A new GM on the horizon

[Pondering Her Percy]

The New York Giants are the first to fill their GM vacancy with Schoen from Buffalo. Which is good because that still leaves Poles and Spytek out there who are my two top candidates. I'm guessing this decision is going to be within the next day or two.

[IIsweet]

The New York Giants are the first to fill their GM vacancy with Schoen from Buffalo. Which is good because that still leaves Poles and Spytek out there who are my two top candidates. I'm guessing this decision is going to be within the next day or two.

I am completely in the same boat PhP. Hope that they will make a decision soon.
Actually I do not care when they make the decision, just make the right one.

[40for60]

Just heard on KFAN that the two GM finalists are:

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (second interview Tuesday)
Ryan Poles (second interview Wednesday)

[VikingsVictorious]

Just heard on KFAN that the two GM finalists are:

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (second interview Tuesday)
Ryan Poles (second interview Wednesday)

It seems a lot of people like Poles. I haven't heard anybody say they like Mensah yet. Both very young 36 and 40 respectively.
Here's an article from Chris Tomasson confirming what you heard.

Chris Tomasson, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
Fri, January 21, 2022, 1:00 PM·2 min read

Jan. 21—The Vikings have chosen two finalists for their open general manager job.

A source confirmed Friday that the Vikings have requested second interviews with Cleveland Browns vice president of football operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles. They will come to Minnesota next week for interviews after Adofo-Mensah had a virtual interview Monday and Poles had one on Tuesday.

The Vikings are seeking a replacement for Rick Spielman, who was fired by owners Zygi and Mark Wilf on Jan. 10 along with head coach Mike Zimmer.
Minnesota last week requested with other teams to interview eight candidates for general manager. The interviews were done virtually between last Sunday and Thursday.

Adofo-Mensah, 40, has a bachelor's degree in economics from Princeton and a master's in economics from Stanford. He got his start as a day trader on Wall Street before serving as manager of football research and development with the San Francisco 49ers from 2013-16 and director of football research and development with the 49ers from 2017-19. He has been with the Browns since 2020.

Poles, 36, was an offensive linemen at Boston College before he signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2008, but did not make the team. He then was a recruiting assistant at Boston College from 2008-09 before joining the Chiefs in 2009. With the Chiefs, Poles has been a player personnel assistant, a college scouting administrator, the director of college scouting and the assistant director of player personnel. He was named to his current position in 2021.

NFL Media first reported that Adofo-Mensah and Poles had been requested for second interviews. ESPN reported that Adolfo-Mensah's interview in Minnesota is expected to be on Tuesday and that Poles likely will interview on Wednesday.

The Vikings have interviewed four candidates for head coach. But Mark Wilf has said that a general manager will be named before a head coach, and the new general manager will have input on selecting a coach.

[Mothman]

Just heard on KFAN that the two GM finalists are:

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (second interview Tuesday)
Ryan Poles (second interview Wednesday)

Perhaps I'm too much of a traditionalist but I'd be more comfortable with the Vikes hiring Poles (who has more of a football/scouting background) than Adofo-Mensah, who has more a business/analytics background.

Of course, that probably means the latter is the better candidate!

Plus, in the most ridiculously simplistic terms possible: one candidate comes from the Chiefs, who have played in the last 2 Super Bowls and the other comes from the Browns.

[StpViking]

Of course, that probably means the latter is the better candidate!

Plus, in the most ridiculously simplistic terms possible: one candidate comes from the Chiefs, who have played in the last 2 Super Bowls and the other comes from the Browns.

You left out the most important part about the Chiefs, they have Patrick Mahomes. Again it just goes to show having a franchise QB is more important than who is GM and HC. Whoever the Wilfs decide who is going to be GM and HC, the most important thing they will do is identify finally finding a Franchise QB to replace Fran Tarkenton. Yes the Vikings are that Bad!

Ron Wolf saw potential enough in Brett Favre to trade for him. Belichick saw enough in Tom Brady to keep 4 QBs the year he was drafted. Pete Carroll by passed the Seahawks expensive off season acquisition and started a rookie QB that was drafted 75th overall.

Having an Eye for QBs is really important to building a championship team.

[CharVike]

Just heard on KFAN that the two GM finalists are:

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah (second interview Tuesday)
Ryan Poles (second interview Wednesday)

Perhaps I'm too much of a traditionalist but I'd be more comfortable with the Vikes hiring Poles (who has more of a football/scouting background) than Adofo-Mensah, who has more a business/analytics background.

