I think McKay or Teasley are no more of a sure thing than Brez. Maybe Snead and Schneider made all the decisions and the two Asst GMs were spectators.

JustInTime wrote:

I think McKay or Teasley are no more of a sure thing than Brez. Maybe Snead and Schneider made all the decisions and the two Asst GMs were spectators.

Dan Levy makes me lol - more than his dad.

Gotta watch Big Mistake with him in it if you can - worthy summertime watch.

purplefaithful wrote:

Dan Levy makes me lol - more than his dad.
Gotta watch Big Mistake with him in it if you can - worthy summertime watch.

Enjoyed that thoroughly.

Regarding Brzez, I just don't know after the Kwesi experiment how they could hire a guy as GM who doesn't have a scouting background. We've seen those results the last four years and it was not good, but I know this is the Wilfs we are talking about. Brzez is one of the best at what he does with numbers and contracts, but these other candidates are vastly superior when it comes to scouting and player evaluation. It's why I've said there is almost zero chance Brzez would be the recommended candidate by the search firm compared to the other candidates, and if he was the pick, it should raise some eyebrows. I just don't know how it's not Teasley or McKay at this point. They check all the boxes

supafreak84 wrote:

Regarding Brzez, I just don't know after the Kwesi experiment how they could hire a guy as GM who doesn't have a scouting background. We've seen those results the last four years and it was not good, but I know this is the Wilfs we are talking about. Brzez is one of the best at what he does with numbers and contracts, but these other candidates are vastly superior when it comes to scouting and player evaluation. It's why I've said there is almost zero chance Brzez would be the recommended candidate by the search firm compared to the other candidates, and if he was the pick, it should raise some eyebrows. I just don't know how it's not Teasley or McKay at this point. They check all the boxes

Not that I disagree but imo the Wilfs priorities are more about a friendly front office committee environment. They need a guy who fits in, doesn't rock the boat and does what O'Connell wants.

Watching them stumble around the hiring process for 21 years tells me this is probably just all a show after which they'll rubber stamp Brez. But I'd be happy to see them hire any one of the guys they've interviewed.

Who do you want to model the team after Rams, Seahawks or create a new direction based on building the team through the drafts. I am good with any of the three. I like Gray the most because of his experience in developing a great scouting organization. Brez and Burchardt are too close to status quo and comfort with current direction. Rams are the classic competitive rebuild team, they found their QB and are managing to keep the window open, Seahawk's the same just to a lesser degree.

supafreak84 wrote:

Lol quite a theory by whoever this guy is, but if anybody thinks Kevin OConnell hasn't been massively involved in every quarterback decision since he's been here...you are a putz. If you think OConnell has just been some poor timid mouse in the corner who's voice and opinions weren't being heard the entire time...you are a putz.
This from an article on the teams web page prior to the 2024 draft;
"I think a lot of people who were involved in that process would tell you this was something new to all of them, and I would add myself in that regard," Adofo-Mensah said. "Since we got here, Kevin's really been adamant about, when you select a quarterback, it's about — it's a marriage. It's that serious, and that level of commitment and work that should go into it. And so, some of my thoughts, the things I've talked about with interviewing and different things like that, and maybe how we measure and process things, those are kind of some of my inputs," Adofo-Mensah said. "But Kevin's been really a big driver of this process, and having completed it, I completely see why, and it's been a great value."
Let's also not forget that OConnell, along with Kwesi, signed up for the "competitive rebuild" which was always centered around drafting a franchise quarterback and building around that quarterback while he was on his rookie contract. Waaaah!!! So they couldn't trade up for Drake Maye when everybody knew it wasnt happening, well, you didn't have to draft McCarthy. Could have drafted Bo Nix instead, but if you think OConnell didn't 100% give McCarthy the "whisperer" stamp of approval, once again...you are a putz. He's never (and I mean never) developed a young quarterback. I still think McCarthy can be a really good player, maybe not for the "whisperer," but for somebody.

Personally not a big Dustin Baker fan and I don't think all the post-KAM narratives are much more than a weak attempt to smear him on the way out and prop up Kevin's reputation. I guess various "Kevin is our hero" narratives are comforting.

He came out shortly after the firing to announce that he and Kwesi were "still friends"(Kwesi didn't reciprocate). It just sorta reeked of phoniness and/or a guilty conscience imo.

I think the simple answer is KAM was gonna have the team ride the JJM pick into 2026, which put him at odds with Kevin, who then engineered KAM's weirdly timed surprise departure, banking on all the cache he's built with ownership to make that move and go get himself Kyler Murray.

