Minnesota Vikings #1

The National Football League’s Player’s Association released “free agency report cards” on each of the 32 teams. These report cards present the results of an extensive player survey on topics ranging from quality of team facilities to treatment of player families. The players’ union ranked the teams against each other in the hopes that it might help inform decisions in advance and during free agency. If it does impact those destination decisions, the Minnesota Vikings should be a top choice for free agents as they received top grades. 

The NFLPA summarized their report card of the Vikings:

The Minnesota Vikings are ranked as the best team in our guide. 100% of the players feel like owner Zygi Wilf is willing to spend money to upgrade the facilities, and that assessment makes sense since the Vikings have gone through three significant upgrades in recent years. 

Their facility was recently built and is considered state-of-the-art. This past year, they replaced former Head Coach Mike Zimmer with Kevin O’Connell, who through his first year is regarded as one of the most player friendly head coaches. Additionally, the former head trainer, who several players had negative experiences with, moved on from the organization. The Minnesota Vikings are a shining example of what it is possible when a concerted investment is made in both staffing and facilities. 

I’m not sure why the NFLPA found it necessary to take a swing at Mike Zimmer in the summary. They could’ve simply kept it to Kevin O’Connell being player friendly. Here’s a breakdown of the Vikings report card.

Category	Grade	Rank/32
Treatment of Families	A	T-2nd
Food Service/Nutrition	A-	T-5th
Weight Room	A	T-5th
Strength Coaches	A+	T-1st
Training Room	A+	T-1st
Training Staff	A+	T-1st
Locker Room	A+	T-1st
Team Travel	A	T-4th

Good Stuff. 

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell was asked about the results during his Scouting Combine press conference. 

From O’Connell:

One of the things that I look back on a year ago, and I think about using the words “connecting with our players” and the “collaboration” that goes into what pro football should be at this level. It goes so much more beyond those words, and people kind of chuckle sometimes as you use some of those cliche-like words: well, they’re not cliche when you go to work every day and try to join with a great group of people and a great support staff at every level of the organization. It’s not a cliche when people make that our mission statement, to provide the premier place to go to work and improve both personally and collectively as a team in our league means a lot. 

I don’t think you can say all of that without thanking our ownership. Our beautiful facility and both our training facility and US Bank Stadium-in my opinion, one of the best home atmospheres in our league-and then it’s the people. We talk a lot about culture. Culture is people, and it’s something we strive to work on every single day, and I think our players feel that. 

He’s not surprised by the terrific report card. 

I’m thankful for our players and their communication with us to help make that happen. I like to think we’re only going up from here, so hopefully this is something you’re asking me about at the combine every year moving forward. 

Since US Bank Stadium and TCO Performance Center opened there’s always been a sense of pride of those two beautiful buildings. Even from a distance that’s been obvious. The players, the coaches, the staff. Everyone that worked for the Vikings raved about where they worked. It can be easy to feel good about your work when you feel good about where you work. More important than the buildings that the Wilf’s built is the people that fill them. The great environment that the Vikings have created is because of the people that built it. O’Connell and general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah get most of the attention for the culture change. As important, perhaps more important, was the addition of Tyler Williams. Soon after being hired to coach the Vikings, O’Connell swiped Williams from the Los Angeles Rams. As Executive Director of Player Health and Performance, Williams oversees the categories for which the Vikings earned an A+. 

Congratulations to the Wilfs, O’Connell, Adofo-Mensah, Williams, and everyone that have created an environment that’s best in the league. Hopefully, it attracts some free agents. Unfortunately, the Vikings currently don’t have the cap space to pay them. Maybe they’ll take a discount to work in the best environment in the league.