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Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:09 pm
by 40for60
J. Kapp 11 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 9:52 pm
This is from the article “40 Under 40” from The Atlantic. Tells more about our new GM than anything I’ve found so far.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Browns vice president of football operations | Age: 39
Adofo-Mensah doesn’t have a traditional football background — he played basketball at Princeton, earned his MBA at Stanford and worked as a trader on Wall Street before joining the 49ers in a football analytics role in 2013. Yet he was a finalist for the Panthers’ GM job last offseason, and it won’t be surprising if he’s on the short list for other teams’ future openings.
Andrew Berry, the Browns’ 34-year-old general manager, was on this 40 under 40 list last year. He spoke with The Athletic recently about Adofo-Mensah:
When you first met Kwesi at the combine, when you were in Philadelphia and he was in San Francisco, what stuck out to you about him, and what was it about him that made you want to bring him to Cleveland when you got the GM job?
No. 1, it’s his general cognitive abilities. He’s a super, super bright guy, and that comes across within the first two minutes that you meet him. No. 2, and probably just as importantly, it’s just people skills. You could see how he had been able to build relationships across a number of different groups during his time at San Francisco in a role that can be very challenging, because you have to be able to not only develop (analytic) insights, but communicate them and get people to buy in. And then the other thing was just his breadth of understanding of the sport and football operations. So even though he had formally just led the 49ers’ research group, you could tell that he understood team building, people, relationships and managerial skills at a much higher level.
How would you describe his role for you now in Cleveland?
Really, he does everything. He helps me run the day-to-day of the team, across all groups within football operations. But then the other thing is that he’s part of the tighter senior group for all strategic decisions for the team. That’s not just roster or contract management, it’s hiring and staffing, it’s people management, crisis management. Basically, he’s a true assistant GM, and really almost like a miniature version of the general manager’s job responsibilities. And without getting too specific, because he does have a data background, he’s actually added some pretty strong insights to our draft and free-agent modeling with player valuation.
Sorry if you've seen this already, but I posted this video press conference earlier from when he was first hired by the Browns. I think it tells a lot about him:
https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/br ... -passionat
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 7:31 am
by Texas Vike
40for60 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 6:26 pm
Texas Vike wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 3:17 pm
My gut says we hire Raheem Morris as HC, Demeco Ryans would be my second bet.
Paul Allen (KFAN radio Vikings play-by-play guy) on his show today mentioned who he thought they wanted for HC. He is usually plugged in pretty well. Here are his bets for the top 3/4:
1) Nathaniel Hackett. He heard this from a trusted source. Problem is he thinks Denver wants him bad, and if they also make a play for Rodgers that would certainly give them a huge advantage.
2) Kevin O’Connell
3) Either of the Niners coordinators. I hadn’t heard about their offensive coordinator and don’t know his name. I looked him up and he just got promoted to coordinator. So that doesn’t make sense. I probably misunderstood. His reservation on Ryans is that he has only been a coordinator for a year. But definitely has huge upside.
Hackett appears to be inking a deal with the Broncos to be their HC.
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status ... de%3Dfalse
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 8:30 am
by Pondering Her Percy
808vikingsfan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:05 pm
I'll judge him by what he does with Cousins.
Pretty sure there is a lot more that goes into GM'ing than just what you do with a highly paid QB
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 8:58 am
by Pondering Her Percy
I will say, my stance on KAM has changed a bit since the second he was hired. Especially after seeing what John Lynch just said about him. If you havent read the entire interview with Lynch, I would check it out on Twitter. I would say, if anything I'm more intrigued/curious than anything. This could end up being the new era of GM'ing or it could be a flop. Who knows but this offseason is going to be the most interesting we've seen in a long, long time. This is really going to throw my mocks for a loop lol
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:07 am
by IIsweet
The guy, KAM, is described as exactly the opposite of what the Vikings just ridded themselves of. There are so many people in the Football front offices that say so many great things about this guy. Yet, fans know better and are skeptical.
He's the #2 choice though ? Says who? and the 2nd choice of all the potential GM's in the world is not too shabby ! If I had sent my resume, I would have received the blanket, "Thank You for applying but we will be conducting interviews with other candidates who are much more qualified". So who's to say that we know better?
I for one am very pleased with this hire. I feel that it is a step moving in the direction of transitioning from "also rans" to attempting to become leaders of the pack. This will not be the "same ole, same ole" regime type of team and FO.
This is just the type of excitement we need within the organization, I feel. Now the HC hire will hopefully be just as dynamic as KAM. I feel that KAM will run a draft room to add players in the draft that work in the vision of the GM and HC connectively. I feel that the FA signings will be also made with vision.
I also am looking at something not mentioned. KAM and the new HC are not tied to any of these aging contracts and players.
Looking forward to seeing what happens next !
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:40 am
by VikingsFan84
808vikingsfan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:05 pm
I'll judge him by what he does with Cousins.
No offense but that is stupid to judge him on just what he does with Cousins
Keeps Cousins=He is the worst general manager ever!
Get rid of Cousins=He is the best general manager ever!
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:45 am
by VikingsVictorious
40for60 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:09 pm
J. Kapp 11 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 9:52 pm
This is from the article “40 Under 40” from The Atlantic. Tells more about our new GM than anything I’ve found so far.
