EAGAN, Minn. — Throughout the first two years of Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s tenure as the Minnesota Vikings’ general manager, reporters peppered him about quarterback Kirk Cousins.
What do you think of him? Can you win a Super Bowl with him? Do you want to keep him around?
Adofo-Mensah often responded indirectly. He would say that quarterbacks needed to rise above a particular threshold for a team to win a Super Bowl — and that Cousins reached that threshold.
But he would often add a footnote. Meeting the threshold in terms of ability is only half the battle. A team-builder also must account for how the quarterback’s contract affects the resources at your disposal to surround the quarterback with more talent.
The general manager essentially offered up an equation for success in today’s NFL: level of quarterback plus number/quality of additional assets (rostered players, draft capital and cap space) equals your team’s potential. Put Patrick Mahomes at quarterback, and you don’t need such exceptional skill players. With Brock Purdy at quarterback, though, the surrounding cast better be darned good.
“I know we talk about quarterback a lot, and it is the most important position in our sport,” Adofo-Mensah said Thursday in his pre-NFL Draft news conference at TCO Performance Center. “But it’s the most important position in a team sport. It’s not just about getting the quarterback right. It’s getting the quarterback right and the team around it.”
Thought Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made interesting comment about visits w/ QBs: “We saw a lot of great leaders, and none of them are the same. And that’s OK. You can be the quiet leader. You can be the fiery leader. You can be the lead-by-example guy. It doesn’t matter.”
— Alec Lewis (@alec_lewis) April 11, 2024
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In many ways, this equation is the thematic throughline of the Vikings’ offseason. Team officials did not feel Cousins’ value (relative to his cost) provided them with enough extra wiggle room to build the best roster around him. Had they drafted better in recent years — both before and after Adofo-Mensah arrived — the story might have been different. In the end, the Atlanta Falcons offered more guaranteed money than the Vikings were willing to pay, so both sides moved on.
Decreasing costs at quarterback gave Minnesota flexibility that it used on several free-agent defenders and running back Aaron Jones. The Vikings brass is hopeful Sam Darnold finds more success in the most optimal situation he’s been in as an NFL starter. But they also know that if he produces, he’ll cost more, whereas a rookie quarterback offers the most flexibility for multiple seasons.
That’s why they have fixated on quarterbacks during this draft cycle. That’s why Adofo-Mensah, head coach Kevin O’Connell, quarterbacks coach Josh McCown, assistant quarterbacks coach Grant Udinski and other team personnel have spent the last few weeks crisscrossing the country and spending time with prospects like Drake Maye, Michael Penix Jr., J.J. McCarthy and Bo Nix.
This time of year, it’s conceivable that teams are simply trying to throw opponents off their draft scent, to keep their strategy hidden. On Thursday, though, Adofo-Mensah made it clear the team would feel comfortable adding one of the top quarterback prospects.
“We’ve felt that way for a long time,” Adofo-Mensah said.
Why? It goes back to the equation.
Liking a quarterback you see as transcendent is obvious; if he can overcome a challenging context (a la Mahomes), he’s close to a no-brainer no matter how many present and future first-round picks you’re trading to get him. Liking a quarterback you feel can be a solid starter is a viable option, too. If he can execute consistently and you’re not giving up your top assets to land him, you’ll likely have enough draft capital and cap space to plug other holes.
“There are multiple guys we are in love with on an outright basis,” Adofo-Mensah said. “If a guy has less ability but we have assets to get somebody who is not going to put us in that situation (of having to overcome a challenging context), those things add up, too.”
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It may seem intuitive, but the Vikings’ evaluation of each quarterback is linked to the number of first-round picks they feel they need to round out their roster. Cap space is an exceptional tool, and there is a reason Adofo-Mensah, executive vice president Rob Brzezinski and manager of football administration Emily Badis have been hard at work creating room over the years.
Rarely, though, do star players hit free agency. Acquiring high-end talent through trades happens infrequently, as well. The draft is the best pond to fish in for impact players, and longtime NFL general manager Bill Polian told me recently that he felt a team needed 12 “A-level” players to win a Super Bowl. Exchange this year’s first-rounders and the 2025 first for a quarterback, and the Vikings will be without another first- or second-round pick until 2026.
Is there enough extra draft capital to supplement the team’s current “A-level” players (Justin Jefferson, Christian Darrisaw, Brian O’Neill, Jordan Addison, potentially Jonathan Greenard)? The number of positional needs might be why Adofo-Mensah is speaking truthfully about the team needing to be flexible and not simply using Thursday’s public comments as a diversion strategy.
Trading up to No. 23 was an action that aligns with this approach. Sure, the move enhanced a potential offer for a team seeking premium picks for this year’s draft. It also spoke for Adofo-Mensah: We now have insurance if we can’t trade up.
That’s not to say he thinks a trade up is irrational. He admitted Thursday that “just because something is risky doesn’t mean you have to stay away from it.” It’s just a matter of whether or not he can stay disciplined in an environment where other teams (like the New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders or Denver Broncos) might be thinking less rationally.
If anything, Adofo-Mensah’s history says he can, especially if the potential move doesn’t maximize the overall equation. You don’t have to drift too far for a data point. The Vikings liked Cousins, but they didn’t like what that amount of money meant for their chances of building a roster that could win a Super Bowl. And that, above all, won out in the end.
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(Photo: Bruce Kluckhohn / Associated Press)
