NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports that the Vikings plan on interviewing Rams assistant head coach/running backs coach Thomas Brown for their offensive coordinator position under O'Connell. The 34-year-old has put up good statistics over the years, including 33 TDs and seven interceptions last season, but he's never delivered any sustained postseason success. The Minnesota Vikings finalized their hiring of head coach Kevin O'Connell on Wednesday, completing a sharp offseason shift in direction by turning over the team to the 36-year-old. Armando Salguero: Kevin O'Connell Believes Vikings Are Really - OutKick At the same time, proud of what they've accomplished this year and look forward to the first day of the offseason program, when we get those guys back in here.". On third-and-8, for example, the Vikings personnel options were limited. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. View photos of new Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell in photos from his time with the Rams. But in Kevin OConnells case on Wednesday, he was able to beam about the Vikings culture after an NFL Players Association survey showed proof that he made good on the cultural promises he made at the last NFL Combine. INDIANAPOLIS If you walk around to different podiums and listen to NFL coaches speak to the media about their teams offseasons, you are likely to hear a lot about culture. Minnesota Vikings' Kevin O'Connell 'excited to coach' Kirk Cousins in 2022 To better myself and make sure I'm doing everything that I can in this role that I feel so lucky to have and also so prepared to have. Kevin O'Connell Contract Breakdowns, Salary Cap Figures, Salaries ", "We've shown that we have a culture and an ability to do those things at a really high level," Adofo-Mensah said. 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. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. The offensive line's sack rate, 4.5%, was the fifth-lowest in the NFL over the past two years. With Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan and Cameron Heyward still on the board, the Vikings decided to get their guy Christian Ponder. At first, Adofo-Mensah makes it sound like Cousins is the NFLs version of microwaving Chinese leftovers at midnight. One thing I know, [Cousins] is good enough. The wait is over for Minnesota Vikings fans who were a bit . This year brings a different scenario. O'Connell also played for the Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, and San Diego Chargers before retiring in 2012. Visit NFL.com's transaction hub for a daily breakdown. O'Connell was waived by the Patriots on August 30, 2009, two days after a preseason game in which starting quarterback Tom Brady was injured, and, in the second half, O'Connell threw two interceptions and only threw 3 completions on 10 attempts. Spielman tried his hand at it, scouting Carson Strong and praising Malik Willis response to an overrated chant one year ago. Here are five things to know. O'Connell is the son of a former FBI agent. But the biggest question on everybodys mind was what they were going to do with Kirk Cousins. But even if they do like mayo in their coffee, it seems like OConnell is bringing a thorough evaluation process to find their guy. The riser was lower than the previous stage, but the team they've led for about a year has been elevated from an 8-9 squad to one that won 13 games for the third time within a Vikings season. Theres a lot of different directions you can go, OConnell said, and (each decision) affects another one and another one. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O'Connell have only held their posts for a year, but they deserve the faith of the Vikings community. But its hard not to wonder what would have happened if he looked ahead, saw Andrew Luck on the horizon and just rode the corpse of Donovan McNabb to the finish line to select Luck, Russell Wilson, or Cousins (!!!) Also, by disabling these cookies you will also disable banner ads served by Google Adsense on this website.. For more information about these items, view our complete privacy policy.Read More. Pelissero noted that Brown, who interviewed for the Miami Dolphins head coaching position, is considered a "rising assistant" and is a candidate to replace O'Connell in Los Angeles. Vikings Players Close Out Season with Locker Room Clean Out. He believes he's the best receiver in football -- I happen to agree with him -- and a lot goes with that. Kevin William O'Connell (born May 25, 1985), nicknamed " KOC ", [1] is an American football coach and former player who is the head coach for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). 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. