Latest news with #Adofo-Mensah
Fox Sports
3 days ago
- Business
- Fox Sports
Vikings sign GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to multi-year extension after 14-win season
The Minnesota Vikings signed general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to a multi-year contract extension on Friday, keeping his status in sync with head coach Kevin O'Connell's for the long term. O'Connell's extension was done in January, following a 14-win season. Both Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell were hired in 2022 on four-year deals. The length of their new contracts was not released by the Vikings, who are 34-17 in the regular season since they arrived. They're 0-2 in the playoffs. "Kwesi's leadership, vision and collaboration with our coaching staff has positioned the Minnesota Vikings for sustained success," owner and president Mark Wilf said in a statement distributed by the team. "His dedication and forward-thinking approach have been instrumental in shaping our roster and future, and we are confident that under the guidance of him and Kevin O'Connell, we will continue to compete at the highest level as we pursue a championship for Vikings fans." The 43-year-old Adofo-Mensah, who has economics degrees from Princeton and Stanford and started his first career on Wall Street as a commodities trader and portfolio manager, entered the NFL in 2013 with the San Francisco 49ers as a research and development specialist. He was hired in 2020 as a vice president of football operations for the Cleveland Browns, before taking the job with the Vikings. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Football League Minnesota Vikings recommended Get more from National Football League Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
NBC Sports
3 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Vikings extend contract of G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah
First, it was coach Kevin O'Connell. Now, Vikings G.M. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has received his reward for three solid seasons on the job. NFL Media reports that the Vikings have signed Adofo-Mensah to a 'multiyear contract extension.' That tells us the bare minimum. It's at least two years on top of the one year he had remaining on his contract. Is his contract aligned with O'Connell's? We don't know now, and may never know. The delay between O'Connell and Adofo-Mensah getting their respective deals is likely meaningless. For O'Connell, who reportedly was drawing interest from teams looking for coaches, there was an urgency to get his deal done before he entered a contract year. Adofo-Mensah had not been linked to any other franchise, giving the team the luxury of time. The Vikings have made it to the playoffs in two of Adofo-Mensah's three seasons. The next step is to win a playoff game — something they haven't done since the 2019 season. The ultimate goal is to get back to a Super Bowl, obviously. Since last making it in 1976, Minnesota is 0-6 in the NFC Championship. Whether that happens hinges heavily on whether 2024 firs-rounder J.J. McCarthy becomes the first true franchise quarterback the Vikings have had since Daunte Culpepper and, before that, Fran Tarkenton.
New York Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why the 2025 NFL Draft is Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's chance to shine
EAGAN, Minn. — How do you make the best decisions? Which information is important, and which isn't? Can you tilt the scales in such a way that leads you to the best answer? These are the types of questions that have consumed Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's professional life. Long before he was the Minnesota Vikings' general manager, he traded commodities on Wall Street. The job revolved around forecasting. He sifted through hundreds of thousands of data points relating to energy and natural gas, tried to whittle away the noise from the signal and placed bets on the future. Advertisement Some of them hit. Others missed. The results mattered to his bosses and larger companies, but so did his ability to understand the reasons behind the successes and failures. It's not wildly different today. Adofo-Mensah must analyze every morsel of information about the NFL Draft — not just the numbers, but also the relevant opinions provided by coaches and evaluators with years of expertise — and make informed choices. Some will pan out. Others won't. The judging happens immediately. Thursday night will present more of these opportunities. Adofo-Mensah will lead the Vikings' charge for the fourth time amid interesting circumstances. It's not just that Minnesota only has four picks, but Adofo-Mensah is also the rare general manager entering the final season of his initial contract without an extension. Neither Adofo-Mensah nor