Post by Funkytown on Mar 25, 2024 16:33:41 GMT -6
Speaking Monday at the NFL's annual meeting, Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell said he has had regular check-ins with star wide receiver Justin Jefferson this offseason and found him "excited" about the potential of contributing to the mentorship of a young quarterback. More importantly, O'Connell said he does not believe that Jefferson needs to know the outcome of the team's plans before signing a contract extension that the sides have been negotiating for more than a year.
"Needing to know and being a part of a collaborative process, which Justin is, are two different things," O'Connell said. "I've felt very strongly about keeping him informed. He's been in the loop. He's been aware. He's allowed to articulate things to me via our relationship, and that's really been through this whole process."
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Jefferson hasn't spoken publicly about Cousins' departure, but O'Connell said there has been constant communication behind the scenes about the team's plans.
"Look, the things that Kirk and Justin were able to do over these last couple years, that's what I can speak to," O'Connell said. "Having been here with those guys when they've played together, they've done a lot of really special things and that's not lost on me and that's not lost on Justin. But Justin ... did step into a leadership role last year. He became a first-time captain. I think he's excited about that, what that means for him moving forward, really being a pillar of leadership in our organization and that's how I treat him.
"That's how our conversations and our communication go and I think the quarterback position, the path that we're going to go, I think he's excited about getting to spend some time and work with Sam in addition to our other quarterbacks and then what this could look like to maybe be a part of helping mentor a young quarterback.
"I think it's a pretty special time and I know Justin's looking at it like that as well, and my hope is we get his contract done and taken care of and he continues to be that pillar, that pillar of leadership that I look at him as within our team."
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"There's a lot that goes into that," O'Connell said. "We need another team to be complicit in that action to go get one of those guys, if that ends up being the plan. But I am excited to kind of see this process through and see if we can potentially add our quarterback in the future to that room."
To that end, O'Connell said he has spent significant time structuring his coaching staff for the possibility of working with Darnold while also developing a rookie quarterback. O'Connell will transfer some of his weekly responsibilities to offensive coordinator Wes Phillips so that he can spend more time with quarterbacks alongside new position coach Josh McCown.
O'Connell will continue to call plays on game day.
"I want to be an extension of the quarterback development in our building," O'Connell said. "I want to play a major role and a factor in that because it's something that I love more than anything, and being in a position to have an impact on that position is something that means a lot to me."
"Needing to know and being a part of a collaborative process, which Justin is, are two different things," O'Connell said. "I've felt very strongly about keeping him informed. He's been in the loop. He's been aware. He's allowed to articulate things to me via our relationship, and that's really been through this whole process."
...
Jefferson hasn't spoken publicly about Cousins' departure, but O'Connell said there has been constant communication behind the scenes about the team's plans.
"Look, the things that Kirk and Justin were able to do over these last couple years, that's what I can speak to," O'Connell said. "Having been here with those guys when they've played together, they've done a lot of really special things and that's not lost on me and that's not lost on Justin. But Justin ... did step into a leadership role last year. He became a first-time captain. I think he's excited about that, what that means for him moving forward, really being a pillar of leadership in our organization and that's how I treat him.
"That's how our conversations and our communication go and I think the quarterback position, the path that we're going to go, I think he's excited about getting to spend some time and work with Sam in addition to our other quarterbacks and then what this could look like to maybe be a part of helping mentor a young quarterback.
"I think it's a pretty special time and I know Justin's looking at it like that as well, and my hope is we get his contract done and taken care of and he continues to be that pillar, that pillar of leadership that I look at him as within our team."
...
"There's a lot that goes into that," O'Connell said. "We need another team to be complicit in that action to go get one of those guys, if that ends up being the plan. But I am excited to kind of see this process through and see if we can potentially add our quarterback in the future to that room."
To that end, O'Connell said he has spent significant time structuring his coaching staff for the possibility of working with Darnold while also developing a rookie quarterback. O'Connell will transfer some of his weekly responsibilities to offensive coordinator Wes Phillips so that he can spend more time with quarterbacks alongside new position coach Josh McCown.
O'Connell will continue to call plays on game day.
"I want to be an extension of the quarterback development in our building," O'Connell said. "I want to play a major role and a factor in that because it's something that I love more than anything, and being in a position to have an impact on that position is something that means a lot to me."
Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell has his own brisk agenda, crisscrossing the country for workouts and meetings with the passers who might become his team's headliner in a month. The pro days have little to do with it.
