Kwesi’s Executive of the Year Case Is Getting Stronger By the Week
Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah got off to a rocky start as a first-time executive in 2022. Only four players (Ty Chandler, Jalen Nailor, Brian Asamoah, and Ed Ingram) from his initial 2022 draft class remain on the active roster, and none are full-time starters. His history as a stock market guru was greeted by skepticism, and, somewhat ironically for a stock trader, his NFL trades were derided by some for not getting adequate value in return.
But that debut year as the Vikings GM is far in the rearview mirror, and 2024 is the Year of Kwesi. After his Vikings dispatched Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, that stomped out any remaining doubt in his vision. It is now fully realized, and the symbolism of beating the QB whom Kwesi allowed to walk as a free agent is lost on no one.
Look, one win shouldn’t make or break an Executive of the Year race. But what about 11 of them? Despite the growing pains that come with learning on the job as a first-time general manager within the richest sport in America, Kwesi’s limitations in drafting have been overshadowed by his unabashed success with cap management, roster construction, and willingness to make trades when the demand to stay competitive calls for it.
Not to kick the 6-7 Kirk while he’s down, but this version of the Vikings truly stems from cashing in on the opportunity gains created by his decision to not sign an aging Cousins. We saw all of the fruits of his offseason for the ages on Sunday.
How can you not start with Sam Darnold here? Darnold is only making $10 million but is delivering MVP-caliber play. Sunday was the exclamation point on the former No. 3 overall pick’s comeback season, and he did it by doing things his predecessor could never do. Darnold’s five-touchdown day was the result of him unleashing his big arm again and again, oftentimes aided by a level of escapability we hadn’t seen from many Vikings QBs in recent years.
Meanwhile, a Minnesota defense that was largely funded by the savings from going from Cousins to Darnold held their former field general to zero touchdowns and two interceptions. Jonathan Greenard, Andrew Van Ginkel, and Blake Cashman are all enjoying career years on incredibly team-friendly deals. While they didn’t have many splash plays on Sunday, they’ve been impact players for a fraction of what Cousins earned.
Each have enjoyed signature games. In Week 3 against the Houston Texans, Greenard had three of his team-leading 10 sacks. Van Ginkel made game-changing Pick-6es against the New York Giants and New York Jets (and just barely missed a third one on Cousins). Cashman was disruptive all afternoon when they played the San Francisco 49ers, with 13 total tackles, one sack, and three passes defended. Together, they combined for a bargain price of $36.5 million average annual value, compared to Cousins and Hunter who signed for a total of $69.5 million AAV with their new teams.
And that’s not even the full list of new defenders that helped fend off Cousins. Shaq Griffin played most of the game’s meaningful snaps, and rotational free-agent additions like Jihad Ward, Jerry Tillery, and Kamu Grugier-Hill got in the mix. First-round rookie Dallas Turner got a hit on Cousins that some credited with changing the momentum of the game. While Stephon Gilmore was injured on Sunday, his presence has been impactful in the Vikings lineup throughout the season
Dallas Turner pops Kirk Cousins and Jalen Redmond bats down the pass pic.twitter.com/QKJYhLV4d5
— Will Ragatz (@WillRagatz) December 8, 2024
Then there’s Aaron Jones, who bounced back from a streak of fumbles to rush for 73 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. Jones was another luxury the Vikings could suddenly afford, and he’s made a big impact on a running game that constantly sputtered last season. Another big win for Kwesi.
And the Ws didn’t stop once the season started. Following Christian Darrisaw‘s injury, he dipped into his draft capital to trade for Cam Robinson, who has stabilized the offensive line that might have crumbled otherwise. Cam Akers is another trade deadline acquisition that has helped solidify the running game, giving the team a credible backup for Jones. Both in-season pickups helped out on Sunday, with Robinson earning a 77.3 pass-blocking grade and Akers turning five carries into 37 yards.
And all that doesn’t even include his extension for cornerstone Justin Jefferson, who exploded for 132 yards and two touchdowns. Nor does it include his greatest draft success so far, 2023 first-rounder Jordan Addison, who one-upped Jefferson twice with 133 yards and three touchdowns.
And whatever you can say about Adofo-Mensah’s checkered draft history, he has excelled in acquiring UDFA talent, which is a remarkable contrast to the previous regime. Former GM Rick Spielman almost completely ignored that avenue for acquiring talent, but Kwesi has landed six players who would all be on the team now if not for health. That includes a starter in Ivan Pace Jr.
Then there’s Kwesi’s ace in the hole: Kevin O’Connell. The head coach has maximized the talent Kwesi brought in this offseason, and he had a hand in picking out Darnold from the free-agent pack. Both GM and coach are fueling each other’s rise into the ranks of the elites of the NFL.
Not all of it starts with allowing Cousins to walk, of course. But by taking this route of clearing out aging players that no longer made fiscal sense, the Vikings built an elite team that has maintained the cap flexibility to add talent going forward.
The beginning of the season seems so long ago, but remember, this was supposed to be the transitional year. There are plenty of great organizations having great years, like the Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs, and Buffalo Bills. But who didn’t expect those teams to have great years? Those teams are all exquisitely built, of course, but no one’s surprised that those teams have all one 10-plus games.
On the other hand, Kwesi’s 11-2 Vikings might just make a deep playoff run with a quarterback the entire NFL left for dead three years ago. He spent last offseason hitting home run after home run in free agency, and his in-season moves have each been hits, as well. How does anyone keep Kwesi out of the conversation for Executive of the Year honors?
Sunday was the ultimate refutation of the way things were in Minnesota with Cousins and the ultimate validation of the perfect storm Kwesi created in Minnesota. By exceeding expectations to open up a championship window for both this season and years to come, he should be the easy front-runner for the EOTY award.
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