As the Minnesota Vikings begin their second round of interviews for their general manager in this shortened post-holiday week, there are five finalists. One is, of course, interim general manager Rob Brzezinski. Two (Terrance Gray, Reed Burckhardt) spent time with the Vikings earlier in their careers, and another (John McKay) has a tie to head coach Kevin O'Connell.
It feels like a foregone, thumb-on-the-scale conclusion that Brzezinski will just have the interim tag removed from his title. Based on what owner Mark Wilf said to Yahoo!'s Jori Epstein at the recent league meetings. The evaluation aspect of being a general manager is less important than someone who "represents ownership" and can lead the room, like former general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah apparently couldn't.
It's also possible that Brzezinski is given a president of football operations-like title, and a general manager is hired under him. But based on what Wilf seemed to hint to Epstein, there won't be that kind of split of who leads "business vs. evaluation." So, barring something unforeseen, a general manager who functions in a broad overall role is coming.
Minnesota Vikings urged to land where they probably won't in GM search
Of course, we have not mentioned the fifth finalist for the Vikings' general manager post, who will have a second interview. But Kyle Joudry of Vikings Territory has recently honed in on him as the No. 1 candidate.
"Many appear to believe that Rob Brzezinski is going to land the job, making a small leap from being the short-term GM to the full-time GM. Others foresee a reunion with former talent. Ben Leber, for instance, took to social media to express his belief that Brzezinski, Gray, and Burkhardt are 'the front runners.' Quite possibly, Leber will be proven correct, but allow me to insist on a different name to watch: Nolan Teasley of the Seattle Seahawks."
Nolan Teasley has been with the Seahawks since 2013, rising from scouting department intern to pro personnel scout to assistant director of pro personnel to director of pro personnel before becoming assistant general manager under John Schneider in 2022. The Seahawks good drafting record has some of Teasley's fingerprints on it.
Joudry also noted how the Vikings brought in former Seahawks executive Matt Thomas as short-term help this offseason. So they may have gathered some good intel about Teasley before ever talking to him about their general manager opening.
A general slow-play of the search for Adofo-Mensah's permanent replacement combines with Wilf's recent comments to fortify Brzezinski as the top candidate to be the Vikings' next general manager. And if it's not him, then McKay, Gray, and Burckhardt's past ties naturally boost their candidacies.
Teasley pretty easily comes in fifth among the five finalists, in terms of likelihood to be the Vikings' general manager. But maybe, in the interest of bringing in outside ideas that have actually worked, he should be No. 1...err, No. 2 in deference to the expectation Brzezinski will be the guy, but also acknowledging the remote chance a pivot away from him comes.
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