Vikings owner Mark Wilf raised eyebrows in recent months when asked about the potential for a new deal. Adofo-Mensah said he wasn't worrying about it, while Wilf described conversations with Adofo-Mensah's representatives as 'very, very positive.' Until they come to terms, though, the situation is worth eyeing. Are the Vikings willing to extend Adofo-Mensah for the same length as they did head coach Kevin O'Connell? If not, would Adofo-Mensah be willing to accept a discrepant timeline? Adofo-Mensah dismissed the idea that he'd operate differently in his role without being secured for the future, but will uncertainty naturally affect Minnesota's attempt at sustaining competitiveness for the long term? These questions are both cumbersome and potentially franchise-altering. That they're all still prevalent as the team prepares for the draft — its final chance this offseason at dramatically strengthening the roster — is fascinating. Because if there's an obvious blemish on Adofo-Mensah's resume, it's this particular acquisition channel. Adofo-Mensah has drafted 23 players since he got the job in 2022. Twelve remain on the roster. Jordan Addison, Jalen Nailor and Will Reichard are the only proven starters. Comparing classes to those of other teams isn't a totally fair apples-to-apples assessment, but the Detroit Lions, for example, have eight proven starters from their selections over that same period. Advertisement The Vikings-Lions contrast is worthwhile because it highlights some important aspects of Adofo-Mensah as a decision-maker. He, unlike Lions general manager Brad Holmes, did not rise through the NFL ranks as a scout. In San Francisco, he built simulations for the 49ers to assess which player qualities are most predictive of future success. In Cleveland, he pored through potential free agents, stacking the best fits for the Browns' scheme. Before the Lions hired Holmes, his sole job was to assess college talent as the Los Angeles Rams' director of college scouting. This is not to absolve Adofo-Mensah of the Vikings' misses, nor is it to say he's satisfied with the previous outcomes. 'I'm pretty tough on myself,' Adofo-Mensah said last week. 'We all have that little voice that says we're good enough, and I'm not scared of questioning that voice every now and again.' Live: GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) April 17, 2025 As part of his self-assessment, Adofo-Mensah has chided himself for shooting for the moon during his first go at the draft. He was clear-eyed in his approach. He viewed the salary-cap situation in 2022 as a major constraint and believed that if he could double the amount of premium picks, Minnesota could throw more darts at positions of need (safety, interior offensive line, linebacker and cornerback). It's an arguable process in theory, but then you add in the layer of trading back 20 spots within the NFC North. And the lack of shared experience with O'Connell and defensive coordinator Ed Donatell. And the emphasis on athleticism instead of aptitude. The end product became a further depleted roster and a steeper hill to climb. Savvy additions and stellar coaching have saved Minnesota in the last couple of years. The Vikings scooped Theo Jackson from the scrap heap. Linebacker Ivan Pace Jr. fell into their lap. Who knows how the 2024 season would have shaped up if not for the synergy between the personnel staff's visions for and the coaching staff's usage of players like Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel and Blake Cashman. Advertisement Presiding over this success is a feather in Adofo-Mensah's cap. He also deserves credit for shepherding the Vikings' shift in how they view the optimal road to team-building: drafting a rookie quarterback and building around that contract. Adofo-Mensah embraced that change. And even though quarterback J.J. McCarthy tore his meniscus last year, the Vikings benefited with a 14-win season behind Sam Darnold. Another free-agent flurry this spring provides optimism for 2025, but the veteran-laden roster must be supplemented by impactful young talent. The amount of draft capital traded for edge rusher Dallas Turner creates monstrous expectations for this fall. The four picks used over the next few days won't be a referendum on Adofo-Mensah's drafting ability, but instant production would help quell the skepticism out there. Adofo-Mensah has learned by now that this is all part of the job. Criticism comes when there are high expectations, and high expectations exist when people care. What he knows to do amid it all is the same thing he knew to do when the natural gas market unexpectedly turned upside down. He'll review the information he had at the time he made the decision. He'll parse what he missed and what was out of his control. He'll move forward, then make another choice. And another. And another.
