It’s time to give Vikings GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah the respect he has earned
https://www.inforum.com/sports/pro/dane-mizutani-its-time-to-give-vikings-gm-kwesi-adofo-mensah-the-respect-he-has-earnedVikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah nervously paced around his
spot in the press box during a game a couple of weeks ago. He had just
acquired journeyman quarterback Josh Dobbs from the Arizona Cardinals at
the NFL trade deadline, not at all expecting him to be thrust into
action less than a week later.
Yet, there he was filling in under
center with the Vikings trying to pull off an improbable comeback win on
the road. As the game wound to a close, Dobbs got the ball back with 2
minutes, 8 seconds left, needing to go the length of the field to take
the lead. That’s exactly what he did, miraculously scrambling for 22
yards to keep the drive alive, then throwing a touchdown pass that put
the Vikings on top for good in a 31-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons.In that moment, Adofo-Mensah couldn’t contain his excitement,
dapping up a few members of the front office before the final seconds
ticked off the game clock. That scene could end up defining this season
for the Vikings as it kept their hopes alive when the flame could have
easily started to flicker.
It’s fair to wonder where the Vikings
would be right now had Adofo-Mensah not been so savvy at the trade
deadline. They certainly wouldn’t have been able to stomach losing
rookie quarterback Jaren Hall to a concussion in Atlanta the way they
did, with starting quarterback Kirk Cousins and backup Nick Mullens
already out.
The only reason the Vikings are still in a position to compete
for a spot in the playoffs is because Adofo-Mensah made sure there was a
contingency plan in place. Though he couldn’t have predicted that Dobbs
would become the talk of the NFL soon after, Adofo-Mensah knew it was
incumbent to bring in a veteran with experience.
All it cost him was a measly swap of late draft picks. Talk about a heist.
The
shrewd move from Adofo-Mensah at the trade deadline likely has his
haters in shambles. There has been a group spitefully praying for his
downfall seemingly at every turn.
The underwhelming haul in
the 2022 draft — namely the selection of safety Lewis Cine in the first
round — has been the common refrain among those that believe
Adofo-Mensah has no idea what he’s doing.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
Those not
blinded by their own agenda would see that Adofo-Mensah has skillfully
navigated the “competitive rebuild” he set into motion when he got hired
on Jan. 26, 2022.
There are going to be swings and misses along the way. That comes with the territory of trying to hit a home run.
On
that note, the decision to acquire Dobbs at the trade deadline this
season, and the decision to acquire tight end T.J. Hockenson at the
trade deadline last season, might as well go down as grand slams.
Fittingly, those two players helped lead the Vikings to a 27-19
win over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. Neither performance can be
overstated, as Dobbs threw for 268 yards and a touchdown and ran for 44
yards and a touchdown, while Hockenson played through a rib injury to
make 11 catches for 134 yards and a touchdown.
As
impressive as Dobbs and Hockenson were, however, with the mastermind
behind their arrivals watching from above, the haters were probably
stuck on the fact that Cine stood on the sideline as a healthy scratch.
There
are a number of other examples that prove Adofo-Mensah has a good pulse
on things with the Vikings. He parted ways last winter with some
players who were fan favorites, which has allowed younger players to
flourish. He selected rookie receiver Jordan Addison late in the first
round of this year’s draft, which looks like a steal in hindsight. He
opted not to extend Cousins last summer, which helped keep the books
clean moving forward.
All of it has worked out.
It’s pretty clear that Adofo-Mensah has the Vikings headed in
the right direction. The franchise is 19-8 since he took over, for
crying out loud. It’s time to give the man the respect he has earned.
@"FLVike" said: Sorry, but imo it's definitely not time. His first draft is arguably one of our franchise's worse. Let's wait to see the next draft before we give him accolades.Hmmm. Either you have a short memory, or aren't old enough to remember some really doozies. Like Erasmus James, Dimitrius Underwood, Troy Williamson...shall I keep going?
