The Vikings have a new general manager in 42-year-old Nolan Teasley. Don’t expect him to be an authoritarian leader.
Fans have illusions about NFL general managers as solo operators of a franchise’s personnel, including college drafts and free agent signings. The public frequently assigns too much blame or credit to the work of those who carry the general manager badge.
Yup, there are a few general managers in the league who are more like solo acts. Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones, Rams boss Les Snead and Eagles wheeler-dealer Howie Roseman come to mind.
But collaboration is more the norm in NFL front offices than kingpin. Even before tomorrow’s press conference to introduce Teasley, Vikings voices are trumpeting it will be kumbaya style at Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center.
Teasley, in his first assignment as a general manager after being assistant GM with the Seahawks, is expected to work arm-in-arm with head coach Kevin O’Connell and executive vice president of football operations Rob Brzezinski, the franchise’s capologist.
Statements issued by the Vikings yesterday offer testimony to the vision.
Vikings owner/president Mark Wilf said: “Putting Nolan together with Kevin O’Connell and Rob Brzezinski gives us three strong leaders with complementary skillsets.”
Owner/chair Zygi Wilf said: “We are confident this dynamic structure of Nolan, Kevin and Rob is the best outcome for the Minnesota Vikings.”
Teasley said: “I look forward to working alongside Kevin O’Connell, Rob Brzezinski, our coaching staff, personnel department and the entire organization as we build a team Vikings fans can be proud of and one that competes for championships year after year.”
Both O’Connell and Brzezinski echoed the collaboration theme, mentioning how they look forward to working with their new front office teammate who started as an intern in 2013 with the Seahawks and rose to positions of authority in the organization. In 13 seasons with the organization the team made the playoffs nine times, played in three Super Bowls and won two.
While the Vikings had an analytics background man in former GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, Teasley’s reputation is that of a talented personnel evaluator of college and pro talent. In Seattle he oversaw football ops while working for his boss John Schneider in various aspects of player acquisition and team building, per the Vikings.
Teasley also assisted with roster construction and integrating data and analytics within the franchise’s scouting process. He managed collaboration between the scouting staff, research and analytics departments and the coaches.
Collaboration aside, there will be parts of the operation and times when Teasley will make his own decisions and have the final word. That’s the nature of his responsibilities and for that he will ultimately be judged.
Schneider expressed his confidence in Teasley in a statement released by the Vikings. “Nolan Teasley is a direct reflection of our football process. He came in as an intern and outworked, outlearned, and outgrew every role we gave him – and now he’s a general manager in this league.
“That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because of who he is as a person and how he approaches everything he does. The Vikings aren’t just getting a great football mind. They’re getting an exceptional human being – ego-free, values-driven, and one of the best communicators I’ve been around in this business. He sees the game clearly, he connects with people authentically, and he makes every room better.”
Brzezinski, BTW, was reportedly on the short list of candidates for the GM job. He has been a loyal and accomplished part of the organization since 1999 and in his present position since 2014. His strategic salary cap management approach might be the best in the NFL. He has negotiated more than $1 billion in contracts and his relationships with player agents is invaluable to the Vikings.
The Wilf ownership group is known for its loyalty to employees and willingness to spend money appropriately. This seems like an opportune time to reward Brzezinski with a thank you note and I.O.U.