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
At some point Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to make a splash
At some point Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has to make a splash The 2025 NFL Draft will be one of the most pivotal of the Kwesi Adofo-Mensah era. It's easy to say this is the most important draft, as the Minnesota Vikings entered last year's draft needing to come away with a quarterback. However, for his future, Adofo-Mensah needs to find a player who not only helps the future of the Vikings but also contributes to the 2025 team. Adofo-Mensah's first three drafts have been underwhelming so far, even when taking circumstances into context. He traded down 20 spots in 2022, selecting safety Lewis Cine at pick 32. Cine never threatened to crack the starting lineup in camp, and he suffered a gruesome leg injury that ended his rookie season. The next three picks in that draft were underwhelming, too. Cornerback Andrew Booth played sparingly and never appeared comfortable when he did see the field. Guard Ed Ingram struggled mightily in pass protection before finally being benched midway through the 2024 season. And linebacker Brian Asamoah never materialized into the every-down starter the team envisioned when they drafted him. Some of this could be attributed to the defenders being drafted into former defensive coordinator Ed Donatell's scheme. He was fired after the Vikings allowed the second-most yards in the league in 2022. Although Brian Flores was a significant upgrade, Cine, Booth, and Asamoah were at a disadvantage due to being poor scheme fits. The 2023 class showed more immediate results as Jordan Addison caught 70 passes for 911 yards and 10 touchdowns. Third-round cornerback Mekhi Blackmon showed promise, and the Vikings were hoping he could become a full-time starter in 2024. Although Addison was excellent again in 2024, Blackmon's season ended on the first day of training camp. He tore his ACL, muddying his future. The Vikings could look for him to fight for a starting spot again, but Blackmon joined the 2022 draft class as another Adofo-Mensah product who couldn't see the field. The 2024 class is tougher to gauge. A meniscus injury ended J.J. McCarthy's season after one preseason game. EDGE rusher Dallas Turner, the 17th overall pick in the draft, only registered three sacks. But he was stuck behind Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel, who both made the Pro Bowl. Perhaps Adofo-Mensah would have been given more grace for McCarthy and Turner's lack of playing time had the Vikings seen more production from their previous two rookie classes. Even if Sam Darnold made the Pro Bowl in McCarthy's absence, the success of fellow rookie quarterbacks like Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix left fans wondering, "What if?" Even the success of LA Rams EDGE rusher Jared Verse helped add salt to the wound on Turner. It should be noted that Verse is two years older than Turner, so he was more of a finished product coming out of college. But in a world where fans want gaudy stats and highlight-reel plays, it's hard to be patient in the present while awaiting what could be a better payoff in the future. Whether fair or not, that puts immense pressure on Adofo-Mensah in next week's draft. Due to circumstances in and out of his control, the Vikings haven't gotten much production from his draft classes. That means spending a lot of money in free agency to address needs that former draft picks were expected to fill. Perception is reality, and even if Adofo-Mensah's unconventional method to roster construction has gotten the Vikings out of salary cap hell, he still needs to show he can deliver in the NFL's biggest offseason event. Kevin O'Connell got a contract extension after the 2024 season, but Adofo-Mensah, who helped hire O'Connell, still hasn't received his. That means he has to deliver next week, find value, and come away with at least one Day 1 starter. Strong springs and summers from McCarthy and Turner would help, too, but would that be enough for Adofo-Mensah to receive an extension if he once again has draft picks sitting on the bench? The Vikings only have four picks in the 2025 NFL Draft. Does Adofo-Mensah treat them like he would with any other draft? Or does the pressure to prove he can be a competent drafter force him to act out of character, desperately maneuvering the draft board? We should have more clarity after the draft. Right or wrong, Adofo-Mensah's future may depend more on it than the Vikings'.
New York Times
08-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What can the Vikings get in trade for No. 24 pick in NFL draft? Here's what history shows
Twenty minutes into his early morning media session last week at the NFL league meeting in Palm Beach, Fla., Kevin O'Connell smirked. The Minnesota Vikings head coach had been talking about his team's plan at left guard. He left the door open for a potential newcomer via the NFL Draft, but that wasn't what spurred the wry smile. Instead, it surfaced during an acknowledgement of what Minnesota is working with in late April: four draft picks, only one of which is in the first two rounds. Advertisement No team possesses less pick value for 2025 than the Vikings, according to Over the Cap's Fitzgerald-Spielberger draft chart. How Minnesota got to this point is one conversation, but how the front office will navigate these circumstances is the more relevant one. Trading back in the first round is the most obvious path forward, but that doesn't mean it's a foolproof strategy. Think back to 2022, if you can stomach it. