Vikings Offseason 2026

[nicksaviking]

1 hour ago, DocBauer said:

For those who aren't crazy about Brezinski, I have to wonder why? He's one of the best in the league at figuring out the cap, and I'm pretty sure he's involved way more than just pushing numbers around. If he wasn't, they would have just made Grigson the temporary GM.

 

Thats the problem. Without speaking for everyone, I’m not at all convinced that KAM was wholly responsible for the awful drafting. I think it’s most likely KOC and possibly Flores were making significant decisions. And if Brezinski was also doing more than crunching numbers, than he’s to blame too. If he was mostly just crunching numbers, then the fear is he’ll just be a rubber stamp for KOC.

Need a smart outside voice from an organization that has a recent history of quality drafting that makes these calls. KOC can collaborate, but cannot make the actual calls.

[Parfigliano]

15 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Thats the problem. Without speaking for everyone, I’m not at all convinced that KAM was wholly responsible for the awful drafting. I think it’s most likely KOC and possibly Flores were making significant decisions. And if Brezinski was also doing more than crunching numbers, than he’s to blame too. If he was mostly just crunching numbers, then the fear is he’ll just be a rubber stamp for KOC.

Need a smart outside voice from an organization that has a recent history of quality drafting that makes these calls. KOC can collaborate, but cannot make the actual calls.

A new voice and perspective on draft decisions would be a big step in the right direction.  Hope they take it.

[Mike Sixel]

20 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Thats the problem. Without speaking for everyone, I’m not at all convinced that KAM was wholly responsible for the awful drafting. I think it’s most likely KOC and possibly Flores were making significant decisions. And if Brezinski was also doing more than crunching numbers, than he’s to blame too. If he was mostly just crunching numbers, then the fear is he’ll just be a rubber stamp for KOC.

Need a smart outside voice from an organization that has a recent history of quality drafting that makes these calls. KOC can collaborate, but cannot make the actual calls.

This.

[DocBauer]

On 5/23/2026 at 8:42 PM, nicksaviking said:

Thats the problem. Without speaking for everyone, I’m not at all convinced that KAM was wholly responsible for the awful drafting. I think it’s most likely KOC and possibly Flores were making significant decisions. And if Brezinski was also doing more than crunching numbers, than he’s to blame too. If he was mostly just crunching numbers, then the fear is he’ll just be a rubber stamp for KOC.

Need a smart outside voice from an organization that has a recent history of quality drafting that makes these calls. KOC can collaborate, but cannot make the actual calls.

I can't deny your logic. It's sound and practical.

My only argument would be are we sure KAM wasn't fully in charge and maybe didn't listen to his coaches enough?

I have ZERO evidence to the contrary, I'm just asking.

While I wouldn't have selected this past draft the same way, I can see a logic behind most of the picks. OT Caleb Tiernan in the 3rd round vs an OC is my biggest complaint/question mark. But maybe he was just too good and has too much potential to pass up? IDK. But that was a major head scratcher for me.

But I will say this past draft really felt like OKC and Flores were in charge. I love some picks, I'm not sure about a few others, but I'd like to think they are a lot smarter than me, lol.

I tend to agree with adding an outside source. It's also why I think Brezinski gets a bump in pay and a promotion. He's just too damn good at his job to not keep him around. But I can see reasons to go a different direction.

 

[Danchat]

5 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I can't deny your logic. It's sound and practical.

My only argument would be are we sure KAM wasn't fully in charge and maybe didn't listen to his coaches enough?

I have ZERO evidence to the contrary, I'm just asking.

While I wouldn't have selected this past draft the same way, I can see a logic behind most of the picks. OT Caleb Tiernan in the 3rd round vs an OC is my biggest complaint/question mark. But maybe he was just too good and has too much potential to pass up? IDK. But that was a major head scratcher for me.

But I will say this past draft really felt like OKC and Flores were in charge. I love some picks, I'm not sure about a few others, but I'd like to think they are a lot smarter than me, lol.

I tend to agree with adding an outside source. It's also why I think Brezinski gets a bump in pay and a promotion. He's just too damn good at his job to not keep him around. But I can see reasons to go a different direction.

The KAM/KOC pairing was lauded as a "culture of collaboration", given how much the team strayed from doing things in what you would expect as analytically minded (what KAM was supposed to be), it didn't match that. If anything, I think KAM steadily lost power - given he was almost fired during 2023 training camp for spending too much time away from the team - so I have to wonder how much power he had in the first place. 

Methinks Tiernan over a center was BPA rather than reaching for a need. At least on my board he was, though I would have been fine with a couple centers at the end of Round 3.

[TheLeviathan]

16 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I can't deny your logic. It's sound and practical.

My only argument would be are we sure KAM wasn't fully in charge and maybe didn't listen to his coaches enough?

I have ZERO evidence to the contrary, I'm just asking.

While I wouldn't have selected this past draft the same way, I can see a logic behind most of the picks. OT Caleb Tiernan in the 3rd round vs an OC is my biggest complaint/question mark. But maybe he was just too good and has too much potential to pass up? IDK. But that was a major head scratcher for me.

