He was a later-than-usual hire, but Minnesota Vikings general manager Nolan Teasley wasted no time putting his stamp on things. He has also shown himself to be a man of relatively few words in his media appearances up to this point, but the words have usually landed with substance.
Teasley and head coach Kevin O'Connell had their press conference to kick off training camp on Tuesday. O'Connell was typically word-salad driven with most of his answers, as expected, whereas Teasley was not, also as expected based on what we've seen from him so far.
Most roster additions at this point in the calendar won't be needle-movers, but the Vikings signing three-time Pro Bowl safety (and current linebacker) Jamal Adams before camp was interesting.
But the addition of a versatile new toy for Brian Flores doesn't address a depth concern elsewhere on the defense.
Nolan Teasley teases the Minnesota Vikings' roster addition that seems inevitable
In light of adding Adams to the defensive mix, Teasley was asked about the prospect of adding another edge rusher.
“If there’s a good football [player] out there, somewhere, we’re actively discussing and pursuing it, finding ways to improve our roster. Every day of the week, every day of the month, and every day between now and the trade deadline and the end of the season."
O'Connell had to have been proud of all those words that said almost nothing, just as Teasley had to have been a little exhausted by uttering them.
So, as a reporter asked, “Is that guy out there?”
“There’s always good football players out there, for sure", Teasley said.
Indeed, there are some interesting veteran edge rushers who are still free agents as training camps get going.
Roster maneuvering by other teams in the coming weeks and final roster cuts at the end of August could open up other possibilities.
If someone is signed, things like Flores' preference (beyond sheer fit in his scheme) and history with Flores, Teasley, or someone else in the organization are likely to drive the move.
When asked about filling a roster void that seems so clear, at least in terms of experience behind the starters in the case of the Vikings' edge rusher depth chart, many general managers would say as little as possible or offer up a word salad that offers nothing of substance.
Not Teasley. While he's not going to (and should not) reveal specific details about anything before something happens, he's already setting a tone where he'll answer questions directly and, most of the time, concisely.
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