@"Montana Tom" said:Yeah, its nothing close to the franchise's worst Draft.@"FLVike" said: Sorry, but imo it's definitely not time. His first draft is arguably one of our franchise's worse. Let's wait to see the next draft before we give him accolades. Hmmm. Either you have a short memory, or aren't old enough to remember some really doozies. Like Erasmus James, Dimitrius Underwood, Troy Williamson...shall I keep going?
The article states giving Kwesi the respect he deserves, and that's it. The posters that can't give him any credit exaggerate that statement by saying things like they won't crown him "GM of the year" or "Kwesi is a genius". That article didn't mention anything like those over the top descriptions. It does mention fans with an agenda against Kwesi, however, and it's easy to spot those Longshippers.
@"HappyViking" said: The article states giving Kwesi the respect he deserves, and that's it. The posters that can't give him any credit exaggerate that statement by saying things like they won't crown him "GM of the year" or "Kwesi is a genius". That article didn't mention anything like those over the top descriptions. It does mention fans with an agenda against Kwesi, however, and it's easy to spot those Longshippers.
The KAM haters were in their heyday from weeks 1 to 4. Not so much now. But they lie in wait, ready to pounce on the next loss.
@"StickyBun" said:@"HappyViking" said: The article states giving Kwesi the respect he deserves, and that's it. The posters that can't give him any credit exaggerate that statement by saying things like they won't crown him "GM of the year" or "Kwesi is a genius". That article didn't mention anything like those over the top descriptions. It does mention fans with an agenda against Kwesi, however, and it's easy to spot those Longshippers.
The KAM haters were in their heyday from weeks 1 to 4. Not so much now. But they lie in wait, ready to pounce on the next loss.
And you were certainly one of them my friend...I'm not a believer in the guy yet, but I'm just enjoying the ride for what it is and letting the season play out.
@"supafreak84" said:@"StickyBun" said:@"HappyViking" said: The article states giving Kwesi the respect he deserves, and that's it. The posters that can't give him any credit exaggerate that statement by saying things like they won't crown him "GM of the year" or "Kwesi is a genius". That article didn't mention anything like those over the top descriptions. It does mention fans with an agenda against Kwesi, however, and it's easy to spot those Longshippers.
The KAM haters were in their heyday from weeks 1 to 4. Not so much now. But they lie in wait, ready to pounce on the next loss.
And you were certainly one of them my friend...I'm not a believer in the guy yet, but I'm just enjoying the ride for what it is and letting the season play out.
Nope, I wasn't. I said give him time. But at the same time I also mentioned things he's done that could certainly be considered non-optimal. You don't have to be one or the other. Nobody's perfect, I recognize that. I also love KOC, but I bagged on him for turtling in the 2nd half Sunday.Listen, there were some members here that were ready to completely clean house after Week 3. And that's crazy. Were you one? I don't remember if you were or not.
Some people are like well that may not have been his first choice and the trade wouldn't have been made if Cousins wasn't injured. Uh duh Captain Obvious. But other teams make trades and other players get injured. Some people would have been pissed if there was no trade. The yeah but crowd is always going to be there moving the goal posts and contorting things to not give any credit.
The KAM lovers are in their heyday now. Not so much from weeks 1 to 4. They were just lying in wait ready to pounce. Now just wait until the next loss for them to disappear again..
@"FLVike" said: The KAM lovers are in their heyday now. Not so much from weeks 1 to 4. They were just lying in wait ready to pounce. Now just wait until the next loss for them to disappear again..
Lol exactly, which why I suggest to everyone...let's just enjoy the ride for what it is and let the season play out. We've seen two completely different teams and which one we truly are is anybody guess at this point. We can better assess KAM and the roster at seasons end..
@"FLVike" said: The KAM lovers are in their heyday now. Not so much from weeks 1 to 4. They were just lying in wait ready to pounce. Now just wait until the next loss for them to disappear again..
You mean with the league leading 11 turnovers?? :p
Hey don't worry, the season will surely change. And then you'll be happy once again to gloat over another disappointing Viking's finish. In Vikingland, we can never have anything nice. So it is written.