But I will say this past draft really felt like OKC and Flores were in charge. I love some picks, I'm not sure about a few others, but I'd like to think they are a lot smarter than me, lol.

I tend to agree with adding an outside source. It's also why I think Brezinski gets a bump in pay and a promotion. He's just too damn good at his job to not keep him around. But I can see reasons to go a different direction.

 

Minnesota sports has far too often taken the easy, in-house option.  Part of why I liked KAM in the first place was the bold swing it represented.

It didn't work, so now we better boldly swing again and not be afraid to do it.  The NFL, more than any of the other major sports, can dictate the culture on the field with the culture in the suites.

[nicksaviking]

18 hours ago, DocBauer said:

I can't deny your logic. It's sound and practical.

My only argument would be are we sure KAM wasn't fully in charge and maybe didn't listen to his coaches enough?

I have ZERO evidence to the contrary, I'm just asking.

While I wouldn't have selected this past draft the same way, I can see a logic behind most of the picks. OT Caleb Tiernan in the 3rd round vs an OC is my biggest complaint/question mark. But maybe he was just too good and has too much potential to pass up? IDK. But that was a major head scratcher for me.

But I will say this past draft really felt like OKC and Flores were in charge. I love some picks, I'm not sure about a few others, but I'd like to think they are a lot smarter than me, lol.

I tend to agree with adding an outside source. It's also why I think Brezinski gets a bump in pay and a promotion. He's just too damn good at his job to not keep him around. But I can see reasons to go a different direction.

 

I think if KAM was fully in charge and KOC wasn't actually advocating for McCarthy, we would have heard about it long before McCarthy failed to launch. The last two Wentz games, when most suspected McCarthy could play, but wasn't, at minimum we'd have heard about it then, if not as far back as when they decided against retaining Darnold. 

It just makes no sense that if you have an offensive minded HC who was a QB and supposedly is a great QB mind, that the GM would go rogue and make a franchise altering pick at that position that the coach didn't want. If KOC had come out and said 'The JJ pick was on me, that's my department, though I often defer to Flores and KAM for lots of the defensive stuff' I'd be more inclined to believe this current narrative. 

[nicksaviking]

And to be fair, I'm not sure I've heard KOC say anything on this narrative that KAM was responsible and at fault for the sins of the past; it does seem to be fan and media driven. But KOC is not objecting to it and is clearly using the narrative to solidify and improve his status within the organization.

[Vanimal46]

45 minutes ago, nicksaviking said:

I think if KAM was fully in charge and KOC wasn't actually advocating for McCarthy, we would have heard about it long before McCarthy failed to launch. The last two Wentz games, when most suspected McCarthy could play, but wasn't, at minimum we'd have heard about it then, if not as far back as when they decided against retaining Darnold. 

It just makes no sense that if you have an offensive minded HC who was a QB and supposedly is a great QB mind, that the GM would go rogue and make a franchise altering pick at that position that the coach didn't want. If KOC had come out and said 'The JJ pick was on me, that's my department, though I often defer to Flores and KAM for lots of the defensive stuff' I'd be more inclined to believe this current narrative. 

If you want to see what it actually looks like when a GM goes rogue and selects a QB the coach doesn’t like, google Sean McVay’s press conference after they selected Ty Simpson. He couldn’t even fake enthusiasm for his new QB. 

[nicksaviking]

52 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

If you want to see what it actually looks like when a GM goes rogue and selects a QB the coach doesn’t like, google Sean McVay’s press conference after they selected Ty Simpson. He couldn’t even fake enthusiasm for his new QB. 

Yeah, it would be fun if those two had a power struggle. McVey would win hands down and I'd happily welcome Les Snead as the GM here. 

But I'm quite confident the same thing happened with Lynch and Shanahan regarding Trey Lance. Those two kissed and made up.

[Danchat]

8 hours ago, nicksaviking said:

Yeah, it would be fun if those two had a power struggle. McVey would win hands down and I'd happily welcome Les Snead as the GM here. 

But I'm quite confident the same thing happened with Lynch and Shanahan regarding Trey Lance. Those two kissed and made up.

The thing is, I think it's more likely McVay retires than there being a power struggle - there was talk of him already hanging it up in 2023-24. I think Simpson is going to be their QB post-McVay. At some point McVay will retire and take up a job for one of the networks, get a fat pay check and have a lot less stress.

[Vanimal46]

12 hours ago, Danchat said:

The thing is, I think it's more likely McVay retires than there being a power struggle - there was talk of him already hanging it up in 2023-24. I think Simpson is going to be their QB post-McVay. At some point McVay will retire and take up a job for one of the networks, get a fat pay check and have a lot less stress.

Agreed. Once Stafford is done playing McVay will be done coaching for a while. 

[nicksaviking]

56 minutes ago, Vanimal46 said:

Agreed. Once Stafford is done playing McVay will be done coaching for a while. 

And good for every team in the NFC, but bad for the sport as a whole.