A Look Back at Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s Worst Decisions of the 2023 Offseason
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings finished their 2023 season with a disappointing 7-10 record after going 13-4 in 2022.
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah made a couple very smart decisions last offseason, but some of his bigger mistakes proved costly throughout the year. Before free agency officially kicks off in 2024, here is a look back at some of the GM’s worst decisions from last offseason that he will need to rectify this year.
Marcus Davenport Contract
Sometimes, a shot on a player in free agency works out, but for Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, taking a shot on Marcus Davenport did not work. The Vikings signed him to a one-year deal worth $13 million, and he was unable to live up to that deal.
Davenport struggled to carve out a role for himself with the team, largely because he struggled with an ankle injury throughout the season. He appeared in just four games during the year, and after Minnesota’s Week 6 victory over the Chicago Bears, the pass rusher was placed on IR and remained there for the rest of the season.
In those four games, Davenport did play fairly well, recording a pair of sacks and seven total QB pressures. As a result, the Vikings could bring him back on a new deal, but it would need to be a much smaller contract.
No Danielle Hunter Extension
This decision being a poor one is contingent on a couple things. Hunter can still re-sign with the Vikings either in the next couple days on a new contract extension, or during free agency when it officially kicks off on Wednesday.
Regardless, the Vikings had a golden opportunity to give Danielle Hunter a new contract extension last offseason when he conducted his hold-in, and instead, Hunter only played on a one-year contract. He answered the bell by recording a league-leading 23 tackles for loss and a career-high 16.5 sacks.
Considering the massive leap that the salary cap is taking in 2024, though, it seems that contracts for edge rushers are going to rather expensive. Hunter should be able to get one of the largest of these contracts. Had the Vikings been able to secure a long-term deal with him last offseason, it likely would have been cheaper than whatever Hunter will get this year.
The RB Room
The Vikings made the decision to move on from Dalvin Cook last year, which was a very smart move by Adofo-Mensah, but Minnesota failed to establish a new plan for their RB room. Instead, they essentially ran it back with their same group sans-Cook.
As a result, Minnesota ranked 28th in total carries, 29th in rushing yards, 23rd in yards per carry, and worst of all, tied for last in rushing touchdowns. With their poor finish, Minnesota has already decided to move on from Alexander Mattison, essentially admitting that the plan for him to be RB1 was a failure.
Luckily, Ty Chandler took positive steps towards the end of the season, but the Vikings would be smart to rethink how they approached the running game last season.
No Lockdown CB
The Vikings saw a mass exodus at their cornerback position last offseason, parting ways with names like Cameron Dantzler, Patrick Peterson, Duke Shelley, and Chandon Sullivan. These names shouldn’t necessarily have been part of Minnesota’s long-term plan, but their 2023 cornerbacks did not do a great job.
Byron Murphy was signed to a contract and played well enough, but he has always been known more for his versatility to move between the boundary and slot rather than being a lockdown player on the outside. Meanwhile, Akayleb Evans was benched multiple times throughout the season, and Mekhi Blackmon went through some rookie growing pains.
Editor’s Note: Statistics for this article were found via Pro Football Focus and Pro Football Reference.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.