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. O'Connell has an older sister, Kelly, who is an attorney. Were in a position to do a lot of different things regardless of field position, score of the game, personnel groupings.. It's supposed to hurt. And in 2022, Cousins is scheduled to cost the Vikings $45 million on their salary cap. $36.25 million against its salary . O'Connell also helped Vikings all-time leading rusher Adrian Peterson eclipse 1,000 scrimmage yards (1,040) at the age of 34. OConnell did note that safety Lewis Cine was ahead of schedule in his rehab from a severe leg injury suffered in London last season and that Cine has been at TCO Performance Center making regular stop-ins to his office. The Washington Commanders took Cousins in the []. Adofo-Mensah was hired on Jan. 26, 2022 and O'Connell was named head coach on Feb. 16 after the Rams beat the Bengals in the Super Bowl. And trading him post June 1 would save the team $35 million of that against their cap. Along the way, personal relationships grew. Those are things we got to answer. Vikings officially name Kevin O'Connell their new head coach No cards were shown when OConnell was asked about Flores and the cornerback position as it pertains to the draft but it would appear that Flores will be looking for players with flexibility, whether thats in terms of position or skill set. Is it to that standard? The assessments of inherited players were made a year ago through film study and advanced metrics. The New England Patriots selected O'Connell with their fourth pick (94th overall) in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. To see the rest of the Kevin O'Connell's contract breakdowns, & gain access to all of Spotrac's Premium tools, sign up today. Kevin O'Connell traveling with Vikings to Washington after his daughter Kevin O'Connell had some interesting things to say about the direction the Minnesota Vikings want to go as they look ahead to the 2023 NFL season. Kevin O'Connell declines to say if Ed Donatell will return as Vikings Kevin will tease me about that sometimes. Eagan, Minn. (February 15, 2022) The Minnesota Vikings have named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. In the early 1990s, Dennis Green used a revolving quarterback carousel that featured Jim McMahon, Warren Moon, Randall Cunningham, and Jeff George. Part of the reason for this is that the Vikings were still recovering from the Herschel Walker trade. "But I wouldn't say that we're that established, 'there' team because we haven't shown it yet. If O'Connell's staff likes a prospect like USC's Caleb Williams . However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. [2], O'Connell played in both the 2008 Hula Bowl and the 2008 East-West Shrine Game. Youve got to ask yourself the question: Why?. The Minnesota Vikings have an intriguing decision on Adam Thielens future with the franchise, a team that has employed him since 2013. Vikings Name Kevin O'Connell Head Coach - Minnesota Vikings EAGAN, Minn. Eleven months and a day after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah helped introduce Kevin O'Connell from a temporary stage constructed in Twin . ", O'Connell said the next step is "a championship standard" and that he wanted to wrap his evaluations and dialogue about the 2022 season the "way it should, with the same type of connection" with players and the "foundational building blocks of what we want to be. The 33-year-old quarterback's $35 million base salary for 2022 became guaranteed last March . Not only schematically, how people play against you, but the responsibility he has as a role model. "This is a franchise with a deep history and a tremendous fan base. Wanting to make those guys feel like their coach cares about them, both the person and the player, and their future, its real, OConnell said. He was 11-of-21 for 147 yards, and completed the pass which resulted in the Kai's only score of the game.[6]. We want to be.". When you have the receiver that leads the league in yards and receptions and have three other guys with 60-plus, you feel really strongly about that group, and I still think that theres places to go where we can build upon it even more, OConnell mentioned about Justin Jefferson and his wide receiving corps. In football, as a junior, he passed for 980 yards and seven touchdowns. Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett spoke with media members on Friday for the first time since his arrest for public intoxication in late January. A significant part of the positive culture was OConnell and Cousins working together in lockstep. The rushing attack. The Vikings won the NFC North for the first time since 2017, which was good enough for the NFC's third seed, but were defeated by the New York Giants in the Wild Card round by a final score of 3124. Since then, there have been postseason appearances after the 2012 (loss in Wild Card), 2015 (loss in Wild Card), 2017 (loss in NFC Championship), 2019 (loss in Divisional) and 2022 (loss in Wild Card) seasons. 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. Kupp's 145 receptions and 1,947 receiving yards both ranked as the second-highest single-season totals in NFL history, trailing only Michael Thomas's 149 receptions in 2019 and Calvin Johnson's 1,964 receiving yards in 2012. 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.. I'm sure a lot of fans will be going through that right now, and that hurts to hear, I can't lie, but I understand where that's coming from. 