It's weirdly incongruous to me that so many people hated KAM, and yet he imo would have likely delivered what so many are now angry about not getting, aka another year of JJM as QB1. But of course he would have probably delivered more bad drafts and trades, so I can't say I miss him.

"Few would be surprised if Brzezinski ultimately lands the job, but sources have said they can't imagine a Vikings organization without him in it."@jjones9 with some additional intel from sources on the Vikings GM situation. https://t.co/zsigw4G0ij pic.twitter.com/kTy6qsYSGJ

— The Purple Persuasion (@TPPSkol) May 21, 2026

StickierBuns wrote:

https://x.com/TPPSkol/status/2057492057858384161

He's only 56 years old, so probably wants to work a while longer...

It would be more surprising if Brez isnt somehow part of the org going forward than on the street looking for work.

I don’t think Darnold had anything to do with Kwesi getting fired.  I think it’s purely a Flores thing.  Flores said, “You can keep Kwesi or you can resign me”.  Kwesi was our GM well past the point in time when GMs were getting fired and new ones hired.  Then Flores came in the office to renegotiate an extension.  Then Kwesi got fired a week later.

I just don’t believe that there’s any reality where KOC wasn’t in charge of the QB decision.  The idea that Kwesi singlehandedly got rid of several quality QB options and forced KOC to go with the one option he knowingly knew was bad, is a subpar conspiracy theory.  The Vikings clearly liked KOC better than Kwesi.  He got a contract extension immediately, whereas the Vikings eventually ended up handing one to Kwesi much later in the process after all the QBs were given away and the decision was made to go with JJM.  If KOC was big mad at Kwesi for how he handled the QB situation, he could have easily forced Kwesi out at that point in time, they could have still gotten Rodgers, but instead the team gave him an extension.

I think the most likely scenario is that the team really liked JJM and actually believed he was the right QB for the job, but it just didn’t play out like they imagined it was going to play out.

Why did Flores want Kwesi gone?  I don’t have a good answer for that.  Probably was planning on drafting TE/C with the first two picks. 😊

According to Alec Lewis, Brzez is the "clear favorite" to become the next GM, or taking on a higher up position within the organization like President of Football Operations.

I'm all for Brzez taking the higher up job, but not the GM spot. Oy vey...

supafreak84 wrote:

According to Alec Lewis, Brzez is the "clear favorite" to become the next GM, or taking on a higher up position within the organization like President of Football Operations.
I'm all for Brzez taking the higher up job, but not the GM spot. Oy vey...

i think you are getting hung up on titles.... who gives a shit what it says on his door? traditional roles get redefined all the time, GM vs Head of Football operations... could be the same damn thing, could be completely different, IMO the GM should be the head of football operations, and the guys that are running the scouting departments should be focusing on working with the coaches to define the kind of players the coaches want, but still be gathering information on special players that should garner consideration, not sure why that needs to be a GM role other than a person for the head of scouting to answer to, but even then the coaching staff needs to be the ones identifying areas of weakness and needs, and prioritizing those needs.

I think they had a decent draft this year with whatever they had pulling it together, to much angst over a title.

JimmyinSD wrote:

i think you are getting hung up on titles.... who gives a shit what it says on his door? traditional roles get redefined all the time, GM vs Head of Football operations... could be the same damn thing, could be completely different, IMO the GM should be the head of football operations, and the guys that are running the scouting departments should be focusing on working with the coaches to define the kind of players the coaches want, but still be gathering information on special players that should garner consideration, not sure why that needs to be a GM role other than a person for the head of scouting to answer to, but even then the coaching staff needs to be the ones identifying areas of weakness and needs, and prioritizing those needs.
I think they had a decent draft this year with whatever they had pulling it together, to much angst over a title.

I just want a guy with a scouting background and prior experience to be the GM and run the drafts. Is that really too much to ask?

supafreak84 wrote:

According to Alec Lewis, Brzez is the "clear favorite" to become the next GM, or taking on a higher up position within the organization like President of Football Operations.
I'm all for Brzez taking the higher up job, but not the GM spot. Oy vey...

I'm probably in your camp, but not to the "oy vey" level if Brzez is made GM. I would prefer (slightly) a GM with a scouting background, but I don't think that is mandatory. Jesus, I could do 4 rounds of a draft without much help from a scouting department. Judgment matters as much as the ability to spot talent and fit. Would anyone here have passed on Kyle Hamilton? That was poor judgment. The Vikings will have a scouting department regardless of the GM.

