Welcome Back Kwesi!

I'm still cautiously optimistic on KAM. Drafts have to get better still. As has been discussed, much better dealing with known quantities in free agency or trading for established players. A ton is still riding on two guys we hope will be great in McCarthy and Turner but are unknowns. We'll see. Good for him getting an extension. Not thrilled about Grigson being promoted to assistant GM.

Peeps in high regard here called him a DEI hire, u know who you are.

StickierBuns wrote:

Grigson's previous problem was interacting within the organization, soft skills - people skills. In this role, he's strictly looking at draft talent, which is a huge strength of his. He's very good at evaluations of prospects and that's all he'll be doing in this role. KAM is the diplomatic facilitating boss, so Grigson's biggest weakness disappears.

No, his drafts weren't good and the Trent Richardson trade was one of the all time epic blunders. Those were the problems...he just wasn't good, so giving him a voice at the draft table (an area we have struggled in), is like someone asking Gavin Newsome for advise on the best way to combat wildfires.

Bullazin wrote:
Peeps in high regard here called him a DEI hire, u know who you are.

I did, and nobody can really say whether he was or if he wasn't, but you could connect those dots and I'll stand by my own opinion. Only the Wilfs truly know that answer. What's important at this point is continuing to make strides with the roster and this team to date has the biggest "KAM stamp" on it. This is his baby, so we'll see how it goes. We all hope for the best.

supafreak84 wrote:

No, his drafts weren't good and the Trent Richardson trade was one of the all time epic blunders. Those were the problems...he just wasn't good, so giving him a voice at the draft table (an area we have struggled in), is like someone asking Gavin Newsone for advise on the best way to combat wildfires.

I did, and nobody can really say whether he was or if he wasn't, but you could connect those dots and I'll stand by my own opinion. Only the Wilfs truly know that answer. What's important at this point is continuing to make strides with the roster and this team to date has the biggest "KAM stamp" on it. This is his baby, so we'll see how it goes. We all hope for the best.

Standing by it is worse than saying it in the first place.  What’s difficult about concluding it was a completely legitimate hire based on performance and potential?  It’s a discriminatory, racist trope, it’s as simple as that.

Bullazin wrote:
Standing by it is worse than saying it in the first place.  What’s difficult about concluding it was a completely legitimate hire based on performance and potential?  It’s a discriminatory, racist trope, it’s as simple as that.

I'm not going round and round on this, but there were better candidates based on resume, scouting acumen and overall NFL experience. The two finalists were Kwesi and a woman from Philly, who was also a VP of football operations with no scouting or actual personnel experience. So look at it through an honest lens and you tell me if there weren't other factors involved in what the Wilfs wanted in hiring their next GM after just shitcanning two old white dudes. 

None of this ultimately matters though. KAM is our guy and we'll roll with him for the foreseeable future.

More #Vikings news: The team is promoting Ryan Grigson and Demitrius Washington to assistant general manager, per sources.

Grigson and Washington have been Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s top lieutenants since he got to Minnesota. Now, a new contract for KAM, and new titles for his guys.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) May 30, 2025

Congratulations to all 3 men.

Good move and really not one that was ever in question IMO. He hasn't been perfect (his first draft was the worst in our history). But the '23, '24 and '25 drafts look much better. Bottom line is that the good he's done with the roster and the culture far outweighs the bad.

MaroonBells wrote:
Good move and really not one that was ever in question IMO. He hasn't been perfect (his first draft was the worst in our history). But the '23, '24 and '25 drafts look much better. Bottom line is that the good he's done with the roster and the culture far outweighs the bad.

This ^^^

supafreak84 wrote:

I'm not going round and round on this, but there were better candidates based on resume, scouting acumen and overall NFL experience. The two finalists were Kwesi and a woman from Philly, who was also a VP of football operations with no scouting or actual personnel experience. So look at it through an honest lens and you tell me if there weren't other factors involved in what the Wilfs wanted in hiring their next GM after just shitcanning two old white dudes. 

None of this ultimately matters though. KAM is our guy and we'll roll with him for the foreseeable future.

Well, it looks like Kwesi is here to stay for a while whether you agree with it or not...

