Mike Zimmer: West Coast-maven Pat Shumur will have input

Mike Zimmer spoke about new tight ends coach Pat Shurmur’s role with the Vikings offense.

Don’t call Pat Shurmur a passing-game coordinator or a co-offensive coordinator or anything else except tight ends coach.

Do call Pat Shurmur another voice in the room who brings a certain experience and a certain approach, having learned the ways of the West Coast offense under Andy Reid in Philadelphia.

Head coach Mike Zimmer left no doubt about what newly-hired assistant Shurmur’s official title will be, while offering up hints about the actual role Shurmur will play as a member of Norv Turner’s offensive staff (via Scout.com):

"“We’re not really into titles,” Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said while scouting players at the Senior Bowl. “We just want guys that want to work and guys that want to be there. Pat was excited to be there."

Zimmer added:

"“He’s had experience. He’s been with a lot of different offenses, been a head coach, been an offensive coordinator. He’s coached the tight ends before,” Zimmer said. “He’s had some experience with the Philadelphia offense, the West Coast offense. I think it’s just good to get more guys in that have input.”"

Norv Turner’s run-first/vertical-passing offense looked like a bad fit for QB Teddy Bridgewater at times in 2015, and there is a line of thinking that concludes Bridgewater would be better-suited in an offense that implements more West Coast principles.

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Though West Coast-maven Shurmur certainly has not been brought in to replace Norv Turner, Zimmer’s remarks make it plain that Shurmur will have input in the offense.

How much input Shumur ends up having may depend on how Teddy Bridgewater develops. Call Pat Shurmur tight ends coach for today, but remember that tiles can change.