I also don't want a GM who is friends with the players. Let the coaches have that relationship and let them blame the GM when it's time to move on from a player or to cut his salary. Brzez is a salary cap/finance/contracts expert - the business side of the team. I hope we don't that. Maybe we already have.

medaille wrote:

I don’t think Darnold had anything to do with Kwesi getting fired.  I think it’s purely a Flores thing.  Flores said, “You can keep Kwesi or you can resign me”.  Kwesi was our GM well past the point in time when GMs were getting fired and new ones hired.  Then Flores came in the office to renegotiate an extension.  Then Kwesi got fired a week later.

That is not possible as the great activist Flores would never do that 😂

Everyone got a take...

====================================

The Vikings’ GM search should end with Rob Brzezinski being hired ... and someone else

Putting Brzezinski in charge of an incoming general manager who is a personnel guru would strengthen the Vikings front office.

To paraphrase a great sports philosopher, the Vikings have come to a fork in the road, and they should take it.

The Vikings are searching for a new GM, as they continue to search for their first Super Bowl victory, and first Super Bowl appearance since the first Star Wars movie came out.

The question the Wilfs are asking themselves is this:

Should they stick with longtime executive Rob Brzezinski, who ran football operations this offseason, or hire an assistant general manager from another team?

That’s not what they should be asking.

They should be asking, “Why not both?”

Getting back to the Super Bowl should be a spare-no-expenses enterprise. If the Vikings hire an assistant general manager from another team, they are gambling that they chose the right one, and that hire will work well within the current organization, and won’t require a learning curve.

The last person in this role, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, admitted that he blew his first draft by trying to be too clever. Anyone the Vikings hire to be a first-time general manager could make the same mistake.

We don’t know how the draft Brzezinski conducted in April will turn out, but there’s no doubt he was a consensus builder who used the expertise of the best brains in the Vikings’ building. He could do the same with a new general manager.

Brzezinski not only is excellent with the salary cap, he has been a valued administrator who has learned the football side of the business. And I can attest from my conversations with him over the years that his life goal is to help the Vikings win the big one.

Mark Wilf is the team president. Brzezinski is the team’s executive vice president of football operations, in charge of the salary cap and contracts.

The Wilfs would only need to tweak Brzezinski’s title (and give him a raise). They could simply expand his duties to actually running football operations. The incoming hire could be the general manager, and report directly to Brzezinski.

Brzezinski’s only flaw as a candidate is that he’s not a true personnel guru. Putting him in charge of an incoming general manager who is a personnel guru would strengthen the Vikings front office by combining Brzezinski’s organizational expertise with the new hire’s football expertise.

Yogi Berra was a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees. The king of malapropisms, Berra reputedly once said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.”

STRIB

Another article suggesting something Mark Wilf has already said won’t happen.

When will you fellas realize you can't fight the Triangle of Authority. Not to mention the Rhombus of Reason. 😃

The Wilf's love their little catch phrases, first it was "competitive rebuild" now with the GM search it is "consensus builder". Brzezinski has been the team’s executive vice president of football operations for like the last 20 years or so, can anybody tell me in that time what the Vikings have won? Why are they so concerned with possibly hurting his feelings if he doesn't get the GM job? Maybe they think he will just roll over and agree with what ever KOC or Flores want and not rock the Viking ship.

medaille wrote:

I don’t think Darnold had anything to do with Kwesi getting fired.  I think it’s purely a Flores thing.  Flores said, “You can keep Kwesi or you can resign me”.  Kwesi was our GM well past the point in time when GMs were getting fired and new ones hired.  Then Flores came in the office to renegotiate an extension.  Then Kwesi got fired a week later.
I just don’t believe that there’s any reality where KOC wasn’t in charge of the QB decision.  The idea that Kwesi singlehandedly got rid of several quality QB options and forced KOC to go with the one option he knowingly knew was bad, is a subpar conspiracy theory.  The Vikings clearly liked KOC better than Kwesi.  He got a contract extension immediately, whereas the Vikings eventually ended up handing one to Kwesi much later in the process after all the QBs were given away and the decision was made to go with JJM.  If KOC was big mad at Kwesi for how he handled the QB situation, he could have easily forced Kwesi out at that point in time, they could have still gotten Rodgers, but instead the team gave him an extension.
I think the most likely scenario is that the team really liked JJM and actually believed he was the right QB for the job, but it just didn’t play out like they imagined it was going to play out.
Why did Flores want Kwesi gone?  I don’t have a good answer for that.  Probably was planning on drafting TE/C with the first two picks. 😊

I'm telling you that you are wrong.