Former Bills general manager Doug Whaley talked to Purple Insider about power dynamics within a front office and how the Vikings can get it right with their next GM hire
The absolute best thing the Vikings can do this off-season is find a desperate team that will trade a 2027 1st to move up this year. Taking JJMC didn't work, that sucks, but the solution is to try again in 2028, and having two no. 1s would facilitate doing so.
Whaley's suggestion that it's actually possible to anticipate QB draft classes years in advance is more than a little suspect. Teams aren't good at IDing QBs in the year they are drafted, much less even farther in advance. To wit--guess which GM originally held the pick that was used on Mahomes, and traded it away?
Fun fact: the last QB that was the first one taken in his draft *and* won a SB with the team that drafted him was P. Manning, who was drafted in 1998. Finding a QB is difficult; the only useful strategy is to keep trying until finally landing one.
The Vikings have not had a truly effective GM since Jim Finks. Mike Lynn, Denny Green and Rick Spielman where not in the same class as Howie Roseman, John Lynch and John Schneider.
Interesting interview. Think I agree that they’d be better off with a GM who runs everything and only reports up to ownership, but I’m not sure that’s how it will go down. I still think the Wilfs’ have a lot of faith in KOC and will likely bring in somebody who is underneath him in the pecking order. That probably assumes that this trial run of an offseason goes well, but I think that’s what this is at the end of the day: a trial run for KOC the GM. If KOC shows he can do the personnel thing at a high level, they’ll let him keep doing it.
It's nice to have these things to focus on, but in the end they don't really matter. We know KOC is a good coach. We know that the Vikings don't have a viable QB, and it's highly unlikely they can acquire one for '26.
Surely to goodness the Wilfs are aware of the above, or they could/should have fired KOC, too, and they also learned from the "Triangle of Authority" disaster.
So, it really boils down to can the Vikings find a QB for 2027. If so, it won't matter who made the final call, because everyone will look good. If not, well, it probably won't matter who preferred whom.
Agree that next season all hinges on the QB, but I don’t know if I’d say the Wilfs have learned from the triangle of authority disaster. Isn’t that more or less what they just did again with Kwesi and KOC? Might just be how they prefer to run things.
There are well-run teams where the HCs (Shanny Jr, Payton) get the players they want, because they are in charge. There are also well-run teams where the HCs (McDonald, Lafleur) get some of the players they want, because the GM is in charge. There is always some level of collaboration.
However decisions are made, the combination of the QB, coach and roster needs to be good enough to compete. Obviously, the Vikings have a hole, if not a vacuum, at QB. Whatever the process and final say, the key is whether QB gets solved.
Re: the triangle, two hands on the tiller is one too many, but still better than three. However, colour me a little bit skeptical that for four years we didn't get a peep about a dysfunctional front office--despite the obvious smoke when KOC was extended in January and KAM not until after the draft--but then after KAM is fired, we suddenly hear myriad tales of chaos? Many of the decisions on KAM's watch were bad, but there was still a mechanism such that they were made.
Any reason they wouldn't just make Rob Brz. the guy?
The absolute best thing the Vikings can do this off-season is find a desperate team that will trade a 2027 1st to move up this year. Taking JJMC didn't work, that sucks, but the solution is to try again in 2028, and having two no. 1s would facilitate doing so.
Whaley's suggestion that it's actually possible to anticipate QB draft classes years in advance is more than a little suspect. Teams aren't good at IDing QBs in the year they are drafted, much less even farther in advance. To wit--guess which GM originally held the pick that was used on Mahomes, and traded it away?
Fun fact: the last QB that was the first one taken in his draft *and* won a SB with the team that drafted him was P. Manning, who was drafted in 1998. Finding a QB is difficult; the only useful strategy is to keep trying until finally landing one.
Fun to read the behind the scenes stuff like this. Thx, Matt!
Enjoyed the article, gave me a lot to think over, thx
The Vikings have not had a truly effective GM since Jim Finks. Mike Lynn, Denny Green and Rick Spielman where not in the same class as Howie Roseman, John Lynch and John Schneider.
Interesting interview. Think I agree that they’d be better off with a GM who runs everything and only reports up to ownership, but I’m not sure that’s how it will go down. I still think the Wilfs’ have a lot of faith in KOC and will likely bring in somebody who is underneath him in the pecking order. That probably assumes that this trial run of an offseason goes well, but I think that’s what this is at the end of the day: a trial run for KOC the GM. If KOC shows he can do the personnel thing at a high level, they’ll let him keep doing it.
It's nice to have these things to focus on, but in the end they don't really matter. We know KOC is a good coach. We know that the Vikings don't have a viable QB, and it's highly unlikely they can acquire one for '26.
Surely to goodness the Wilfs are aware of the above, or they could/should have fired KOC, too, and they also learned from the "Triangle of Authority" disaster.
So, it really boils down to can the Vikings find a QB for 2027. If so, it won't matter who made the final call, because everyone will look good. If not, well, it probably won't matter who preferred whom.
Agree that next season all hinges on the QB, but I don’t know if I’d say the Wilfs have learned from the triangle of authority disaster. Isn’t that more or less what they just did again with Kwesi and KOC? Might just be how they prefer to run things.
There are well-run teams where the HCs (Shanny Jr, Payton) get the players they want, because they are in charge. There are also well-run teams where the HCs (McDonald, Lafleur) get some of the players they want, because the GM is in charge. There is always some level of collaboration.
However decisions are made, the combination of the QB, coach and roster needs to be good enough to compete. Obviously, the Vikings have a hole, if not a vacuum, at QB. Whatever the process and final say, the key is whether QB gets solved.
Re: the triangle, two hands on the tiller is one too many, but still better than three. However, colour me a little bit skeptical that for four years we didn't get a peep about a dysfunctional front office--despite the obvious smoke when KOC was extended in January and KAM not until after the draft--but then after KAM is fired, we suddenly hear myriad tales of chaos? Many of the decisions on KAM's watch were bad, but there was still a mechanism such that they were made.