MaroonBells wrote:
Good move and really not one that was ever in question IMO. He hasn't been perfect (his first draft was the worst in our history). But the '23, '24 and '25 drafts look much better. Bottom line is that the good he's done with the roster and the culture far outweighs the bad.

I can get on board with that assessment, even though I think outside of his first draft being the worst in team history and Addison being an excellent player, there's not a whole lot we can say about his drafts with any certainty to this point. It's the one big area he needs to continue to improve upon and I don't believe Grigson helps in that regard.

ArizonaViking wrote:

Well, it looks like Kwesi is here to stay for a while whether you agree with it or not...

Look, I'm rooting for Kwesi. I've been a long suffering fan just like the rest of us and want to see us win one, just one, before I'm gone from this planet. I think that's the great thing about this board and fans in general, we don't always have to agree on the same path to get there, but we all want to ultimately end up at the same destination.

supafreak84 wrote:

I can get on board with that assessment, even though I think outside of his first draft being the worst in team history and Addison being an excellent player, there's not a whole lot we can say about his drafts with any certainty to this point. It's the one big area he needs to continue to improve upon and I don't believe Grigson helps in that regard.

Look, I'm rooting for Kwesi. I've been a long suffering fan just like the rest of us and want to see us win one, just one, before I'm gone from this planet. I think that's the great thing about this board and fans in general, we don't always have to agree on the same path to get there, but we all want to ultimately end up at the same destination.

I can certainly agree with that.

There was no doubt KAM would be back -- I think ownership likes the vibe of the team and his relationship with KOC.  Performance is another matter.  His drafts have been remarkably bad (sorry but I am not sure I will ever forgive him for missing the easiest layup of all time by passing on Kyle Hamilton when safety was the team's biggest need, trading back to benefit a division rival and then selecting Lewis Cine), but his free agency moves have been among the best.  Of course, free agency is a little easier when you have owners with big pockets; a salary cap savant; a player-friendly coaching staff; A+ facilities; and an offensive guru (KOC) and defensive coordinator (Flores) who make it easy to recruit.  All-in, that puts him as a below average GM, with a lot riding on Dallas Turner and JJ McCarthy, as mentioned.

I hope the "learning curve" comment is correct and he is an ascending talent -- I certainly wish him the best.

I'd have been more surprised if he'd left. I am unhappy with Grigson remaining in the org to that capacity.

Drafts have to turn-around, they just have to. Its not sustainable as is.

Hope he knocks it out of the park this contract.

purplefaithful wrote:
I'd have been more surprised if he'd left. I am unhappy with Grigson remaining in the org to that capacity.

Drafts have to turn-around, they just have to. Its not sustainable as is.

Hope he knocks it out of the park this contract.

this is exactly where I am at.  I havent thought more than a second about his contract as I never believed it was in any doubt.  I also agree though that the draft has been shit,  I understood the need last year to package for the extra first round pick to have the ammo to move up for "your guy" as the new QB,  but when they didnt need to do that,  then I question using even more picks to move up with that 2nd pick instead of letting the draft come to them, or even trading back down and recouping some of those picks.   If Turner isnt a generational type player,  I think you mark that down as failed draft move.

all thats said,  congrats to KAM and I also hope we never have to question if he gets a 3rd contract.

supafreak84 wrote:

I'm not going round and round on this, but there were better candidates based on resume, scouting acumen and overall NFL experience. The two finalists were Kwesi and a woman from Philly, who was also a VP of football operations with no scouting or actual personnel experience. So look at it through an honest lens and you tell me if there weren't other factors involved in what the Wilfs wanted in hiring their next GM after just shitcanning two old white dudes. 

None of this ultimately matters though. KAM is our guy and we'll roll with him for the foreseeable future.

Your take on people with better resumes is valid 15-20 years ago, but not today. All leagues have shifted from the typical paths they expect of GMs and coaches. No longer are people expected to cut their teeth for decades moving through the standardized route to become GM or HC. 

Everyone is moving towards analytics and younger people with fresh ideas over the old guard. People were pissed about KOC getting the job because he didn't spend 20 plus years as an assistant coach and coordinator before becoming a HC. Seemed to turn out okay.

