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. "Justin just had an incredible year, but what I liked about it the most was just the impactful plays at critical moments he made for our team, among a lot of our players," O'Connell said. 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. O'Connell, who led the Rams to finish ninth in total offense (372.1 yards per game) this season, 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. Kevin is currently the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and his salary is $84 million for three years. One of the last times I spoke with you [after roster reductions to 53], I was up here, and I think someone told me my appearance was a little more dour than it normally is and that was because that was two emotional days of having to tell people no and having to say, 'Your dream is stopped for the day.' 2. 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 after a year on the bench, Culpepper took the Vikings into the next decade before suffering a multi-ligament knee injury in 2005. Adofo-Mensah, who previously worked on Wall Street, was asked to assess where the Vikings stock is. 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. Vikings coach Kevin O'Connell fielded questions from the media on Wednesday at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. 2023 Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC , All Rights Reserved. One thing I know, [Cousins] is good enough. Conversely, when the Vikings ran for zero or negative yards on first down, something they did more than any other team in the league aside from the Jaguars, they would then be fighting uphill. Beyond the Xs and Os, everyone we spoke with throughout this search process spoke highly of Kevin's ability to motivate players, coaches and staff. Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell isn't saying if Ed Donatell will return as defensive coordinator for the 2023 season. 2023 Minnesota Vikings Football, LLC , All Rights Reserved. He spent his childhood in Carlsbad, California, where he attended La Costa Canyon High School. [14] He was later released again on July 29, 2011.[15]. During the 2021 season, O'Connell's lone season with Stafford, the signal caller threw for the third-most passing yards (4,886) and second-most touchdowns (41) in the NFL, all while achieving his career-best 102.9 passer rating (in seasons with more than eight starts), the sixth-best in the NFL. When Kwesi Adofo-Mensah stepped up to the podium at the NFL Scouting Combine, he had several questions to answer about the Minnesota Vikings future. 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. He was also born in Minnesota. [23], On January 16, 2020, O'Connell was hired by the Los Angeles Rams as offensive coordinator. - Page 5 . On Tuesday, Adofo-Mensah explained that Cousins camp wants certainty if he is to sign a new deal, while the Vikings seek flexibility. [12] Following his departure, O'Connell found that he had a torn labrum in his throwing arm, an injury he sustained during the preseason. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. But I did want to take the time to reflect and to move forward in the right way," O'Connell said. Vikings Players Close Out Season with Locker Room Clean Out. He isnt on the same tier as Patrick Mahomes or Joe Burrow, but is good enough to hold down the position until they can find that player. As he reviewed the way defenses matched up against his team, OConnell noticed a trend. I think we laid a foundation for where we want to go. "We have to make sure we do it in an order that we can do it in given all the other decisions we have to make.". O'Connell, 36, was a member of the 49ers coaching staff (special projects) in 2016 and overlapped that season with new Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. On Wednesday, OConnell said hes hoping that their shared experience in 2022 will help both sides satisfy their needs. 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. converting part of right tackle Brian O'Neill's base salary to a signing bonus. Following his release, the New York Jets re-signed O'Connell to a two-year deal. A significant part of the positive culture was OConnell and Cousins working together in lockstep. O'Connell is the offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams, so he can't officially become the Vikings' new head coach until after the Super Bowl. [4] He was the Kai team quarterback in the 2008 Hula Bowl, where he led the offense and was one of the Kai team's only bright spots. 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. Alec Lewis is a staff writer covering the Minnesota Vikings for The Athletic. OConnell said he values the way the aforementioned players embraced his hiring last year and appreciates the way they helped bring about an entirely new culture. The Vikings need to clear $23 million of 2023 salary to get under the cap. The offensive line's sack rate, 4.5%, was the fifth-lowest in the NFL over the past two years. He also writes for Bring Me The News and The Viking Age and hosts The Homer Horn Podcast. 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. If they want a quarterback in this draft, they seem willing to find a way to get them. 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. He was 11-of-21 for 147 yards, and completed the pass which resulted in the Kai's only score of the game.[6]. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. The Minnesota Vikings have made the hiring of Kevin O'Connell as their new head coach official by sharing the news on social media. The browser you are using is no longer supported on this site. Its not always easy to maintain that, but I will never change from that because I just believe thats the way youre supposed to operate.. These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. At the end of the day Wednesday, the Vikings head coach left the building with one of the easier media sessions youll ever run across in the NFL. Right. Florida's Anthony Richardson, one of the draft's most intriguing QB prospects, told reporters on Friday that in high school he modeled his game after two notable passers: Cam Newton and Lamar Jackson. 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. OConnell, though, sounded committed to making it work. Right comes along. 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. [But you] sit in exit meetings with players, and it becomes personal at that point," Adofo-Mensah said. Doing so could mean some hard decisions on key contributors from last season like Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks, ZaDarius Smith and others. They were together in Washington and grew their connection this season as the veteran QB led eight game-winning drives, won the division for the first time since arriving in Minnesota and put together one of his best games in the playoffs vs. the Giants. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. This organization saw a shift in how it was being defended from previous years to this year, OConnell said. 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. 