3 External Vikings GM Candidates Awaiting a Shot to Interview in Minnesota
If the Vikings GM job doesn’t go to an in-house option, then the shift has to be toward who is available from outside Minnesota.
The Vikings are being led by Rob Brzezinski, someone who has been working in the Twin Cities since 1999. He is widely viewed as the lead candidate to hop into the top job on a permanent basis, but that’s not an ironclad outcome. Check out some top talents from within rival front offices.
A Trio of External Vikings GM Candidates
Ray Farmer — LA Rams
Mr. Farmer is the Senior Advisor to the General Manager (team bio). He offers reason for intrigue, especially given the Vikings’ built-in connections to the Rams with the leadership of Kevin O’Connell.
Opting for Farmer means having the benefit of someone who has been a GM previously, leading the Browns from 2014-2015. So, too, has he worked as an NFL player, giving him unique insight about what NFL players endure.
Sometimes, past failure is the best instructor (and it’s a major reason why I maintain that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah will get another shot, an opportunity where he’ll shine). Farmer has done a ton in the NFL. Going from player to GM in impressive, basic biographical info that suggests he works hard and is smart.
Working in LA means having had a first-row seat to one of the boldest, most successful front offices in the recent history of the NFL.
Trent Kirchner — Seattle Seahawks
Trent Kirchner — the Vice President of Player Personnel in Seattle, per the team bio — used to work for the Minnesota Twins. In fact, he’s from Minnesota, so maybe a homecoming makes sense.
Check out the opening thoughts on Seattle’s website: “Trent Kirchner begins his fifth season as VP/Player Personnel, following five seasons (2015-19) as co-director of player personnel and two seasons as the Seahawks pro personnel director (2013-14). Kirchner directs both the college scouting and pro personnel departments to manage and strengthen all aspects of the Seahawks roster.”
Quite possibly, Kirchner isn’t going to be a serious candidate. The general thought, though, of digging into Seattle’s brain trust makes a lot of sense. There has been a pile connections between Seattle and Minnesota; the Seahawks have proven to be far, far better over past couple decades.
Another thought: when the Vikings needed more help to bridge the gap to a full-time GM, a former Seattle executive came over. Keep an eye on the ‘Hawks.
Mike Bradway — Kansas City Chiefs
Getting even somewhat close to matching what Kansas City has done in the past decade would qualify as a major win for the Vikings.
Bradway is functioning as the Assistant General Manager with the Chiefs (team bio). Previously, he has worked in a personnel capacity, meaning that evaluating talent is his thing. So, too, does he have experience working for the Eagles, another exemplary franchise that’s far ahead of where the Vikings find themselves.
He’s a football junkie. A former college player, Bradway’s father worked in NFL front offices. Bradway moved from his playing career into scouting and then climbing the ranks within NFL front offices. He’s a name to know.
