Kevin O’Connell should be a lock for Coach of the Year after guiding the Vikings a hundred miles past preseason projections. General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah also deserves to be in the discussion for NFL Executive of the Year for constructing a roster that aligned with the coaching staff’s wishes and vision while also clearing considerable salary cap space for 2025 in what was initially viewed as a transition season.
The additions included 16 free agents and two players via trade. That’s roughly one-third of the roster. The impact of that group, top to bottom, is the NFL equivalent of a winning lottery ticket.
Sam Darnold. Jonathan Greenard. Andrew Van Ginkel. Blake Cashman. Aaron Jones. Stephon Gilmore. All headliners.
The others have carved out important roles by thriving in new schemes with coaches that maximize their talent. O’Connell routinely hands a game ball in a victorious locker room to someone who played elsewhere last season, whether it’s Jerry Tillery, Jalen Redmond, Shaq Griffin, Cam Robinson or one of the headliners.
The volume of bull’s-eye hits in free agency doesn’t happen very often and explains a 14-2 record and chance to secure the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs Sunday in Detroit.
Darnold continues to script the NFL’s best story. The plug-and-play success of others has been a remarkable development as well.