During an interview session with Twin Cities reporters at the owners' meetings on Monday, O'Connell laid out something of a manifesto for how the Vikings will build their quarterback position after Kirk Cousins' departure. They will prioritize private meetings — where they can walk a possible draft pick through their offense and immediately ask him to perform elements of it on the field — over pro days where they don't control the script. They will use on-field mistakes to see how a QB responds to coaching, and observe a player's interactions during on-campus lunches to gauge how he handles the spotlight inherent to the position. And they will keep Justin Jefferson informed throughout the spring.
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Trading up to draft a QB is a "major, major organizational decision," O'Connell said, and the Vikings need everyone from the front office to the coaching staff aligned behind the player the team would select in that kind of a move. The coach's job, for now, is to do as much as he can to simulate what life would be like with one of the QBs in the first round.
"When you're selecting a quarterback of the future, with guys like Justin, Jordan [Addison], T.J. [Hockenson], our passing game thrives off of accuracy, rhythm, timing. Some of the traits that show up on these guys' tapes, you get really excited about that," O'Connell said. "But it's also about toughness, football intelligence, the leadership traits I'm looking for, to take what I believe is one of the strongest locker rooms in the NFL and take it to an even better place as a young player. That's a dynamic person you're talking about."
The Vikings' typical visits with prospects begin in the classroom, watching college film with a QB to learn how he was coached to approach a given play and going over the Vikings' playbook to see how quickly a player can absorb new concepts. They'll go from there into an on-field workout and see "how they respond to us as coaches," O'Connell said.
"You can ask them questions and see how fast they remember things, how fast they're digesting the information," he added. "How clearly can they put that information into real, tangible things that then, I can use as a coach for feedback? You can go on the grass and see if they understand how we want to set our feet and eyes on this drop, or, when we talk about pocket movement, what that looks like. When we talk about on-schedule versus off-schedule, red zone, third down, how it fits within the framework of, not our system, but the system we want to build for them."
O'Connell will often ask a player to pick his favorite spot for lunch on campus, with the Vikings picking up the tab.
"I want to see how they interact with folks," the coach said, "because building-changing quarterbacks, they don't just change the facilities. Any room they ever walk into, they light it up. They change it, they impact it and I think you can see that on display in an authentic way when you do the full process with those trips."
...
"I think [pro days] are great. I think the guys are doing a great job with them," O'Connell said. "It's valuable for us as a piece of it, but nothing compares to really completing that whole process with a visit, or maybe coming to the Twin Cities for one of our [top-] 30 visits."
During an interview session with Twin Cities reporters at the owners' meetings on Monday, O'Connell laid out something of a manifesto for how the Vikings will build their quarterback position after Kirk Cousins' departure. They will prioritize private meetings — where they can walk a possible draft pick through their offense and immediately ask him to perform elements of it on the field — over pro days where they don't control the script. They will use on-field mistakes to see how a QB responds to coaching, and observe a player's interactions during on-campus lunches to gauge how he handles the spotlight inherent to the position. And they will keep Justin Jefferson informed throughout the spring.
...
Trading up to draft a QB is a "major, major organizational decision," O'Connell said, and the Vikings need everyone from the front office to the coaching staff aligned behind the player the team would select in that kind of a move. The coach's job, for now, is to do as much as he can to simulate what life would be like with one of the QBs in the first round.
"When you're selecting a quarterback of the future, with guys like Justin, Jordan [Addison], T.J. [Hockenson], our passing game thrives off of accuracy, rhythm, timing. Some of the traits that show up on these guys' tapes, you get really excited about that," O'Connell said. "But it's also about toughness, football intelligence, the leadership traits I'm looking for, to take what I believe is one of the strongest locker rooms in the NFL and take it to an even better place as a young player. That's a dynamic person you're talking about."
The Vikings' typical visits with prospects begin in the classroom, watching college film with a QB to learn how he was coached to approach a given play and going over the Vikings' playbook to see how quickly a player can absorb new concepts. They'll go from there into an on-field workout and see "how they respond to us as coaches," O'Connell said.
"You can ask them questions and see how fast they remember things, how fast they're digesting the information," he added. "How clearly can they put that information into real, tangible things that then, I can use as a coach for feedback? You can go on the grass and see if they understand how we want to set our feet and eyes on this drop, or, when we talk about pocket movement, what that looks like. When we talk about on-schedule versus off-schedule, red zone, third down, how it fits within the framework of, not our system, but the system we want to build for them."
O'Connell will often ask a player to pick his favorite spot for lunch on campus, with the Vikings picking up the tab.
"I want to see how they interact with folks," the coach said, "because building-changing quarterbacks, they don't just change the facilities. Any room they ever walk into, they light it up. They change it, they impact it and I think you can see that on display in an authentic way when you do the full process with those trips."
...
