A Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Curse Can Soon See its End
In fairness, GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah hasn’t been employed for very long. Being an NFL team’s top executive for just four seasons is a modest timeline.
But while that caveat needs to be remembered, there’s some merit in remembering a basic idea: Mr. Adofo-Mensah has yet to extend one of his own draftees. His ten-person 2022 draft class should have offered some players who could put pen to paper, but that’s yet to occur (with some thinking the 6th-Round receiver ought to change things). Is Adofo-Mensah going to arrive at a renewed contract for one of his draftees soon?
The Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Extension Curse
Truth be told, Adofo-Mensah takes way too much heat. His drafting has been poor overall but he hasn’t done poorly as the top executive.
One area where has done well is in building extensions. He tends to grind it out, working the negotiation table until settling on a strong number for the player that doesn’t cripple the team financially. The deals for all of Justin Jefferson, Josh Metellus, Christian Darrisaw, Blake Brandel, and T.J. Hockenson have been rock-solid.
The key detail bringing those players together is that they were all Rick Spielman adds. Only Hockenson stands out as an exception.
Back in the surprisingly successful ’22 season, the tight end was added via trade with the Lions. He was then kept around on a four-year pact for a total compensation package coming in at $66 million. Were it not for a brutal knee injury in late 2023, Hockenson’s contract would look like excellent value. Currently, the outlook is just that the deal is fair value.
Pretty soon, Adofo-Mensah is going to need to lock-in one of his own draftees.
The only option worth considering from the 2022 cluster of talent is Jalen Nailor. The WR3 had a brutal game in Week 16. He has nevertheless been a strong option who has grown in his game. Best guess on my end is that Mr. Nailor slips away in free agency, but I’ve been wrong more than I care to admit.
There are then the pair who remain from the 2023 draft class: receiver Jordan Addison alongside safety Jay Ward.
Addison is constantly on the cusp of being elite. His abilities are off the charts even if he’s not the most physically imposing player in the NFL. Addison runs great routes and can be an assassin when it comes to scoring.
Ward, meanwhile, looks like someone who could be a value option. He is earning more snaps and playing quite well. His length, physicality, and versatility are all noticeable. Some sort of medium money deal akin to what Josh Metellus signed a couple of seasons ago makes a pile of sense.
The Vikings have played sixteen games. All that’s left is a Week 18 Packers game that means nothing for Minnesota before the roster building for 2026 becomes the top focus.
