Meetings with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski have helped OConnell in this regard. Spielman hand-picked Ponder to be his quarterback after watching a game against North Carolina and a couple of practices at the Senior Bowl. The 33-year-old quarterback's $35 million base salary for 2022 became guaranteed last March . While the survey is the ultimate feather in OConnells cap in terms of retaining players on long-term contracts and signing free agents, hes aware that not everyone is going to be able to return and the team doesn't have oodles of cap space to spend this offseason. Linebacker Eric Kendricks referred to a fear-based culture in a conference call after the former HC and GM were let go and players acknowledged meeting with ownership in which they asked for improvements in the overall environment. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, whose size has been a matter of conjecture in the run-up to the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine, officially measured in at 5-foot-10 1/8 and 204 pounds on Saturday. My main goal was to connect with (Cousins) and build on a relationship, OConnell said. The last remaining head coach opening in the NFL has been filled. 1. converting part of right tackle Brian O'Neill's base salary to a signing bonus. "He is a strong leader, an innovative coach and an excellent communicator. Heck, it was even over 70 degrees outside. Kevin O'Connell signed a 1 year, - contract with the San Diego Chargers, including an average annual salary of -. Since O'Connell became an offensive coordinator in 2019, he has coached one Super Bowl MVP (Kupp), two Pro Bowlers (G Brandon Scherff and Kupp), one All-Pro (Kupp) and one PFWA All-Rookie Team member (McLaurin). O'Connell worked on special projects with the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, where he overlapped with Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Thielen will turn 33 this summer and incur a $19.9 million cap hit against the Vikings salary cap. EAGAN, Minn. Eleven months and a day after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah helped introduce Kevin O'Connell from a temporary stage constructed in Twin . While some coaches chose not to attend this years combine, OConnell places considerable value on meeting players in person. The wait is over for Minnesota Vikings fans who were a bit . Along the way, personal relationships grew. OConnell explained Wednesday that that process ranged from reviewing game-management decisions to gauging his teams success in various schemes and plays. In basketball, he was a two-year letterman, and a teammate of Arizona standout Chase Budinger. Were going to continue to look at whats the best route to go moving forward (with Thielen), OConnell said. ", "We've shown that we have a culture and an ability to do those things at a really high level," Adofo-Mensah said. He also held the same position for Washington in 2019 after serving as the team'spassing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. The personnel department continued to be on the lookout for players who became available after their release by other teams, and the coaching staff usually helped integrate the acquired player quickly, whether it was Za'Darius Smith in Week 1 or T.J. Hockenson in Week 9. The direct work together began in April when Minnesota could start its offseason workout program and was followed by Organized Team Activities before a summer break that was followed by training camp, he preseason, regular season and postseason. How OConnell and the front office maneuver through these personnel decisions to counteract the way defenses have played them could well become a key story in 2023. They were together in Washington and grew their connection this season as the veteran QB led eight game-winning drives, won the division for the first time since arriving in Minnesota and put together one of his best games in the playoffs vs. the Giants. In other words, hes going to look in the store window at this years draft class because he always does, whether he is shopping or not. The assessments of inherited players were made a year ago through film study and advanced metrics. How do you build the rest of the team? Adofo-Mensah asked. The Vikings announced their agreement in principle with Cousins on a one-year contract extension Sunday the latest high-leverage deal that Cousins has successfully bet on himself with and the clearest sign yet that the Vikings aren . Sep 9 2010 Resigned a 2 year $1.25 million contract with New York (NYJ) Aug 31 2010 Waived by New York (NYJ) Sep 6 2009 Traded to NYJ from Detroit for a conditional draft pick. If Levis or Richardson is the type of quarterback that answers those questions, the Vikings will likely do their best to move up. In addition to helping QB Jared Goff to his fourth consecutive season with at least 3,800 passing yards and 20 touchdowns in 2020, O'Connell prepared QB John Wolford for a win-and-in game against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17, helping him pass for 231 yards and rush for 56 more in his NFL debut, while leading the Rams to a 18-7 victory and a playoff berth. The Vikings tried to identify another quarterback when trading up for Teddy Bridgewater in 2014. Get a behind-the-scenes look at Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's media day last week at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. The Minnesota Vikings announced Wednesday that Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell has been hired as the 10th head coach in franchise history. O'Connell also helped Vikings all-time leading rusher Adrian Peterson eclipse 1,000 scrimmage yards (1,040) at the age of 34. