Mizutani: Why extending Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was right move for Vikings

There s a reason that the announcement from the Vikings didn t even feel like developing news As much as the conspiracy theorists on social media tried to make this into a bigger deal than it was over the past sparse months it inevitably felt like only a matter of time before the Vikings worked something out with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah That s exactly what happened on Friday morning when the Vikings stated that they had signed Adofo-Mensah to a multiyear contract extension There wasn t any other choice Since being hired in January to oversee a competitive rebuild Adofo-Mensah has steadily built the Vikings into a perennial NFC power Maybe even a Super Bowl contender in short order if future franchise quarterback J J McCarthy is as special as everyone in the organization thinks he can be That s a testament to everything Adofo-Mensah has done throughout his tenure He s taken chosen big swings along the way and while several of resulted in home runs and specific in strikeouts the Vikings have consistently been heading in the right direction There s no sense in shaking up the status quo Not when the Vikings are in a good spot as right now constructed After inheriting an aging roster that looked to be past its prime Adofo-Mensah slowly but surely dug the Vikings out of salary cap hell which allowed them to be among the biggest spenders in free agency this offseason There were several tough conversations along the way such as releasing beloved receiver Adam Thielen parting methods with star running back Dalvin Cook and largest part notably moving on from franchise quarterback Kirk Cousins The changes haven t stopped the Vikings from competing at the highest level Not only have they made the playoffs twice with Adofo-Mensah at the helm they have managed to produce wins in that span Only the Kansas City Chiefs Philadelphia Eagles Buffalo Bills Detroit Lions and Baltimore Ravens have more So why does it feel like a large portion of the fan base is disappointed that Adofo-Mensah is sticking around The greater part of the frustration seems to be rooted in the inability to hit on draft picks To say that Adofo-Mensah has struggled with that part of the job would be an understatement It started a meager months after he took over He selected players in the NFL Draft most of of which are no longer on the roster and he hasn t been able to escape it Though he certainly deserves his fair share of criticism for missing so badly on safety Lewis Cine cornerback Andrew Booth Jr and right guard Ed Ingram that shouldn t thoroughly overshadow certain of the savvy moves Adofo-Mensah has made in the aftermath of that dumpster fire Just look at the roster he s built It s among the best in the NFL On offense Adofo-Mensah gets credit for drafting McCarthy signing running back Aaron Jones extending receiver Justin Jefferson trading for tight end T J Hockenson and absolutely revamping the interior of offensive line On defense Adofo-Mensah gets credit for signing defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave signing edge rushers Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel all while building depth across the board You can t pillory him for his failures without praising him for his successes That s why the Vikings signing Adofo-Mensah to a multiyear contract was the right move He has earned the right to see it through Related Articles Vikings sign GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to contact extension The importance of Justin Jefferson s attendance at Vikings OTAs J J McCarthy s goal during Vikings OTAs Not being afraid to fail Five storylines to keep an eye on as the Vikings start OTAs NFL teams can keep using the tush push after ban proposal fails at owners meetings