Therefore, with free agency 11 days away, the Vikings and Thielen are firmly in the see what happens phase of the offseason, described by Thielen. But the biggest question on everybodys mind was what they were going to do with Kirk Cousins. A significant part of the positive culture was OConnell and Cousins working together in lockstep. O'Connell played quarterback at San Diego State University, and was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Following his All-Pro wideout's 1,809-yard, 128-catch, eight-touchdown campaign, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell believes Justin Jefferson can soar even higher. The Dallas Cowboys will place the franchise tag on running back Tony Pollard if the two sides cannot reach a long-term deal before March 7's deadline, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Friday, per sources. The Minnesota Vikings named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 16, 2022. 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. The third strategy is the one the Vikings currently employ, and it may be the option with the least room for error. To see the rest of the Kevin O'Connell's contract breakdowns, & gain access to all of Spotrac's Premium tools, sign up today. There was a mixed reaction to that pick. O'Connell also helped Vikings all-time leading rusher Adrian Peterson eclipse 1,000 scrimmage yards (1,040) at the age of 34. "He has a tremendous football IQ and is passionate about preparing, developing and communicating with his players. [23], On January 16, 2020, O'Connell was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as offensive coordinator. So, well see what happens.. However, blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience of the site and the services we are able to offer. "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. If the Vikings parted ways with Thielen via outright release or trade, theyd face three plausible options for 2023s WR2: For now, OConnell views Thielen as an unabashed team leader, but the front office must determine the fair compensation for his cap hit. Kevin O'Connell signed a 1 year, - contract with the San Diego Chargers, including an average annual salary of -. The Minnesota Vikings have made the hiring of Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach official by sharing the news on social media. [3] O'Connell graduated from La Costa Canyon in 2003. O'Connell was instrumental in aiding mid-season free agent signee WR Odell Beckham, Jr., to five receiving touchdowns in eight games played with the team, the most since his 2018 season with theNew York Giants. O'Connell, who led the Rams to finish ninth in total offense (372.1 yards per game) in 2021, helped his unit rank second in plays of 50-plus yards (10), fourth in yards per play (5.98) and eighth in offensive touchdowns (51) in 2021. "He is a strong leader, an innovative coach and an excellent communicator. OConnell respects the way Patrick Peterson, soon to be an unrestricted free agent, set a standard for young contributors in the secondary. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah noted Tuesday that inking the wideout to a new contract is a "high priority. [14] He was later released again on July 29, 2011.[15]. O'Connell, a former backup NFL quarterback who spent time with five different teams, knows the business from a player's side and coach's side. In the meantime, quarterbacks such as Heath Shuler, Trent Dilfer, and Jim Druckenmiller went off the board until Green finally saw a quarterback he liked in the 1999 draft, Daunte Culpepper. Heck, it was even over 70 degrees outside. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. To say I'm excited about coaching Justin for a really long time is an understatement.". ", "We've shown that we have a culture and an ability to do those things at a really high level," Adofo-Mensah said. As a senior, he was named his team's Most Valuable Player, and selected to All-League, All-North County, and All-San Diego teams. They worked with players they inherited, quickly assessing who was set to return and how to try to add pieces they deemed missing through a strategic approach to free agency and proceeding through the 2022 NFL Draft. It meets that first threshold, and thats a question that a lot of people cant answer with a yes. So we have got to make sure that we treat that in the proper importance it is.. It's supposed to sting.' But the. Its just not possible when sitting $24 million over the cap (per OverTheCap.com) to bring all the veterans back. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. The last remaining head coach opening in the NFL has been filled. Those are all questions we got to answer. O'Connell's father, Bill, was a longtime FBI agent, and his mother, Suzanne, is a teacher. 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. The Vikings have not gone to the playoffs in consecutive seasons since 2008-09. With Cousins in his mid-30s, the Vikings need to figure out a succession plan at quarterback. The Vikings were unable to officially announce that they were hiring O'Connell until after Los Angeles' playoff run came to an end. 