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott's cap hit might be rising in 2023, but owner Jerry Jones believes his quarterback has the ability to bridge the gap in any talent the roster might lose because of it. So have expectations going forward, until "someday" can become "the day.". O'Connell joins the Vikings after serving as the offensive coordinator for the Los A. The Carlsbad, California, native and his wife, Leah, have two sons, Kaden and Kolten, and a daughter, Quinn. Prior to joining the Rams, O'Connell worked in Washington, serving as the quarterbacks coach in 2017-18 and the offensive coordinator in 2019. [23], On January 16, 2020, O'Connell was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as offensive coordinator. Youve got to ask yourself the question: Why?. They want tostart every game, lead their team to the playoffs, win a Super Bowl, [but] a lot goes into what it takes to do that.. None of that means anything for what we do moving forward if we dont grow and evolve and change in a good capacity, OConnell said. Here are five takeaways from the conversation, beginning with OConnells thoughts on the free-agent decisions and potential cuts that will be made in the next couple of weeks. Vikings Players Close Out Season with Locker Room Clean Out. If not, they could ride Cousins another year and try their luck to acquire their guy in 2024. His net worth is somewhere between $30 million to $35 million. [12] Following his departure, O'Connell found that he had a torn labrum in his throwing arm, an injury he sustained during the preseason. "But as we reflect, I think it's important to understand, be honest with our evaluations, understand taking a look at all the little things no detail is too small in how we're trying to improve as a team, improve as a coaching staff, and most importantly, improve myself. Login Here. "We are ecstatic to add Kevin as our head coach," said Vikings Owner/President Mark Wilf. Kevin O'Connell: Vikings have 'some real decisions' ahead to get under salary cap By Alec Lewis Mar 1, 2023 14 INDIANAPOLIS Following his news conference Wednesday afternoon at the NFL. While they can feel reinforced by the results of the foundation laid in their first year, they also know a multitude of decisions await and all teams change from year to year. Head coach Kevin O'Connell of the Minnesota Vikings speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 1, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. View images from the Vikings locker room at TCO Performance Center on Monday as players cleaned out their lockers at the end of the 2022-23 season. Predictability, then, provides comfort to defenses. Right. O'Connell also helped the Rams offense tie for seventh in scoring offense (27.1 points per game) and score on 45.9% of their offensive drives, which ranked third in the NFL behind the Kansas City Chiefs (48.2) and New England Patriots (48.0). [13] The injury required surgery. He takes it very seriously how much people and young kids look up to him. On February 17, 2015, it was announced that O'Connell was named to the position of quarterbacks coach of the Cleveland Browns for the 2015 NFL season. "As crazy as this sounds, leading the league in yards and receptions, I think he and I have just scratched the surface of where we want to go as an offense, particularly with him as our premier receiver," O'Connell said Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine. Its just not possible when sitting $24 million over the cap (per OverTheCap.com) to bring all the veterans back. "But I wouldn't say that we're that established, 'there' team because we haven't shown it yet. O'Connell led the Vikings to a 134 record on the season, tying Matt LaFleur and Jim Harbaugh for the second-most wins for a rookie head coach in NFL history. Its still something I think about often, OConnell said of the loss to the Giants. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Doing so could mean some hard decisions on key contributors from last season like Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, ZaDarius Smith and others. O'Connell also played for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers before retiring in 2012. Jefferson's 4,825 career yards are the most in NFL history for a receiver in the first three years of a career. Stafford set the single-season team record for passing yards (4,886) and tied Kurt Warner from his 1999 MVP season for the most passing touchdowns in a season by a Rams quarterback with 41, while also winning his first playoff game in his 13th season in the NFL. I think theres a conversation to be had to really see what that looks like: playing time and roles and responsibilities., "I feel better than I ever have about our chances moving forward." ", "As I spent time with Kevin during the interview process, it became immediately clear he will be a great partner in building this football team for long-term success," said Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. Adofo-Mensah also stated that there are a lot of other factors to consider what type of quarterback the Vikings could be looking for. Aside from the quarterback situation which is like talking about building a house and saying other than the ground it stands on the Vikings will also consider the wants/needs/system of Brian Flores as they look for improvement on defense. "Like [O'Connell] said in his final meeting, 'It's supposed to hurt. O'Connell oversaw the production of three quarterbacks in 2019, specifically rookie QB Dwayne Haskins, Jr. Once Haskins, Jr., became the full-time starter in Week 9, he passed for 1,225 yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions and an 85.5 passer rating.
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