@"StickyBun" said:@"FLVike" said: The KAM lovers are in their heyday now. Not so much from weeks 1 to 4. They were just lying in wait ready to pounce. Now just wait until the next loss for them to disappear again..
You mean with the league leading 11 turnovers?? :pHey don't worry, the season will surely change. And then you'll be happy once again to gloat over another disappointing Viking's finish. In Vikingland, we can never have anything nice. So it is written.
Come on man! You are talking to someone that drove 85 miles one way to watch the Vikings on TV back in 1986 when satellite TV first came out and only a few had it here in Florida. Believe me when I say I do not hate him. I root for him to make excellent picks, trades, and deals. This has been my team for 49 years waiting to pop the champagne just once. So just because I may disagree with one decision does not mean I gloat when we lose. I have never rooted for this team to lose even when we were out of the playoffs.
@"FLVike" said:@"StickyBun" said:@"FLVike" said: The KAM lovers are in their heyday now. Not so much from weeks 1 to 4. They were just lying in wait ready to pounce. Now just wait until the next loss for them to disappear again..
You mean with the league leading 11 turnovers?? :pHey don't worry, the season will surely change. And then you'll be happy once again to gloat over another disappointing Viking's finish. In Vikingland, we can never have anything nice. So it is written.
Come on man! You are talking to someone that drove 85 miles one way to watch the Vikings on TV back in 1986 when satellite TV first came out and only a few had it here in Florida. Believe me when I say I do not hate him. I root for him to make excellent picks, trades, and deals. This has been my team for 49 years waiting to pop the champagne just once. So just because I may disagree with one decision does not mean I gloat when we lose. I have never rooted for this team to lose even when we were out of the playoffs.
Alright, I'll put it under the 'long time, disgruntled, want a damn Super Bowl!' fan category! I get that.
@"StickyBun" said:@"FLVike" said:@"StickyBun" said:@"FLVike" said: The KAM lovers are in their heyday now. Not so much from weeks 1 to 4. They were just lying in wait ready to pounce. Now just wait until the next loss for them to disappear again..
You mean with the league leading 11 turnovers?? :pHey don't worry, the season will surely change. And then you'll be happy once again to gloat over another disappointing Viking's finish. In Vikingland, we can never have anything nice. So it is written.
Come on man! You are talking to someone that drove 85 miles one way to watch the Vikings on TV back in 1986 when satellite TV first came out and only a few had it here in Florida. Believe me when I say I do not hate him. I root for him to make excellent picks, trades, and deals. This has been my team for 49 years waiting to pop the champagne just once. So just because I may disagree with one decision does not mean I gloat when we lose. I have never rooted for this team to lose even when we were out of the playoffs.
Alright, I'll put it under the 'long time, disgruntled, want a damn Super Bowl!' fan category! I get that.Thanks.btw I was just trying to be funny with the reverse KAM lovers quote. I did get one laugh out of it.
@"FLVike" said:@"StickyBun" said:@"FLVike" said:@"StickyBun" said:@"FLVike" said: The KAM lovers are in their heyday now. Not so much from weeks 1 to 4. They were just lying in wait ready to pounce. Now just wait until the next loss for them to disappear again..
You mean with the league leading 11 turnovers?? :pHey don't worry, the season will surely change. And then you'll be happy once again to gloat over another disappointing Viking's finish. In Vikingland, we can never have anything nice. So it is written.
Come on man! You are talking to someone that drove 85 miles one way to watch the Vikings on TV back in 1986 when satellite TV first came out and only a few had it here in Florida. Believe me when I say I do not hate him. I root for him to make excellent picks, trades, and deals. This has been my team for 49 years waiting to pop the champagne just once. So just because I may disagree with one decision does not mean I gloat when we lose. I have never rooted for this team to lose even when we were out of the playoffs.
Alright, I'll put it under the 'long time, disgruntled, want a damn Super Bowl!' fan category! I get that.Thanks.btw I was just trying to be funny with the reverse KAM lovers quote. I did get one laugh out of it.
You got two, I just didn't acknowledge it publicly! B)
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