t think being a former player means jack when it comes to talent evaluation. I don’t care if he’s never played at any level. It’s not necessary experience for the job. Do I like to see scouting experience? Sure, but it’s not like he has no talent evaluation experience. He’s played that role with the 49ers and Browns for 8 or 9 years. 
Personally, I like less indoctrinated perspective and often that only comes from outside the group think. When it comes to football, it’s not like there’s some extra special knowledge that can only be gained in league before a person can be successful. 3/4 of the people I played Madden against years back, could go through the various NFL defensive concepts and give a presentation on where a player should be etc. They could give you a rundown of their preferred system and the why, at a near expert level. They could do the same on the opposite side of the ball. 
There are probably a dozen or more people on this board capable of making draft day calls in a logical and intelligent fashion based on their own personal evaluations. That’s a fact as far as I’m concerned and it makes no difference if they ever played the game. 
Why did this guy rise to the top? I think it should be evident in how people talk about his smarts and how he approaches the business. At the end of the day, no matter the person running the show, they will develop a track record and be judged on it. If they can’t cut it, someone else can.

@"Vikergirl" said: Also not everyone that works in football played football. Does that have to be required for a GM? Oh you're disqualified, you didn't play football. Take a look around the league, not everyone played. 

No, but wouldn't you think that would be hugely helpful when evaluating players to build a roster? Not sure the NFL version of "Moneyball" is the right way to go here 

I must have missed the part of his resume that had him involved in talent evaluation. 

@"Rigby" said: I must have missed the part of his resume that had him involved in talent evaluation. 

That’s essentially all he’s done since being in the league. That’s what people in football research and development do. Evaluate talent at the college and NFL level and try to quantify it. 

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: Also not everyone that works in football played football. Does that have to be required for a GM? Oh you're disqualified, you didn't play football. Take a look around the league, not everyone played. 

No, but wouldn't you think that would be hugely helpful when evaluating players to build a roster? Not sure the NFL version of "Moneyball" is the right way to go here 

And Kwesi has left the building… we will have more in the #Vikings GM search live from TCO at 6 on @FOX9 pic.twitter.com/blqBYqf4Yk

— Dawn Mitchell (@DawnAtFOX9) January 25, 2022

I was just watching the news. 

Our Dawn Mitchell captured video of #Vikings GM candidate Kwesi Adofo-Mensah leaving TCO Performance Center tonight after he spent the day doing his second interview.

At the start of the video, you can hear a receptionist saying, "I'll cancel your flight..." https://t.co/99HGwJveKI

— Jeff Wald (@JeffWaldFox9) January 25, 2022

@"AGRforever" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: Also not everyone that works in football played football. Does that have to be required for a GM? Oh you're disqualified, you didn't play football. Take a look around the league, not everyone played. 

No, but wouldn't you think that would be hugely helpful when evaluating players to build a roster? Not sure the NFL version of "Moneyball" is the right way to go here 

Not even a little bit. The game in the late 1990s to the early 2000s when he would have played highschool and college ball would be so different that it would hardly matter. 

We need a charismatic person to lead our team. Someone who can identify other tallented people and bring them together. 

@"supafreak84" said:

@"AGRforever" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: Also not everyone that works in football played football. Does that have to be required for a GM? Oh you're disqualified, you didn't play football. Take a look around the league, not everyone played. 

No, but wouldn't you think that would be hugely helpful when evaluating players to build a roster? Not sure the NFL version of "Moneyball" is the right way to go here 

Not even a little bit. The game in the late 1990s to the early 2000s when he would have played highschool and college ball would be so different that it would hardly matter. 

We need a charismatic person to lead our team. Someone who can identify other tallented people and bring them together. 

I'll disagree. I think having played the game and relying on that prior experience in player and talent evaluation is highly beneficial. Memsah's never even been a scout, he's a numbers cruncher and economics major. Again, I don't know that the "Moneyball" approach is the right way to build a football roster. Sometimes going with gut instinct and feel trumps all the analytics in the world and you want someone who can make that distinction. 

I think he brings a fresh perspective that is needed. He will get input from scouts.

Here are some examples of coaches and executives who played football. They didn't have much football experience. Also the experience was some time ago for a couple of them. 

Belichick has a Bachelors degree in Economics. He played football and lacrosse at Wesleyan University. Some seriously competitive football. He played in the early 70's. 

Shanahan caught 14 passes at University of Texas at Austin. 14 passes?

McVay had 34 receptions at Miami of Ohio. 

Polian played for the NYU Violets. Degree in History. Successful executive.

It depends on the personality regarding leadership. When it comes to coaching, football experience can be helpful. As an executive, not as much. 

@"Vikergirl" said: I think he brings a fresh perspective that is needed. He will get input from scouts.

Here are some examples of coaches and executives who played football. They didn't have much football experience. Also the experience was some time ago for a couple of them. 

Belichick has a Bachelors degree in Economics. He played football and lacrosse at Wesleyan University. Some seriously competitive football. He played in the early 70's. 

Shanahan caught 14 passes at University of Texas at Austin. 14 passes?

McVay had 34 receptions at Miami of Ohio. 

Polian played for the NYU Violets. Degree in History. Successful executive.

It depends on the personality regarding leadership. When it comes to coaching, football experience can be helpful. As an executive, not as much. 