As to your assumption that the only possible way a minority and female could be finalists is as a result of DEI. Perhaps the reality is many old whites in the NFL have little to no clue how to connect and thus manage today's players and coaches. And thus aren't getting jobs. See former HC being shit canned for total incompetence in interacting with young players as case in point. 

Wilfs have clearly established they care a great deal about winning. Find it hard to believe they'd hire a GM solely for DEI brownie points at the risk of losing while also devaluing their franchise as a result of losing. Lol it's not like they sold more tickets by hiring a minority.

This is good news, for the sake of our upward trajectory continuity.
Kwesi effectively said why it took so long...it was really on him not pushing hard to get it done, as he has been more focused on the day-to-day of his responsibilities. Plus it wasn't like it was urgent...

I think it is fair to say that we all make mistakes and that's how we grow. His 2022 draft, he has previously acknowledged he was trying to do too much and admitted that he whiffed. He's obviously learned and has not been shy about using all the roster-building tools at his disposal...the draft, free agency, UDFA, trades. And if you look at how the Wilf's have given him carte blanche to build the coaching and support staff (i.e. people now focusing on analytics and sports medicine/reducing injuries for example), I think that speaks volumes about the trust between them all.

In that business, we judge by results...if you can look at two 13-14 win seasons in your first three years on the job (sandwiched around a train wreck of QB injuries in 2023), I think the consensus here is that the combo of Kwesi and KOC is a good one.

Stability...how nice.

#Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf on GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's contract extension pic.twitter.com/JdqZVvCeMq

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) May 30, 2025

bigbone62 wrote:

Your take on people with better resumes is valid 15-20 years ago, but not today. All leagues have shifted from the typical paths they expect of GMs and coaches. No longer are people expected to cut their teeth for decades moving through the standardized route to become GM or HC. 

Everyone is moving towards analytics and younger people with fresh ideas over the old guard. People were pissed about KOC getting the job because he didn't spend 20 plus years as an assistant coach and coordinator before becoming a HC. Seemed to turn out okay.

As to your assumption that the only possible way a minority and female could be finalists is as a result of DEI. Perhaps the reality is many old whites in the NFL have little to no clue how to connect and thus manage today's players and coaches. And thus aren't getting jobs. See former HC being shit canned for total incompetence in interacting with young players as case in point. 

Wilfs have clearly established they care a great deal about winning. Find it hard to believe they'd hire a GM solely for DEI brownie points at the risk of losing while also devaluing their franchise as a result of losing. Lol it's not like they sold more tickets by hiring a minority.

I still firmly believe the main job of a GM is to identify young talent and draft well to replenish the lifeblood of a roster. You can't keep signing 30+ year old vets to big contracts in free agency every offseason to cover your ineffectiveness of drafting players. That's where scouting comes in and having actual experience in personnel and roster building. Kwesi was able to survive the catastrophe of his first draft and his lackluster draft results thusfar because this was a good roster to begin with and Spielman left him with a lot of building blocks that are still the core of this team. So I don't believe that off the cuff hires who specialize in analytics or stock trading are taking the NFL by storm. Most GM hires are still rooted in scouting or having actual experience playing the game (former players).

I don't recall anybody being pissed by the KOC hire for anything other than the fact that he was chosen as coach over Harbaugh. Whether that was the right move or not remains to be seen. Winning a playoff game sure would go a long ways in helping KOC's cause. 

And that wasn't my assumption with DEI. I could care less about skin color, gender or sexual preference as long as you know what you are doing. We took two finalists that weren't scouts, personnel folks, or played the game themselves and lets not forget at the time we were fresh off George Floyd in Minneapolis and the choice was always going to be a minority or female after canning Spielman and Zimmer. It's what the league and Roger Goodell were pushing and the Wilfs (being progressives themselves) were happy to oblige. We interviewed current Raider GM John Spytek for the job, who's resume dwarfed that of either of our finalists, and the guy didn't even get a second interview. Why would that be? I think even Stevie Wonder could see and connect those dots. Regardless we are all cheering for Kwesi to get this team a championship.