Of course, that probably means the latter is the better candidate!

Plus, in the most ridiculously simplistic terms possible: one candidate comes from the Chiefs, who have played in the last 2 Super Bowls and the other comes from the Browns.

It's the same candidates circling through all the opening. Poles had two interviews with the Giants and is a Bears finalist. Giants passed. Poles has a little Speilman in him and he let the OL go to crap before his QB almost got killed and didn't perform at his usual high level and they couldn't score in the Super Bowl because of nothing on the OL. However he did rebuild it this off season and used both the draft and FA to rebuild it. He did a marvelous job by drafting rookie all pro center in the 2nd round. They drafted Trey Smith in the 6th round and is considered a quality G. That's impressive and should propel him to the top between these two guys. Unlike some I feel the OL is an important part of the team. If they can't block it's over. The Chiefs found that out the hard way with a Super Bowl embarrassment on offense. Final 2021 PFF overall ranking had them at number 5 in the NFL. I'll take that over our/Speilman ranking of 23 which gives a team zero chance to compete. Seahawks sitting at 25 where also home watching the fire burn. They couldn't compete either with a joke OL. It all starts at the LOS. No blocking no competing. With that the other guy is a business man who is extremely smart and should help the Vikings recover some money they still owe the two stiffs they fired. Let's assume it's 30 million they still owe these two guys. Zygi has that in his hip pocket but I think he gets a little concerned when that pocket becomes less full. I think they say F the football side and let's get down to brass tax and the missing money side. If that's true he will be the new non football GM.

[J. Kapp 11]

Of course, that probably means the latter is the better candidate!

Plus, in the most ridiculously simplistic terms possible: one candidate comes from the Chiefs, who have played in the last 2 Super Bowls and the other comes from the Browns.

You left out the most important part about the Chiefs, they have Patrick Mahomes. Again it just goes to show having a franchise QB is more important than who is GM and HC. Whoever the Wilfs decide who is going to be GM and HC, the most important thing they will do is identify finally finding a Franchise QB to replace Fran Tarkenton. Yes the Vikings are that Bad!

Ron Wolf saw potential enough in Brett Favre to trade for him. Belichick saw enough in Tom Brady to keep 4 QBs the year he was drafted. Pete Carroll by passed the Seahawks expensive off season acquisition and started a rookie QB that was drafted 75th overall.

Having an Eye for QBs is really important to building a championship team.

This is why I want Poles.

The Chiefs gave up two first-rounder and a third-rounder to draft a guy that most analysts thought was a system quarterback under the underachieving Kliff Kingsbury. Patrick Mahomes obviously has proven to be much more than that, so it begs the question: What did Kansas City see that so many others didn’t?

[VikingsVictorious]

You left out the most important part about the Chiefs, they have Patrick Mahomes. Again it just goes to show having a franchise QB is more important than who is GM and HC. Whoever the Wilfs decide who is going to be GM and HC, the most important thing they will do is identify finally finding a Franchise QB to replace Fran Tarkenton. Yes the Vikings are that Bad!

Ron Wolf saw potential enough in Brett Favre to trade for him. Belichick saw enough in Tom Brady to keep 4 QBs the year he was drafted. Pete Carroll by passed the Seahawks expensive off season acquisition and started a rookie QB that was drafted 75th overall.

Having an Eye for QBs is really important to building a championship team.

This is why I want Poles.

The Chiefs gave up two first-rounder and a third-rounder to draft a guy that most analysts thought was a system quarterback under the underachieving Kliff Kingsbury. Patrick Mahomes obviously has proven to be much more than that, so it begs the question: What did Kansas City see that so many others didn’t?

Or they could have just got lucky.

[808vikingsfan]

This is why I want Poles.

The Chiefs gave up two first-rounder and a third-rounder to draft a guy that most analysts thought was a system quarterback under the underachieving Kliff Kingsbury. Patrick Mahomes obviously has proven to be much more than that, so it begs the question: What did Kansas City see that so many others didn’t?

Or they could have just got lucky.

You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take – Wayne Gretzky – Michael Scott

[Cliff]

This is why I want Poles.

The Chiefs gave up two first-rounder and a third-rounder to draft a guy that most analysts thought was a system quarterback under the underachieving Kliff Kingsbury. Patrick Mahomes obviously has proven to be much more than that, so it begs the question: What did Kansas City see that so many others didn’t?