This can be spun a million different ways. I can go on about the GM's of these coaches you mentioned having at the very least played at the college level (Lynch being a Hall of Famer). Mensah never played, went to Princeton and was a stock trader before getting on with the 49ers as a research guy and numbers cruncher. He may end up being the greatest thing since sliced bread but that's a huge leap of faith to put someone with a background like that in charge of building a championship roster. No personal experience playing the game and no real scouting experience. Wilfs would really be rolling the dice here. And again, I hope this is more about winning football games then the Wilfs receiving kudos and pats on the back from the commissioner and Stephen A Smith for the hire. I look at the resumes of some of these other people we interviewed for the GM job and someone like John Spytek's absolutely blows Mensah's out of the water completely. So really hoping this is about picking the best person for the job and not about skin color since we've had two "white guys" in those positions the last 8 years and now changing it up due to the political climate in Minneapolis. Hate to say it..but it smells like that is a possibility. 

My biggest worry is being buddies already with Andrew Miller. Makes me wonder if there was ever any other GM candidates in the running or taken seriously for the job??

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: I think he brings a fresh perspective that is needed. He will get input from scouts.

Here are some examples of coaches and executives who played football. They didn't have much football experience. Also the experience was some time ago for a couple of them. 

Belichick has a Bachelors degree in Economics. He played football and lacrosse at Wesleyan University. Some seriously competitive football. He played in the early 70's. 

Shanahan caught 14 passes at University of Texas at Austin. 14 passes?

McVay had 34 receptions at Miami of Ohio. 

Polian played for the NYU Violets. Degree in History. Successful executive.

It depends on the personality regarding leadership. When it comes to coaching, football experience can be helpful. As an executive, not as much. 

This can be spun a million different ways. I can go on about the GM's of these coaches you mentioned having at the very least played at the college level (Lynch being a Hall of Famer). Mensah never played, went to Princeton and was a stock trader before getting on with the 49ers as a research guy and numbers cruncher. He may end up being the greatest thing since sliced bread but that's a huge leap of faith to put someone with a background like that in charge of building a championship roster. No personal experience playing the game and no real scouting experience. Wilfs would really be rolling the dice here. And again, I hope this is more about winning football games then the Wilfs receiving kudos and pats on the back from the commissioner and Stephen A Smith for the hire. I look at the resumes of some of these other people we interviewed for the GM job and someone like John Spytek's absolutely blows Mensah's out of the water completely. So really hoping this is about picking the best person for the job and not about skin color since we've had two "white guys" in those positions the last 8 years and now changing it up due to the political climate in Minneapolis. Hate to say it..but it smells like that is a possibility. 

@"Vikergirl" said: Hey Clanzomaelan,

A Tribe called Kwesi it is 

Lol! I thought that one went unnoticed!

@"supafreak84" said: Its a huge leap of faith hiring someone who's never played pro football, never been a scout, and who's background is economics and analytics. Hoping the Wilfs are more interested in winning games then collecting pats on the back from the commissioner with this hire and they know what they are doing. I'll get behind whomever they end up hiring, but count me as super skeptical if it's Mensah. 

Matt Millen played a lot of football

@"Clanzomaelan" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: Hey Clanzomaelan,

A Tribe called Kwesi it is 

Lol! I thought that one went unnoticed!

@"Vikergirl" said:

@"supafreak84" said:

@"Vikergirl" said: I think he brings a fresh perspective that is needed. He will get input from scouts.

Here are some examples of coaches and executives who played football. They didn't have much football experience. Also the experience was some time ago for a couple of them. 

Belichick has a Bachelors degree in Economics. He played football and lacrosse at Wesleyan University. Some seriously competitive football. He played in the early 70's. 

Shanahan caught 14 passes at University of Texas at Austin. 14 passes?

McVay had 34 receptions at Miami of Ohio. 

Polian played for the NYU Violets. Degree in History. Successful executive.

It depends on the personality regarding leadership. When it comes to coaching, football experience can be helpful. As an executive, not as much. 

This can be spun a million different ways. I can go on about the GM's of these coaches you mentioned having at the very least played at the college level (Lynch being a Hall of Famer). Mensah never played, went to Princeton and was a stock trader before getting on with the 49ers as a research guy and numbers cruncher. He may end up being the greatest thing since sliced bread but that's a huge leap of faith to put someone with a background like that in charge of building a championship roster. No personal experience playing the game and no real scouting experience. Wilfs would really be rolling the dice here. And again, I hope this is more about winning football games then the Wilfs receiving kudos and pats on the back from the commissioner and Stephen A Smith for the hire. I look at the resumes of some of these other people we interviewed for the GM job and someone like John Spytek's absolutely blows Mensah's out of the water completely. So really hoping this is about picking the best person for the job and not about skin color since we've had two "white guys" in those positions the last 8 years and now changing it up due to the political climate in Minneapolis. Hate to say it..but it smells like that is a possibility. 

Lynch is definitely an exception as far as how well he is doing. He went to Stanford and studied in the Management Science and Engineering department, focusing on decision making. I’d say education played a role as well. So the "skin color" issue is not a thing with Poles because he fits the so-called traditional path of NFL GM? It seems you care more about skin color. Do you seriously think the Wilfs are going to hire someone that is not qualified with the amount of money they invested? The Wilfs stated the goal is to win championships. It seems that change was needed. The same old approach did nothing.