The Minnesota Vikings’ general manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, has received a lot of criticism for his ability to evaluate talent in the draft. Since he came from a background of working on Wall Street rather than football, he has been doubted from the start. However, his background in economics is more of a boon than some may realize, especially when it comes to free agency.
NFL free agency is the period when teams sign or extend the contracts of players. Since there is a limit to how much money each team can spend, general managers must be strategic with how to construct their roster. During the past two years, Adofo-Mensah has proven his worth by signing impactful players. Last year, he most notably signed Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard and Blake Cashman. He also extended the two best players on the team, Justin Jefferson and Christian Darrisaw. Three of those five ended up making the All-Pro team last season, the majority of players go their whole careers without such an achievement.
After a great regular season but a disappointing playoff loss, it was on Adofo-Menash to take this team to the next level. The Vikings’ biggest problems last year were running the ball and getting pressure on the opposing quarterback without blitzing. Adofo-Mensah recognized these problems and signed interior offensive linemen Ryan Kelly and Will Fries. Two above-average linemen who will protect rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy while also opening up running lanes for Aaron Jones. But Adofo-Mensah was not done, to get interior pressure, he signed defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Despite being toward the end of their careers, both are multiple-time pro-bowlers, perfect for defensive coordinator Brian Flores who will be able to use them to their fullest potential. On top of these signings, Adofo-Mensah was able to extend running-back Aaron Jones, restructure Vikings legend Harrison Smith’s contract and retain cornerback Byron Murphy Jr.
Overall, as long as the players stay healthy, Adofo-Mensah has all but proven himself as a more than capable general manager for the Vikings long-term. He will face his next test in April during the 2025 NFL draft, where he has four picks to work with.