Sorry if you've seen this already, but I posted this video press conference earlier from when he was first hired by the Browns. I think it tells a lot about him:
https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/br ... -passionat
I clicked that link and it didn't work.
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 12:02 pm
by 40for60
VikingsVictorious wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:45 am
I clicked that link and it didn't work.
Shoot. Try this:
https://www.clevelandbrowns.com/news/br ... passionat/
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 12:51 pm
by Foreman44
Texas Vike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 7:31 am
40for60 wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 6:26 pm
Paul Allen (KFAN radio Vikings play-by-play guy) on his show today mentioned who he thought they wanted for HC. He is usually plugged in pretty well. Here are his bets for the top 3/4:
1) Nathaniel Hackett. He heard this from a trusted source. Problem is he thinks Denver wants him bad, and if they also make a play for Rodgers that would certainly give them a huge advantage.
2) Kevin O’Connell
3) Either of the Niners coordinators. I hadn’t heard about their offensive coordinator and don’t know his name. I looked him up and he just got promoted to coordinator. So that doesn’t make sense. I probably misunderstood. His reservation on Ryans is that he has only been a coordinator for a year. But definitely has huge upside.
Hackett appears to be inking a deal with the Broncos to be their HC.
https://twitter.com/TomPelissero/status ... de%3Dfalse
I remember fans saying M Tomlin wouldn’t get picked up as he only had the one year with the Vikings as D.C. the Steelers snagged him up shortly after, He has done ok there.
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:34 pm
by VikingsVictorious
That worked.
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:47 pm
by Cliff
I don't think you can get any farther away from Zimmer's brand of football than the kind this new GM represents. If it goes down in flames I'm happy just seeing the Wilves trying something new.
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 3:00 pm
by StanM
Husker Vike wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 1:46 pm
I am not sure about this hire as I don't know exactly what he did for the Browns as VP of football operations, but I believe that he was involved with the scouting department in Cleveland. hopefully he will be able to make the hard and fast moving decisions that are needed on draft day, or else we may all be clamoring to re hire Spielman.
There are few occupations where people have to think fast as things unfold than Wall Street trader. Difference is that football GM’s are required to think fast, especially during the draft, Commodities Traders do that all day every day. I’m not concerned about it and doubt that the new GM will consider trading down for seventh rounders as fast thinking.
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 3:24 pm
by vikeinmontana
Cliff wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:47 pm
I don't think you can get any farther away from Zimmer's brand of football than the kind this new GM represents. If it goes down in flames I'm happy just seeing the Wilves trying something new.
Totally agree.
I never get too fired up one way or the other with these hires as I know NOTHING about being a GM or a head football coach. I'll leave that for the other experts as it makes for entertaining reading.
But if nothing else, this is a hire that to me, shows that the Wilfs aren't just content filling up USBank and making money. As I have always expected, I think they are competitive and want to win. A hire like this has been done in baseball and recently in basketball too. It's pretty unconventional in football. Which is exciting to me. Maybe he'll crash and burn and we'll know it was a terrible route to go. But just maybe, this different perspective from the top, will be just what this franchise needs.
I'm excited for the coaching hire!
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Thu Jan 27, 2022 5:14 pm
by Alaskan
vikeinmontana wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 3:24 pm
Cliff wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 1:47 pm
I don't think you can get any farther away from Zimmer's brand of football than the kind this new GM represents. If it goes down in flames I'm happy just seeing the Wilves trying something new.
Totally agree.
I never get too fired up one way or the other with these hires as I know NOTHING about being a GM or a head football coach. I'll leave that for the other experts as it makes for entertaining reading.
But if nothing else, this is a hire that to me, shows that the Wilfs aren't just content filling up USBank and making money. As I have always expected, I think they are competitive and want to win. A hire like this has been done in baseball and recently in basketball too. It's pretty unconventional in football. Which is exciting to me. Maybe he'll crash and burn and we'll know it was a terrible route to go. But just maybe, this different perspective from the top, will be just what this franchise needs.
I'm excited for the coaching hire!
Make no mistake about it, filling up US Bank, making money and promoting the Brand are what the Wilves are all about. I see this hire as having minimal downside risk for their business. The Kid is ivy league educated, has a Masters in Econmics from Stanford. He's a business man. Little doubt in my mind he builds a competitive roster in fairly short order. Analytics are not new to the NFL, there are teams that have been using them for decades. They have become much more widely used in recent years for ALL aspects of the game from roster building to play calling and everything in between. How KAM applies the use analytics (or Thoughtful & Intentional Process as he calls it) should be interesting. What is going to set his methodology apart? All in all, I like the hire. I still don't feel the Wilves have the SAC to build a Winner. I hope they prove me wrong. But I will believe it when I see it.
Re: A new GM on the horizon
Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 1:09 am
by 808vikingsfan
VikingsFan84 wrote: ↑Thu Jan 27, 2022 10:40 am
808vikingsfan wrote: ↑Wed Jan 26, 2022 4:05 pm
I'll judge him by what he does with Cousins.
No offense but that is stupid to judge him on just what he does with Cousins
Keeps Cousins=He is the worst general manager ever!
Get rid of Cousins=He is the best general manager ever!
I guess I should've said "I'll judge him by what he does with the QB position."
Resigning Cousins would mean (to me) that he's not one that would take chances. That he's more interested in keeping his job than winning it all.