Later today, the Minnesota Vikings will introduce Nolan Teasley as the team’s new general manager. I’m guessing that one of the first question asked of Teasley at the press conference will be if he will have final say on the 53-man roster. That’s always one of the first question asked of a new GM as everyone wants someone to blame when things go awry. Perpetual critics hate a collaborative team structure because they can’t point a finger at a single person. This should be a moment of hope for the Vikings, a change in the right direction, and some are thinking only of a potentially unfortunate moment in the future. The media honks asking the “final say” question were likely around for the dreaded “Triangle of Authority” days that came out of the general manager hire in the first year of the Wilf ownership. Putting the team’s decision-making power in the hands of the head coach, personnel person, and salary-cap person wasn’t out of the ordinary 20 years ago. The all-powerful general manager wasn’t as much of a thing in the early 2000s. Having that joint setup wasn’t really a problem. Putting a name on it was. Putting a name on something that doesn’t go well isn’t just a mistake. It becomes legendary and not in a good way. People will remember it. After hiring Teasley, the Wilfs spoke of him joining head coach Kevin O’Connell and executive VP Rob Brzezinski as the team’s top decision-makers. Nearly all of the 31 other teams in the league have a similar structure. Building a team in today’s NFL is a collaborative thing. The Seattle Seahawks team that Teasley just left is an excellent example of a collaborative, team-building environment. They just won a Super Bowl. At some point, even in the most collaborative environment, there’ll come a time when one person has to step up and make a decision. I’m more than 99% certain that when he’s asked, Nolan Teasley will say that he’ll make that decision. And he and the Vikings will live with the consequences.
After today’s peppering of questions, the first task facing Nolan Teasley as the Vikings new general manager will be the people that will populate the building. The first tough decisions probably include the job status of the assistant general managers Ryan Grigson and Demetrius Washington. The Vikings had dual assistant general managers as each had a particular expertise. Grigson is the long-time scout. Washington’s focus was analytics. My guess is that Washington is more likely to stay with perhaps a re-worked title. My further guess is that Teasley brings in a person, or more, with him from Seattle.
Before any potential changes occur, here’s how the Vikings front office currently looks.
Minnesota Vikings Current Personnel Structure
General Manager: Nolan Teasley
Assistant General Manager: Ryan Grigson
Assistant General Manager: Demetrius Washington
Director of Player Personnel: Ryan Monnens
Assistant Director of Player Personnel: Chisom Opara
Director of Pro Personnel: Sam DeLuca
Senior Personnel Executive: Jamaal Stephenson
Director of College Scouting: Mike Sholiton
Senior College Executive: Pat Roberts
National Scout: Sean Gustus
National Scout: David Williams
College Area Scout (Midwest): Jake Essler
College Scout: Blaine Gramer
College Scout: Matt Kelly
College Scout: Steve Sabo
College Area Scout (Northeast): Michelle Mankoff
College Scout/BLESTO: Jack Murphy
Pro Scout: Salli Clavelle
Pro Scout: Alex Dale
Pro Scout: Shane Normandeau
Senior Player Personnel Analyst: Taylor Brooks
Senior Football Operations Manager: Kaitlin Zarecki
Senior Manager of Football Administration: Emily Badis
Senior Manager of Family Engagement: Quinn Gjersvig
Football Quantitative Methods Senior Analyst: Chris French
Football Quantitative Methods Analyst: Cole Bransford
Director, Football Information Systems: Luke Burson
Database Administrator: Mike Desplenter
Football Information Systems Developer: Anthony Caron
Football Information Systems Developer: Derek McCormick
Football Administration Associate: Austin Lavitt
Player Personnel Consultant: Paul Wiggin
Scouting Associate: Dabness Atkins
Scouting Associate: Brian Schnorr
Football Operations Associate: Jordyn Hall
Family Engagement Associate: Michela Brown-Mayfield
SQL Database Associate: Grace Liebi
Football Quantitative Methods Associate: Claire Morrison
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