Or they could have just got lucky.

Lucky would have been him falling to them. They gave up draft picks in a strategic move to get him. That's not luck. It was also something that wasn't obvious to nearly anybody at the time. Basically every draft grade for them was a C in 2017.

If Mahomes was a bust nobody would have called it "bad luck". Everybody *knew* it was a bad pick, why didn't these losers see it? Instead they were right on the money and they deserve credit for that.

[StumpHunter]

Or they could have just got lucky.

Lucky would have been him falling to them. They gave up draft picks in a strategic move to get him. That's not luck. It was also something that wasn't obvious to nearly anybody at the time. Basically every draft grade for them was a C in 2017.

If Mahomes was a bust nobody would have called it "bad luck". Everybody *knew* it was a bad pick, why didn't these losers see it? Instead they were right on the money and they deserve credit for that.

Absolutely. Don't forget they also already had a QB under contract who was arguably easier to win with than Cousins and still wanted to improve that position. That isn't luck, that is identifying a player who can make your team better and doing everything it took to get him.

[J. Kapp 11]

This is why I want Poles.

The Chiefs gave up two first-rounder and a third-rounder to draft a guy that most analysts thought was a system quarterback under the underachieving Kliff Kingsbury. Patrick Mahomes obviously has proven to be much more than that, so it begs the question: What did Kansas City see that so many others didn’t?

Or they could have just got lucky.

Why must you take every comment as a shot on Kirk Cousins? I’m talking about the qualifications of a new GM, the most important of which is arguably being able to recognize quarterback talent.

KC traded two firsts and a third to move up to draft Mahomes. That’s not luck. That’s knowing what you’re doing. Luck is moving back 8 spots and still having the guy you want (Christian Darrisaw) available at 22. Luck is the Eagles taking Jalen Raegor instead of Justin Jefferson.

And besides, did you watch the KC-Buffalo game? Those are both generational quarterbacks. Are you honestly going to sit here and tell me that Kirk Cousins is THAT? Do you think it’s wrong for Vikings fans to want that kind of quarterback play? I don’t.

[Pondering Her Percy]

You left out the most important part about the Chiefs, they have Patrick Mahomes. Again it just goes to show having a franchise QB is more important than who is GM and HC. Whoever the Wilfs decide who is going to be GM and HC, the most important thing they will do is identify finally finding a Franchise QB to replace Fran Tarkenton. Yes the Vikings are that Bad!

Ron Wolf saw potential enough in Brett Favre to trade for him. Belichick saw enough in Tom Brady to keep 4 QBs the year he was drafted. Pete Carroll by passed the Seahawks expensive off season acquisition and started a rookie QB that was drafted 75th overall.

Having an Eye for QBs is really important to building a championship team.

This is why I want Poles.

The Chiefs gave up two first-rounder and a third-rounder to draft a guy that most analysts thought was a system quarterback under the underachieving Kliff Kingsbury. Patrick Mahomes obviously has proven to be much more than that, so it begs the question: What did Kansas City see that so many others didn’t?

Same here and the thing about Poles.... he was the director of scouting when they drafted Mahomes. That says something. These two finalists just seem so night and day for me. Poles is the easy choice here. Maybe Mensah interviews well, he does sound like brainiac but I feel like he has little knowledge of scouting and such. Poles should get this job, he is more than qualified.

[Pondering Her Percy]

Or they could have just got lucky.

Why must you take every comment as a shot on Kirk Cousins? I’m talking about the qualifications of a new GM, the most important of which is arguably being able to recognize quarterback talent.

KC traded two firsts and a third to move up to draft Mahomes. That’s not luck. That’s knowing what you’re doing. Luck is moving back 8 spots and still having the guy you want (Christian Darrisaw) available at 22. Luck is the Eagles taking Jalen Raegor instead of Justin Jefferson.

And besides, did you watch the KC-Buffalo game? Those are both generational quarterbacks. Are you honestly going to sit here and tell me that Kirk Cousins is THAT? Do you think it’s wrong for Vikings fans to want that kind of quarterback play? I don’t.

I'm not seeing him claim that was a shot at Cousins brother. But I agree, lucky is the Bengals for having the #1 pick and having a no brainer pick in Joe Burrow. With Mahomes, they traded the farm to go get him. That's not getting lucky.