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. Meetings with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski have helped OConnell in this regard. "I think we showed a building full of people, players, coaches, staff, ownership group, this guy next to me, would have the ability to be their best when their best is required. Adofo-Mensah shared an anecdote from after the game when he was walking the concourse behind a group of fans. Right comes along. Jan 19, 2023 at 10:00 AM. [17] He was released on August 12, 2012. In terms of the things that were different in 2022, the most noticeable were the approach to camp and preseason workloads, managing injuries and how players who were recovering from injuries were talked about publicly and the buy-in to quarterback Kirk Cousins. Kevin O'Connell, fresh off a Super Bowl victory as the Los Angeles Rams' offensive coordinator, was introduced as the Minnesota Vikings next head coach on Thursday, and the big takeaway from . Already Subscribed? And trading him post June 1 would save the team $35 million of that against their cap. He is a genuinely positive person who will help create a high-energy internal environment.". This information might be about you, your preferences or your device and is mostly used to make the site work as you expect it to. . "One of them said that she had been a long-time Vikings fan and always felt let down, and this team felt different to her," Adofo-Mensah said. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. [27][28] O'Connell's Vikings hiring reunited him with quarterback Kirk Cousins, whom O'Connell had coached in 2017 (Cousins' final year with the Washington Redskins). 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. There are a few fundamental things that will influence decisions, starting with whether Cousins signs an extension. In his first season as the Vikings' coach, O'Connell has compiled a 6-1 record and the team has a 3.5-game lead in the NFC North entering Week 9. Part of the reason for this is that the Vikings were still recovering from the Herschel Walker trade. EAGAN, Minn. Eleven months and a day after Kwesi Adofo-Mensah helped introduce Kevin O'Connell from a temporary stage constructed in Twin . But Kevin OConnells comments later in the week made it sound like something bigger was in the works. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. [24] In O'Connell's second season with the Rams, their offense ranked 2nd best in receiving touchdowns (41), 5th highest in total yards (4,893), 8th best in total touchdowns (63), and the team won Super Bowl LVI (defeating the Cincinnati Bengals, 2320). Its still something I think about often, OConnell said of the loss to the Giants. 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. 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. I believe in him as a player and was really proud of the way he played this year but we always have to be evaluating, he said. 4. Asked about the Vikings long-term future at that position, OConnell said he surveys the landscape of the position each year out of habit. The assessments of inherited players were made a year ago through film study and advanced metrics. 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 (!!!) The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. 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. 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. . In basketball, he was a two-year letterman, and a teammate of Arizona standout Chase Budinger. Sometimes how you have to reinvent yourself week in and week out, OConnell said. Justin Jeffersons superstar turn. While some coaches chose not to attend this years combine, OConnell places considerable value on meeting players in person. Right. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. converting part of right tackle Brian O'Neill's base salary to a signing bonus. O'Connell coached QB Kirk Cousins in 2017, helping him throw for more than 4,000 yards and 27 touchdowns, and record a career-high 342 rushing yards and a league-leading four game-winning drives. "When you involve people, it can make the job a lot tougher, but I also think the people aspect is what culture is and that's important," Adofo-Mensah added. Minnesota Vikings new head coach Kevin O'Connell takes over a club that missed the postseason the past two seasons with losing records and hasn't won the NFC North since 2017. [29]. By COURTNEY CRONIN. Sure, it may not be good as a fresh bowl of General Tsaos Chicken, but it beats not having Chinese food at all. Some believe that is too rich for an aging playmaker and have subsequently speculated about Thielen's fate in 2023. But even if they do like mayo in their coffee, it seems like OConnell is bringing a thorough evaluation process to find their guy. Furthermore, the Rams' 1,186 passing yards in the 2021 playoffs were the most in NFL history,surpassing the 2011 New York Giants (1,144).O'Connell helped Kupp (478) and Beckham, Jr., (288) post a combined 766 receiving yards in the playoffs, the most be any wide receiver duo this postseason. Last edited on 26 February 2023, at 04:43, "Adam Thielen on KOC's lack of screaming: 'It's kind of almost awkward', "SDSU Aztecs Biography for Kevin O'Connell", "Offensive Evolution Under Long Has Come to Pass for the Aztecs", "Kevin O'Connell Draft and Combine Prospect Profile", "Kevin OConnell, San Diego State, QB, 2008 NFL Draft Scout, NCAA College Football", "Lions have seven picks in upcoming draft", "Jets lose confidence in rookie running back Joe McKnight", "Jets release backup QB Mark Brunell, still waiting on Nnamdi Asomugha", "Jets awarded four players off waivers, including QB Kevin O'Connell; cut Aaron Maybin", "Chargers Notes: Former LCC, Aztecs QB O'Connell signed as emergency fill-in", "Kevin O'Connell hired to coach QBs as Browns round out offensive staff", "49ers adding O'Connell to offensive staff", "Kevin O'Connell will coach quarterbacks in Washington", "Redskins Promote Kevin O'Connell To Offensive Coordinator; Matt Cavanaugh Moves To Senior Offensive Assistant", "Kevin O'Connell amicably departs as Redskins hire Scott Turner as OC", "2021 Los Angeles Rams Rosters, Stats, Schedule, Team Draftees, Injury Reports", "Los Angeles Rams come back to win Super Bowl LVI 2320 in front of hometown crowd", "Minnesota Vikings Name Kevin O'Connell 10th Head Coach In Franchise History", "Minnesota Vikings officially hire 'innovative' Kevin O'Connell as new head coach", "Packers vs. Vikings - Box Score - September 11, 2020", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kevin_O%27Connell_(American_football)&oldid=1141660186, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 26 February 2023, at 04:43. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. 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. The coach has made it a priority to educate himself on the particulars of the teams cap constraints. Anchored by T Andrew Whitworth, the oldest offensive lineman in the NFL, the Rams offensive line only allowed 56 sacks in the two years O'Connell was in Los Angeles, which was good for the seventh-fewest among NFL clubs. The 33-year-old quarterback's $35 million base salary for 2022 became guaranteed last March . Michigan cornerback DJ Turner II is the early leader for fastest player at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine after posting a time of 4.26 seconds in the 40-yard dash on Friday. Before the Super Bowl, Thielen said onESPNsFirst Take, I want to retire a Viking. 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. Finding a suitable compromise appears to be the current strategy. One of those decisions involves quarterback Kirk Cousins. The more I can educate myself, learning about the details and particulars of our current situation, our previous situation, and obviously what it looks like moving forward, the more my conversations can be not only from an accurate place of where we are at this moment but where we hope to get to, OConnell said. 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 Minnesota Vikings have an intriguing decision on Adam Thielens future with the franchise, a team that has employed him since 2013. In 2019, O'Connell helped guide rookie WR Terry McLaurin to 58 receptions, 919 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, the second-most receptions and third-most receiving yards and touchdowns among rookies in franchise history. O'Connell and the Rams are coming. Get a behind-the-scenes look at Vikings Head Coach Kevin O'Connell's media day last week at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. New Minnesota Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell, some two weeks after reaching an agreement with the club to replace Mike Zimmer, can finally wear some purple. But I did want to take the time to reflect and to move forward in the right way," O'Connell said. He takes it very seriously how much people and young kids look up to him. Part of their jobs during the comprehensive evaluation process will be setting aside those personal relationships and not letting them interfere with the process of building the 2023 Vikings to have the best chance at a championship and be within the constraints of the NFL's salary cap. . [22] After the 201920 regular season, O'Connell was not retained by the incoming new head coach, Ron Rivera. On Tuesday, Adofo-Mensah explained that Cousins camp wants certainty if he is to sign a new deal, while the Vikings seek flexibility. This organization saw a shift in how it was being defended from previous years to this year, OConnell said. Spielman hand-picked Ponder to be his quarterback after watching a game against North Carolina and a couple of practices at the Senior Bowl. And just in all of our dialogue Monday with our players, getting a chance to meet with each and every one of them, they understand that, and they're motivated for that. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. INDIANAPOLIS Following his news conference Wednesday afternoon at the NFL Scouting Combine, Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin OConnell met with a small group of beat writers. O'Connell graduated from San Diego State University in December 2007 with a degree in political science. Hes the epitome of a hometown hero, universally loved, and the type of player who should retire with the Vikings. The day the Vikings introduced defensive coordinator Brian Flores, OConnell mentioned the thorough self-evaluation process that took place when the season ended. But Kevin O'Connell's comments later in the week made it sound like something bigger was in the works. Thielen joined the Vikings a decade ago as an undrafted special teamer and clawed his way up the depth chart to WR1 by the start of 2016. ", "I don't want to be the Vikings GM without this guy on our team, so it's a priority," Adofo-Mensah said. At the 2008 NFL Combine, O'Connell ran the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds; only University of San Diego quarterback Josh Johnson had a faster time. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. in the 2012 draft. O'Connell, 36, was a third-round pick . O'Connell was selected by the New England Patriots in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft and played quarterback at San Diego State University. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. One thing I know, [Cousins] is good enough. They could have done what the Pittsburgh Steelers did by drafting Kenny Pickett in the first round last year, but they knew he wasnt the guy. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. [10], He was named a team captain for the September 20 game against the New England Patriots.[11]. This time of year tends to be a difficult time when youre talking about players futures and how they affect the greater picture of our team, and those conversations are ongoing, he said. 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. 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. A former NFL quarterback who was a career backup, O'Connell has been the Rams' offensive coordinator for the past two seasons.
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