The Minnesota Vikings finally found their general manager with the hiring of Nolan Teasley from the Seattle Seahawks.
When first reported, it was said that, with Teasley on board, the Vikings would be using a triangle-of-authority hierarchy to run the team. That notion was shot down in Teasley's introductory press conference by owner Mark Wilf.
He flat-out said that both Rob Brzezinski and Kevin O'Connell will directly report to Teasley, who will have final say over the roster.
While Mark Wilf said that, and by all indications, that appears to be the plan, is it the truth, or is there someone else who may even have more power in the organization?
Nolan Teasley is the general manager on paper, and there's no disputing that. He will have the final say over who the team drafts and what free agents they sign.
However, he has two other men right behind him in the pecking order.
Rob Brzezinski is a master of the salary cap and contract massaging. He will continue that role and had a taste of being the man in charge when he was the interim general manager for the last few months.
Kevin O'Connell is the other man who nearly sits on the throne of the Vikings. He's the head coach who is known for creating an environment that players want to play in and for.
He has made Minnesota a destination spot for potential free agents, and that is a huge feather in his cap.
If these three work together the way the Wilfs envision and stay in their respective lanes, then Nolan Teasley's tenure as the Vikings general manager should be a long and successful one.
However, if there are issues and the drafts and free agent contracts start looking and smelling like Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was back in charge, problems could arise. If they do, the power dynamic could switch, and the man with the real power will emerge.
Who is that man?
It's Kevin O'Connell.
Authority of new Minnesota Vikings GM Nolan Teasley has a catch
The Wilfs clearly love their head coach.
Kevin O'Connell could have easily been blamed as much as Kwesi for the team's shortcomings in recent years. The team hasn't won a playoff game under his leadership, yet he remains the head coach and quite comfortably at that.
The Wilfs even allowed Kevin O'Connell to be involved in the hiring process of who will ultimately be his boss.
That's crazy to think that a subordinate would be interviewing his prospective leader and have a say in who the team chooses in that role.
That alone shows how highly regarded O'Connell is to this ownership group and how safe his job is.
Nolan Teasley even went out of his way to thank Kevin O'Connell in his introductory press conference, which was a major show of respect to a man he knows has a lot of power here in Minnesota.
With all that being said, it's easy to assume that the Wilfs would side with Kevin O'Connell if a power struggle ensues in the coming years or the team fails to live up to expectations.
He was here first, he was part of the hiring team, and he has the full support of ownership.
O'Connell also has Rob Brzezinski to back him in any team-related situation that would require debate or even a tiebreaker.
These two have been through it together already, and it's natural to think they'd stick by each other's sides over some new blood like Nolan Teasley.
Hopefully, this structure works just fine.
Teasley finds elite talent, O'Connell coaches them up and creates a great environment for them to excel, and Rob Brzezinski masterfully works the cap the way he always has.
However, if it goes south, or the team begins to lose football games, things could get ugly, and when the dust settles, the man who truly holds the power could be the one left standing, and that man is Kevin O'Connell.
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