mansquatch wrote: ↑Tue Jan 15, 2019 11:02 amI do not buy into the criticisms about power struggle and supposed questions of "who is in charge?"
It clearly became an issue in 2016.
They had success in 2017 with Saparno in a similar role under Pat Shurmer. Stefanski was part of that staff as well, so he has seen how this model can successfully function.
Different model. As you pointed out, Sparano was working under Shurmur as the offensive line coach, he wasn't in a position of authority over the OC. I'm not saying there
will be problems but there are obviously potential pitfalls with this kind of structure. It might work great. It might be a problem. A lot will depend on the people involved. How well will Stefanski handle the playcalling? Will everybody be able to get (and stay) on the same page?
Frankly, I think having a guy like Kubiak in the room makes a lot of sense. Stefanski has had the majority of his career with the Vikings. Kubiak brings a level of experience that would otherwise be lacking on the offensive side of things. That is big advantage to a guy like Stefanski who while likely competent, can't match the experience someone like Kubiak brings to the table.
The experience IS helpful but the inexperienced coach will likely be calling the plays while the experienced guy will be his supervisor. I think potential for conflict is built into that equation but that doesn't mean it will materialize. I just view it as a legitimate consideration. Some conflict can even be constructive but Stefanski will be serving two masters and that can be difficult.
Also, they had intended for Sparano to serve this function under DeFelippo and he would have had he not passed away. If not for that unfortunate event, the Viking would be going into their 4th season of this model under Zimmer.
Since Zimmer's Vikings teams aren't known for their offensive success, I'm not sure we should find that reassuring.
This might work out great. I like the hire. I'm not sure about the structure. As we always say, time will tell. In the end, I think success or failure probably still depends on whether there's an overarching, shared vision for the offense that comes from the top (Spielman and Zimmer) and is carried through everything from the offensive coaching to the personnel decisions, game-planning and playcalling.