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah exchanged two top-50 picks for three top-70 picks. It doesn't help that Lewis Cine, Andrew Booth Jr. and Ed Ingram are no longer on the roster, but even Adofo-Mensah has said, in hindsight, he would have sought more value. This history is informative for the present. Because the Vikings are emerging from a bountiful free-agency period, they don't have many obvious needs. That should allow for more discipline and flexibility. In Palm Beach, O'Connell was not shy about his belief that the Vikings must generate value from the 2025 draft class, regardless of the pick allotment. That said, given all the factors — which include the widely held belief that this draft class has only a handful of elite prospects — it feels appropriate to explore what the Vikings could net with a trade back from No. 24. "A lot of boxes got checked in a really positive way." Head Coach Kevin O'Connell chatted with @TomPelissero this morning at the NFL Annual Meeting about what the #Vikings accomplished in free agency. 📺: — Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) March 31, 2025 The Dallas Cowboys traded the No. 24 pick in last year's draft. The Detroit Lions wanted to move up for cornerback Terrion Arnold, so the teams struck a deal. Dropping five spots to No. 29 meant picking up an extra third-rounder. This was an obvious win for Dallas via multiple trade charts, with many surmising that the Cowboys had created an additional mid-round pick in value. Advertisement This is typically the case with first-round trades in the 20s. Eleven teams have made similar moves down in the last five years. Most involve a surplus of a third- or fourth-round pick. Adofo-Mensah has discussed studying draft data and how the probabilities of hitting on players change depending on where you're taking them. 'Every time you go back,' Adofo-Mensah said at the 2023 combine, 'you lose the odds of drafting (a certain caliber of elite player). Now, what do you gain? You gain volume by drafting good players who potentially have a lower chance of being great. It's just the trade-off.' Minnesota's approach in 2022 signaled that the team was OK with that trade-off. But in 2024, the Vikings reversed course by trading up for edge rusher Dallas Turner. The team that agreed to the deal? The Jacksonville Jaguars, another franchise that has frequently been willing to move down. The Jaguars traded back twice in 2022. Moving from No. 24 to No. 27 returned an extra fourth-rounder, fifth-rounder and seventh-rounder. The Baltimore Ravens fell a couple of spots in 2022 and landed a fourth-rounder. You might remember former Vikings general manager Rick Spielman trading the No. 25 pick in 2020 to the San Francisco 49ers for No. 31, a fourth-rounder and a sixth-rounder. What types of packages can a team find if it is willing to exchange a late first-round pick for an early second-rounder? The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville went this route in 2022, but neither scooped a notable package. One of the most interesting trades down in recent memory happened in 2020 when the New England Patriots parted with No. 23 for the Los Angeles Chargers' Nos. 37 and 71. Those picks became safety Kyle Dugger and defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike. This gets at maybe the most relevant facet of any potential move. That year, the only safety picked between No. 23 and No. 37 was Xavier McKinney. The Patriots, aware enough of what positions most teams preferred, knew they could end up with a player they liked at that next spot. Advertisement That's the Vikings' challenge: scavenging for information about what the teams picking behind them need and identifying areas of the draft where they can find likable players at positions they covet. 'Every draft, you kind of look at the top, the middle and the bottom and see where you want to be on the board,' Adofo-Mensah said several years ago. 'There is no exact science.' The Buffalo Bills and Kansas City Chiefs are the first teams worth mentioning. They made a deal with each other in the first round last year, with Kansas City ascending to grab receiver Xavier Worthy. In the previous two drafts, Buffalo rose a couple of spots to take a prospect who intrigued it. Buffalo has 10 picks in the 2025 draft, including two fourth-rounders and three fifth-rounders. Kansas City, meanwhile, has two third-rounders. Both are picking at the back of the first round, so any potential deal would likely involve an extra third-rounder at minimum. With the Chiefs, the Vikings would also have to guard against the prospects the Chiefs could be coveting. Kansas City needs offensive line help. The Houston Texans, who are picking at No. 25, do, too. Fall back six or seven spots, and Minnesota could miss out on one of its targeted offensive linemen. If the Vikings are willing to go further against the historical grain, it's also worth keeping tabs on the Cleveland Browns (No. 33), New York Giants (No. 34) and Las Vegas Raiders (No. 37). All three could be in the market for a quarterback. They could take one with their first-round selections in the top 10 or creep back into the first round to secure a fifth-year option on one of the quarterback prospects. Cleveland, New York and Las Vegas have late third-round picks and early fourth-rounders. Would the Vikings be willing to drop approximately 10 spots for two extra mid-round picks? Or would they be more apt to stay at No. 24 and draft a more enticing player? The answers to these questions might dictate their plans on draft night. (Photo of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah: Stacy Revere / Getty Images)
