“His deficiencies were glaring of late:” KFAN’s Aj Mansour on The Future of the Vikings
K. Joudry
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Recently, I had the good fortune of exchanging emails with Aj Mansour. Many of you know him from his work with KFAN. Others will know him from his work at Vikings Territory. Those who don’t know him will enjoy his insight on the Vikings. I asked him about his background, the recent big news about the changes in leadership, and the future of the Vikings. Enjoy.
1) Can you start off by telling us a little about how you began covering the Vikings? A lot of our readers are already familiar with you, but a brief snippet about this background may be helpful for the readers who aren’t as familiar.
I 100% stumbled into the industry, but did so with curiosity that helped open doors along the way. After getting my foot in the door at iHeartMedia (then ClearChannel Radio) during college, I never left bouncing around, picking up other responsibilities here and there and ultimately working my way over to cover the digital elements for KFAN 100.3 FM. Part of that role was covering Vikings practices and relaying that information both onto the website and onto the airwaves with Paul Allen and The Power Trip Morning.
2) Obviously, the main news to emerge recently is the firing of Mike Zimmer and Rick Spielman. Was it surprising to see both fired? Was it the right move?
I think the team found themselves in a position where it was tough to retain one and not the other. It’s not as if Mike Zimmer was a bad coach, but it had appeared that he was losing the team and his deficiencies were glaring of late. Same for Spielman, while there were some hits there were also big misses and ultimately the long-term personnel within the locker room was his responsibility, and it’s just not there right now. Both had their moments, but it was time to move on from both and begin with a fresh look.
3) If you had to guess, what will the team do with their well-compensated QB1?
I wrote about this last week for VT (https://vikingsterritory.com/2022/general-news/is-kirk-cousins-tipping-new-hires-in-the-vikings-favor) but I believe no matter how you look at it Kirk Cousins is a draw for incoming HCs and GMs. He gives you a chance to win right away, but then you have the opportunity to handle him however you want almost right away. My best guess though is that they retain Cousins for 2022 as a competitive trial year and go from there.
4) Looking at the roster and the rest of the league, how realistic is it for this Vikings team to get into the playoffs next year?
Year-to-year in the NFL is so tough. Case in point that I always reference is the 2015 Carolina Panthers who went 15-1 and made it to the Super Bowl, the next year last place in the division with a 6-10. That said, I think the Vikings were so close this year that with just a few subtle changes, yes they could have a realistic chance at making the playoffs next season.
5) The Wilfs call you to give you authority over one roster decision. What do you do?
First off, I’d be a terrible GM. I’m sure you get used to it in a cut throat industry like the NFL, but I don’t have the heart to cut people and watch their dreams die on a regular basis! So let’s bring somebody in to make a difference. Like many I’d put my attention on the offensive line. I’d suggest exploring young options through the draft to fill your opening(s) at guard and putting your focus on bringing in a veteran starter at center who could be a solid solution for 3-4 years. Maybe kick the tires on Ryan Jensen (Tampa Bay) or Bradley Bozeman (Baltimore).
6) Finally, where can readers find you? Hit us with social media and places that publish your work.
You can follow me on Twitter at @AjKFAN and check out my work published to KFAN.com and VikingsTerritory.com!
Editor’s Note: Purple PTSD extends a sincere thanks to Mr. Mansour for interviewing with us. Follow him on Twitter and check out his published work.
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