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 third strategy is the one the Vikings currently employ, and it may be the option with the least room for error. [2] At La Costa Canyon, O'Connell lettered in both football and basketball. An NFLPA survey showed the Vikings as the best team for players in the league, bringing evidence that the changes they promised worked out, gave the Vikings the highest grade of any team in the NFL. Who is Leah O'Connell, Wife of the Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O O'Connell was signed by the San Diego Chargers on July 29, 2012, to serve as an emergency back-up in the Chargers' practices with Charlie Whitehurst suffering an injury and Kyle Boller announcing his retirement from the league. Before his NFL career ended in 2012, O'Connell spent time with the Miami Dolphins, a second-stint with the Jets and the San Diego Chargers. Behind The Scenes of Kevin O'Connell's Media Day at The Combine A necessary condition is having a starter-level quarterback, Adofo-Mensah began. "Reflecting on what we were able to accomplish as a football team an NFC North title and 13 wins it goes beyond that. The Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year winner, Jefferson dominated opponents, generating 10 games over the 100-yard mark in O'Connell's first season in Minnesota. But there was a sobering line of questioning from a New York reporter pertaining to Giants head coach Brian Daboll. The Minnesota Vikings named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 16, 2022. . Its just not possible when sitting $24 million over the cap (per OverTheCap.com) to bring all the veterans back. Adofo-Mensah had to explain how the Vikings, a team in salary cap hell, were going to shed salary while building off the team's first 13-win season since 2017. . But even if he didnt injure his knee at Winter Park, its fair to wonder if he would have ever become the long-term franchise quarterback. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Heck, it was even over 70 degrees outside. So theres not one right way.. 3. We want to be there consistently with the chance to win it.". ", "Making sure that the standard of knowing we've got the culture, knowing we've got the right things going in this building," O'Connell said. KARE 11 Sports Director. Those are all questions we got to answer. 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. Meetings with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski have helped OConnell in this regard. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell fielded questions from the media on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. 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. The offensive line's sack rate, 4.5%, was the fifth-lowest in the NFL over the past two years. On August 31, 2010, New York released O'Connell. 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 with 41, while also winning his first playoff game in his 13th season in the NFL. "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. His teammates voted him as a captain for what he means not only to our organization but the Twin Cities. Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports. Understanding the goals of culture and the goals of building up through our leadership and setting a foundation and platform for every individual in this building to feel like they can thrive and grow and eventually reach their truest, highest potential. The only way theyre going to improve is through hard work and understanding that accountability factor to what their goals are, OConnell explained. Despite entering the league three years after Stafford, Cousins is also going into his age-34 season. For O'Connell to coach Jefferson for a "really long time," the star receiver will need a contract extension. He is a genuinely positive person who will help create a high-energy internal environment.". But in Kevin O'Connell's case on Wednesday, he was able to beam about the Vikings' culture after an NFL Players Association survey showed proof that he made good on the cultural promises he. O'Connell rushed for a touchdown in the 2008 preseason against the New York Giants in the fourth quarter, in a game the Patriots eventually lost 1914. When Favre finally declined, the Vikings were in another spot of desperation to draft a quarterback in 2011. Is there a chance to add somebody maybe with different skill sets? He grew up in Birmingham, Ala., and has written for Yahoo, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and the Kansas City Star, among many other places. "He understands what is critical to leading a team that wins at the highest level, and he has an ability to simplify the complex, which will help us in problem-solving in all football areas. Right. The Minnesota Vikings have committed to quarterback Kirk Cousins for the next two seasons, banking on further improvement under new head coach Kevin O'Connell. Under the guidance of O'Connell, Rams QB Matthew Stafford and WR Cooper Kupp both had career years in 2021. The Vikings Are Still Trying To Find Mr. Right At QB Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. 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. The Vikings left the Zimmer-Spielman era in desperate need of improved morale. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous.
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