After the conclusion of the NFL Draft, the Minnesota Vikings next order of business was to find a new general manager. It’s now two weeks later, and the candidates are known, but fans shouldn’t expect a resolution anytime soon.
The Vikings are the only team without a GM at the moment, and while longtime executive Rob Brzezinski has been acting as interim general manager, the clock is ticking on finding a permanent solution. With OTA’s and then training camp coming up quickly, Minnesota would like to have a GM in place soon, but it sounds like that won’t be the case according to CBS’ Jonathan Jones.
“Virtual interviews began yesterday and continue today,” he wrote on X. “With league meetings next week followed by a holiday, it’s possible in-person second round interviews won’t take place until after Memorial Day.”
If the Vikings follow this timeframe, they may not make a hire until mid-June at the earliest barring any unforeseen developments.
The Vikings Will Take Their Highly Anticipated GM Search Into June
With Brzezinski still under heavy consideration, the Vikings also requested interviews from Los Angeles Chargers assistant GM Chad Alexander, San Francisco 49ers assistant GM RJ Gillen, Buffalo Bills assistant GM Terrance Gray, Los Angeles Rams assistant GM John McKay, Seattle Seahawks assistant GM Nolan Teasley, and Tennessee Titans assistant GM Dave Ziegler.
Minnesota is clearly looking for someone with a scouting background after the failed analytical approach with Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. They may also be considering maintaining Brzezinski in a President of Football Operations role, and pairing him with one of the GM candidates as Alec Lewis of The Athletic noted.
“Wilf rejected the idea of a president-style structure in late March, but it still might make sense to keep Brzezinski around while also adding some external personnel perspective,” wrote Lewis.
“This role would require a specific type of candidate: someone who would be mostly comfortable as an information disseminator, a staffer with ties to college and around the NFL who could funnel intel to all areas of the staff. In this scenario, the Vikings would be returning to a setup similar to the one they had with Spielman, executive George Paton and Brzezinski alongside then-head coach Mike Zimmer.”
Vikings Sign Two More Players This Weekend
Meanwhile, Brzezinski is still showcasing his months-long interview, with his latest moves coming this week. While signing receiver Jauan Jennings was the big news, the Vikings quietly added two more defenders after their rookie tryout held over the weekend.
Former Penn State and North Carolina lineman Smith Vilbert, and Kansas linebacker Bangally Kamara have signed with Minnesota.
Vilbert is a 6-foot-6, 282-pound defensive lineman and racked up 22 tackles, six tackles for loss, a sack, and a forced fumble with the Tar Heels last season. Kamara is a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker who had 56 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks at Kansas.
Each will have this summer to try and show their skills in an attempt to make either the 53-man roster or the practice squad.
Vikings Won’t Be Hiring New GM Anytime Soon, According to Latest Update