"I think [pro days] are great. I think the guys are doing a great job with them," O'Connell said. "It's valuable for us as a piece of it, but nothing compares to really completing that whole process with a visit, or maybe coming to the Twin Cities for one of our [top-] 30 visits."
1. The Vikings are open to taking a big swing at quarterback
Speculation ran rampant once Adofo-Mensah acquired the 23rd pick. Many suggested Minnesota put itself in prime position to use its two first-round selections to leap up the draft board and select its potential quarterback of the future.
O’Connell said nothing Monday to downplay that possibility. He called the 2024 crop of quarterbacks “a good group.” He said he feels “very strongly” about the opportunity the Vikings can offer a rookie quarterback. He even referenced the potential “big swing,” but added, “it’s got to make sense for both us and, unfortunately, another team as well.”
The coaches of the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots shared this week that their teams would listen to offers for the No. 2 and 3 picks, respectively. The Vikings are not likely to pursue this massive move without organizational alignment. Everyone would have to agree on parting with premium assets (and, likely, future picks) for an uncertain bet. That’s a high bar, but it’s feasible in a class featuring numerous high-end prospects.
2. Minnesota’s staff is maximizing its evaluation opportunities
O’Connell sat in the seventh row of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and observed the quarterbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine. Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix all threw that day. But there’s much more to his involvement in the evaluation process.
The third-year coach will take multiple trips over the next few weeks to sit with, watch film with, throw with and teach some of the most sought-after QB prospects. He classified pro days as “great for multiple reasons,” but wondered why a head coach would leave these evaluation opportunities to the whims of others.
“To do the right job, to do the kind of job I hope our fans expect in terms of the evaluation and importance of this selection if we’re able to make one,” O’Connell said, “we’re not going to leave anything to chance.”
O’Connell tries to identify quarterbacks who can play in rhythm and on schedule from the pocket, processing in real time and delivering the ball accurately. Then, he sifts through tape for toughness and traits that allow a quarterback to make plays off schedule. Interviews and time spent on college campuses provide a glimpse into the quarterback’s charisma.
O’Connell also stressed the value of private workouts and top-30 visits. He and other coaches can garner a feel for how a player interacts in a teaching setting. They can then visit the player’s favorite restaurants around town and observe how they interact with people in their preferred environment.
“Building-changing quarterbacks don’t just change the facilities,” O’Connell said. “Any room they ever walk into, they light it up, they change it, they impact. You can see that on display authentically when you do the full process with those trips.”
Speculation ran rampant once Adofo-Mensah acquired the 23rd pick. Many suggested Minnesota put itself in prime position to use its two first-round selections to leap up the draft board and select its potential quarterback of the future.
O’Connell said nothing Monday to downplay that possibility. He called the 2024 crop of quarterbacks “a good group.” He said he feels “very strongly” about the opportunity the Vikings can offer a rookie quarterback. He even referenced the potential “big swing,” but added, “it’s got to make sense for both us and, unfortunately, another team as well.”
The coaches of the Washington Commanders and New England Patriots shared this week that their teams would listen to offers for the No. 2 and 3 picks, respectively. The Vikings are not likely to pursue this massive move without organizational alignment. Everyone would have to agree on parting with premium assets (and, likely, future picks) for an uncertain bet. That’s a high bar, but it’s feasible in a class featuring numerous high-end prospects.
2. Minnesota’s staff is maximizing its evaluation opportunities
O’Connell sat in the seventh row of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis and observed the quarterbacks at the NFL Scouting Combine. Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Oregon’s Bo Nix all threw that day. But there’s much more to his involvement in the evaluation process.
The third-year coach will take multiple trips over the next few weeks to sit with, watch film with, throw with and teach some of the most sought-after QB prospects. He classified pro days as “great for multiple reasons,” but wondered why a head coach would leave these evaluation opportunities to the whims of others.
“To do the right job, to do the kind of job I hope our fans expect in terms of the evaluation and importance of this selection if we’re able to make one,” O’Connell said, “we’re not going to leave anything to chance.”
O’Connell tries to identify quarterbacks who can play in rhythm and on schedule from the pocket, processing in real time and delivering the ball accurately. Then, he sifts through tape for toughness and traits that allow a quarterback to make plays off schedule. Interviews and time spent on college campuses provide a glimpse into the quarterback’s charisma.
O’Connell also stressed the value of private workouts and top-30 visits. He and other coaches can garner a feel for how a player interacts in a teaching setting. They can then visit the player’s favorite restaurants around town and observe how they interact with people in their preferred environment.
“Building-changing quarterbacks don’t just change the facilities,” O’Connell said. “Any room they ever walk into, they light it up, they change it, they impact. You can see that on display authentically when you do the full process with those trips.”
