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The original was posted on /r/nfl by /u/uggsandstarbux on 2023-08-02 17:19:55.
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Recapping 2022
Coming off the stink of what can only be called a disappointing end to the Mike Zimmer regime, the influx of young blood into the organization was refreshing. New GM-HC pair Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell spent a capital on defense, adding Za’Darius Smith, Harrison Phillips, and Jordan Hicks in free agency before spending 5 of their first 6 draft picks on defenders.
What followed was the most titillating 13-win season the league has ever seen. Nobody could figure out if the Vikings were a good team. Even Kirk Cousins himself said that early in the season, the team was trying to figure out if they were going to have to hunker down for a hard year or if they were going to be a threat.
But throughout the season, O’Connell reiterated that these wins did not come via luck (even if they were the 5th luckiest team last year). He spoke again and again about how crucial it was that the team perform in key situations. When it was time to make a play, the team made a play. But ideally, you want to win at least a couple of games by more than one score. You want your team to be in a position where you don’t have to make a 4th quarter comeback.
It is with an understanding of the nuanced position of the 2022 Vikings that Adofo-Mensah and O’Connell approached the 2023 season with a “competitive rebuild” in mind. The team is capable of winning in key situations, but the team needs to be capable to putting together and executing a strong gameplan. The talent at several positions on the team was weak. And with a full year of Kirk Cousins under O’Connell’s watch, the team comes closer and closer in the search for what the QB position looks like after.
Brian Flores
In 2022, Ed Donatell led the Vikings to one of the worst, blandest, most predictable defenses the league has ever seen. He was brought in to implement the Vic Fangio system that had seen success with the Rams, Broncos, and Bears, but Donatell’s playcalling made the scheme look like the corpse of what Fangio was doing in Chicago and Denver.
The Vikings finished 31st in yards allowed per game, 30th in net passing yards allowed per attempt, last in passing first downs allowed per game, and 25th in defensive EPA/play. The team had its worst defensive DVOA since Leslie Frazier was HC. In the playoff loss to the Giants, the Vikings gave up 23 plays of 10+ yards. No other team gave up more than 18 in the playoffs.
Enter: Brian Flores.
In terms of defensive scheme, there is nobody the Vikings could have brought in that would have been a larger shift from the previous iteration of the defense than Flores. Gone is the soft zone coverage that let offenses carve up the middle of the field. In its place: an amoebic aggressive scheme that isn’t afraid to strike out trying to hit a home run.
All Other Coaching Staff
Offense
OC Wes Phillips
QB Coach Chris O’Hara
Asst QB Coach/Chief of Spec Projects Grant Udinski (Out: ATL QB Coach Jerrod Johnson)
OL Coach Chris Kuper
Asst OL Coach Justin Rascati
RB Coach/Run Gm Coord Curtis Modkins
WR Coach Keenan McCardell
Asst WR Coach Tony Sorrentino
TE Coach/Passing Gm Coord Brian Angelichio
Pass Gm Specialist/Game Mgmt Coord Ryan Cordell
Off QC Coach Derron Montgomery
Defense (non-Flores)
DL Coach Chris Rumph
Asst DL Coach Patrick Hill (Out: Oregon OL Coach A’Lique Terry)
ILB Coach Mike Siravo (Out: DEN ILB Coach Greg Manusky)
Asst ILB Coach Thad Bogardus (Out: ARI LB Coach Sam Siefkes)
OLB Coach/Pass Rush Specialist Mike Smith
DB Coach Daronte Jones
Asst DB Coach Michael Hutchings (Out: SEA DB Coach Roy Anderson)
Others
ST Coord Matt Daniels
Asst ST Coach Dalmin Gibson (Out: DEN ST Coord Ben Kotwica)
Asst HC Mike Pettine
Def Asst Imarjaye Albury
Def QC Coach Lance Bennett (Out: MIA Def Asst Steve Donatell)
Free Agency
Retained