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. NFL footage NFL Productions LLC. Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports. When you visit any web site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. The 2020 Rams offense featured the 10th-ranked rushing attack, posting 126.1 yards per game on the ground, behind two 600-plus rushing seasons from RB Cam Akers and RB Darrell Henderson. General manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah noted Tuesday that inking the wideout to a new contract is a "high priority. We haven't shown our ability to come in year-in, year-out and do those things. 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. Top Salaries Free Agents Extensions Tools Best Values Transactions Chargers Kevin O'Connell Embed This Chargers, QB Age: 37-208d Exp: Years Drafted: Round 3 (#94 overall), 2008 College: San Diego State Agent (s): - More Chargers - Contract Details Transactions Statistics Transactions Sep 4 2011 Claimed off waivers by New York (NYJ) The Vikings had several needs coming off a 15-win season in 1998. [20], On January 20, 2017, O'Connell was hired as the Washington Redskins' quarterbacks coach, working under head coach Jay Gruden. If Levis or Richardson is the type of quarterback that answers those questions, the Vikings will likely do their best to move up. "I came from a business where your job is to not be emotional and if you make emotional decisions, you typically make bad decisions. [3] O'Connell graduated from La Costa Canyon in 2003. O'Connell was asked today if Donatell will be back and didn't . O'Connell's father, Bill, was a longtime FBI agent, and his mother, Suzanne, is a teacher. With Robert Quinn, Cameron Jordan and Cameron Heyward still on the board, the Vikings decided to get their guy Christian Ponder. There are times when hes mad and when Im mad. Already Subscribed? Along the way, personal relationships grew. "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. One element of his teams play that must improve? 3. 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. Were having conversations with our players, their representation, and ultimately how all of those things shake out will be done in a way where we just want to make sure we stand by what we believe in as an organization.. 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. The Vikings announced their agreement in principle with Cousins on a one-year contract extension Sunday the latest high-leverage deal that Cousins has successfully bet on himself with and the clearest sign yet that the Vikings aren . O'Connell, 36, was a third-round pick . O'Connell graduated from San Diego State University in December 2007 with a degree in political science. On August 5, 2011, O'Connell signed with the Miami Dolphins, but was waived on September 3. Eagan, Minn. (February 15, 2022) The Minnesota Vikings have named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history. Coming off a Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati. Ive been very honest about that. Meetings with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski have helped OConnell in this regard. A year later, they have far more expertise of the Vikings' roster. But Kevin OConnells comments later in the week made it sound like something bigger was in the works. 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. He takes it very seriously how much people and young kids look up to him. 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. Weve got some real decisions to talk through and things to work through, 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. I think that's where we want to go eventually," Adofo-Mensah continued. "I greatly appreciate the Wilf family, Kwesi and the entire Minnesota Vikings organization for providing the opportunity to be their next head coach," said O'Connell. "Unbelievable talent. OConnell explained Wednesday that that process ranged from reviewing game-management decisions to gauging his teams success in various schemes and plays. "It's so easy from my background to sit in front of a spreadsheet and make decisions and talk about things. "Reflecting on what we were able to accomplish as a football team an NFC North title and 13 wins it goes beyond that. The Vikings Will Benefit From Their Revamped Team Culture, Theres One Ideal Way To Deal With Danielle Hunters Contract. None of that is to say OConnell is not evaluating quarterbacks in this years draft. Adofo-Mensah admitted his elevation to GM brought him more exposure to the human elements than when he was advancing through the research-and-development departments with the 49ers and Browns. He also held the same position for Washington in 2019 after serving as the team'spassing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach. O'Connell won his first game as head coach against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 of the 2022 season by a score of 237. Theres a lot of different directions you can go, OConnell said, and (each decision) affects another one and another one. Justin Jeffersons superstar turn. He categorized the current state of rushing in the NFL into three separate strategies: deploying a running quarterback, operating in the run-pass option world, and going the traditional route with run-pass deception from under center. Thielen will turn 33 this summer and incur a $19.9 million cap hit against the Vikings salary cap. Is there a chance to add somebody maybe with different skill sets? Kevin O'Connell: Vikings have 'some real decisions' ahead to get under salary cap By Alec Lewis Mar 1, 2023 14 INDIANAPOLIS Following his news conference Wednesday afternoon at the NFL. KSTPs Darren Wolfson reported that the Vikings met with Florida manI meanquarterback Anthony Richardson at the scouting combine and OConnell is keen on Kentucky quarterback Will Levis despite his Orlovskian food takes. 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. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. But it was part of the process to find a long-term solution. 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. During the 2018 season, O'Connell was tasked with getting three different quarterbacks (Josh Johnson, Colt McCoy and Mark Sanchez) up to speed following a devastating injury to starting QB Alex Smith. Those are all questions we got to answer. NFL.com keeps you up to date with all of the latest league news from around the NFL. He believes he's the best receiver in football -- I happen to agree with him -- and a lot goes with that. The Minnesota Vikings named Kevin O'Connell as the 10th head coach in franchise history on Feb. 16, 2022. How do you build the rest of the team? Adofo-Mensah asked. [2] At La Costa Canyon, O'Connell lettered in both football and basketball. 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. Following his All-Pro wideout's 1,809-yard, 128-catch, eight-touchdown campaign, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell believes Jefferson can soar even higher.
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