| Player | Pos | Age | Snap % | New Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Hicks | LB | 31 | 81% | 1YR/$3.5M |
| Garrett Bradbury | C | 28 | 69% | 3YR/$15.7M |
| Greg Joseph | K | 29 | 35% | 1YR/$2M |
| Andrew DePaola | LS | 36 | 32% | 3YR/$4M |
| Jonathan Bullard | DT | 30 | 28% | 1YR/$1.3M |
| Alexander Mattison | RB | 25 | 25% | 2YR/$7M |
| Khyiris Tonga | DT | 27 | 24% | 1YR/$940k |
| Blake Brandel | OT | 26 | 24% | 1YR/$940k |
| Austin Schlottman | OG | 28 | 20% | 1YR/$1.1M |
| CJ Ham | FB | 30 | 15% | 3YR/$5.6M (Extension) |
| Ross Blacklock | DT | 25 | 12% | 1YR/$1M |
| Oli Udoh | OT | 26 | 11% | 1YR/$2.6M |
| Chris Reed | OG | 31 | 11% | 1YR/$1.5M |
| Nick Mullens | QB | 28 | 5% | 2YR/$4M |
Departures
| Player | Pos | Age | Snap % | New Team | New Deal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Patrick Peterson | CB | 33 | 95% | PIT | 2YR/$14M |
| Eric Kendricks | LB | 31 | 94% | LAC | 2YR/$13.2M |
| Adam Thielen | WR | 33 | 89% | CAR | 3YR/$25M |
| Chandon Sullivan | CB | 27 | 81% | PIT | 1YR/$1.2M |
| Dalvin Cook | RB | 28 | 72% | FA | |
| Za’Darius Smith | EDGE | 31 | 66% | CLE via Trade | 2YR/$11.7M |
| Dalvin Tomlinson | DT | 29 | 48% | CLE | 4YR/$57M |
| Cameron Dantzler | CB | 25 | 44% | BUF | 1YR/$1M |
| Duke Shelley | CB | 27 | 34% | LV | 1YR/$1.3M |
| Irv Smith Jr | TE | 25 | 24% | CIN | 1YR/$1.7M |
| Ben Ellefson | TE | 27 | 4% | Retired | |
| Kris Boyd | CB | 27 | 3% | ARI | 1YR/$1.2M |
| Greg Mancz | C | 31 | 2% | BUF | 1YR/$1.1M |
| Olabisi Johnson | WR | 26 | 0% | FA | |
| Kenny Willekes | EDGE | 26 | 0% | FA | |
| Thomas Hennigan | WR | 25 | 0% | FA |
Arrivals
| Player | Pos | Old Team | New Deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Josh Oliver | TE | BAL | 3YR/$21M |
| Byron Murphy | CB | ARI | 2YR/$17.5M |
| Marcus Davenport | EDGE | NO | 1YR/$13M |
| Dean Lowry | DT | GB | 2YR/$8.5M |
| Troy Reeder | LB | LAC | 1YR/$1.2M |
| Joejuan Williams | CB | NE | 1YR/$1.1M |
| Brandon Powell | WR | LAR | 1YR/$1.2M |
Draft
Cornerback
Interior Defensive Line
Wide Receiver
Inside Linebacker
Offensive Guard
Quarterback
The Draft
*Indicates measure is taken from Pro Day
1.23 WR Jordan Addison, USC
*Profile: Jr | 5’11 | 173lbs | 31.5 Arm* | 8.75 Hand | 75.125 Wing* | 4.49 40 | 1.57 10 | 34 VJ | 10’2 BJ | 4.19 SS* | 7.05 3c | 5.95 RAS*
2022 Stats: 11 Gm | 59 Rec | 875 Yds | 8 TD | 2 Drops
Trade: SF gives 3.87 to MIN for 3.102, 5.164, 7.222
3.102 CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC
Profile: 6Sr | 5’11" | 178lbs | 31" Arm | 9.25" Hand | 74.625" Wing | 4.47 40 | 1.47 10 | 36 VJ | 10’5" BJ | 11 Bench | 7.44 RAS
2022 Stats: 14 Gm | 66 TKL | 2 TFL | 1 FF | 15 PD | 3 INT
**Trade: MIN gives 4.119 to KC for 4.134, 2024 5th***
4.134 S Jay Ward, LSU
*Profile: Sr | 6’0.5" | 188lbs | 32.5" Arm | 8.25" Hand | 76.875" Wing | 4.55 40 | 1.54 10 | 34.5 VJ | 11’ BJ | 4.35 Shuttle* | 7.31 3c | 16 Bench | 6.70 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm | 60 TKL | 2.5 TFL | 5 PD | 1 INT | 2 FR TD
Trade: MIN gives 5.158, 6.211 to IND for 5.141
5.141 NT Jaquelin Roy, LSU
*Profile: Jr | 6’3" | 305lbs | 32.75" Arm | 10.125" Hand | 78.125" Wing | 5.13 40* | 1.82 10* | 26" VJ* | 8’5" BJ* | 5.00 Shuttle | 8.01 3c | 30 Bench | 3.72 RAS*
2022 Stats: 13 Gm | 49 TKL | 3.5 TFL | 0.5 SCK
5.164 QB Jaren Hall, BYU
*Profile: RSr | 6’0" | 207lbs | 39.75" Arm | 9.5" Hand | 71.875" Wing | 4.63 40* | 1.59 10* | 4.19 Shuttle* | 7.06 3c* | 7.96 RAS*
2022 Stats: 12 Gm | 248 Comp | 376 Att | 66% Comp | 3171 Yds | 31 TD | 6 INT | 86 Rush | 789 Rush Yds | 9 RUsh TD
7.222 RB DeWayne McBride, UAB
*Profile: Jr | 5’10" | 209lbs | 30.625" Arms | 9.5" Hands | 73.125" Wing | 20 Bench**
2022 Stats: 11 Gm | 233 Att | 1713 Yds | 19 TD | 7.4 Y/A | 2 Rec | 10 Rec Yds
UDFA
FB Zach Ojile, Minnesota Duluth
WR Cephus Johnson, Southeastern Louisiana
WR Lucky Jackson, W Kentucky / XFL DC Defenders
WR Malik Knowles, Kansas St
WR Grant Maag, North Dakota
*WR Thayer Thomas, NC State…
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