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Minnesota Vikings News & Rumors

Vikings To Hire Ed Donatell As DC?

February 9th, 2022 at 1:31pm CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings are eyeing Ed Donatell as their next defensive coordinator, according to Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano of ESPN.com. Nothing has been finalized just yet, but Donatell is the favorite for new head coach Kevin O’Connell. 

[RELATED: Vikings Hire Ryan Grigson]

Offense is O’Connell’s bread and butter, so Donatell would be able to provide him with decades of defensive know-how. All together, the 65-year-old offers 31 years of pro coaching experience, including ten years as an NFL DC.

Donatell was on the verge of joining the Seahawks’ coaching staff, but he has a much stronger opportunity in Minnesota. He’s spent the last three years as the Broncos’ DC and guided his unit to a solid showing in 2021. The Broncos allowed the eighth-fewest yards of any team last year while allowing just 322 points overall.

The Vikings have also considered ex-Bears DC Sean Desai, Ravens assistant Anthony Weaver, and Lions defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant for the role. But, by the end of the business day, Donatell could be installed as the Vikes’ new defensive lead.

Vikings Hire Ryan Grigson

February 9th, 2022 at 11:48am CST by Zachary Links

The Vikings have hired Ryan Grigson for a senior personnel role, per a club announcement. Grigson, once the GM of the Colts, will work under new Minnesota GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah. 

Grigson, 49, has been in the NFL ranks since 1999. His most recent stop came in 2020, when he served as a senior football advisor for Browns GM Andrew Berry. The two had history and a solid working relationship, but Berry brought him in for more than just familiarity.

“[Grigson] is here because I think he is very good,” Berry said at the time of the hire in 2020. “He has a very established track record as a personnel evaluator from his time in St. Louis at the time, Philly and then obviously, Indianapolis. General Manager experience, rebuilt the Colts into a winner very quickly, Executive of the Year. And that is something that is valuable to me.”

It’s a similar story this time — Adofo-Mensah and Grigson overlapped in Cleveland, where they both managed key leadership decisions. Still, Grigson is best known for his tenure as Colts GM, where he captured Executive of the Year honors in his first year at the helm. The Colts went 49-31 during Grigson’s five year run, though they failed to qualify for the playoffs in those final two years.

Vikings Likely To Hire Curtis Modkins

February 8th, 2022 at 10:42pm CST by Sam Robinson
  • Curtis Modkins is likely to become the Vikings‘ next run-game coordinator and backfield coach, Mike Klis of 9News tweets. The Broncos’ running backs coach over the past four seasons, Modkins played a key role in Phillip Lindsay‘s rapid rise from UDFA to Pro Bowler and then aided Javonte Williams during his quality rookie season. Modkins, 51, is a two-time NFL OC, having served in that role with the Bills in the early 2010s and with the 49ers in 2016.
  • The Seahawks are in talks to add Karl Scott as their defensive passing-game coordinator, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times tweets. Alabama’s DBs coach from 2018-20, Scott made his NFL coaching debut this past season as Vikings secondary coach. The Seahawks adding Scott would not be as a Sean Desai backup plan, per Condotta. Both could join the revamped staff. Seattle is targeting the 2021 Chicago DC for an assistant role, in the event Minnesota does not hire him as its next DC.

Vikings Interview Sean Desai For DC Job

February 8th, 2022 at 3:28pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite having just one year of defensive coordinator experience, Sean Desai has emerged as a popular candidate this year. As staffs continue to be assembled, new head coaches have been eager to speak with the 2021 Bears DC.

Desai has now gone through three such interviews; the Vikings represent the third. Desai interviewed for the vacant Vikings’ DC job over the weekend, according to ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler (on Twitter). This follows Desai meetings with the Raiders and Giants.

Both the Raiders and Giants made their hires, in multiyear DCs Patrick Graham and Don Martindale. The Vikings have yet to decide on their new DC. This position will take on greater importance given the impending Kevin O’Connell HC hire. Minnesota’s next DC will be the team’s unquestioned defensive play-caller.

Although the Bears slogged through a disappointing season — their first sub-.500 campaign since 2017 — they ranked sixth in total defense. Chicago had bumped up Desai last year to replace the retired Chuck Pagano, and the new play-caller helped a largely Khalil Mack-less unit to a respectable season — one that included Robert Quinn breaking Richard Dent‘s 37-year-old team sack record.

The Vikings have also interviewed Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver and requested a meeting with Lions secondary coach Aubrey Pleasant. Former Browns HC and Packers DC Mike Pettine, however, is the rumored favorite.

Should the Vikings head in another direction, Desai appears to have a fallback plan. The Seahawks are interested in adding him to their staff in a non-DC role. Seattle promoted Clint Hurtt to DC and added Ed Donatell as well. Desai would make three ex-Vic Fangio disciples (and two 2021 DCs) on one staff.

Vikings Interview Anthony Weaver For DC

February 8th, 2022 at 8:57am CST by Adam La Rose

The Vikings’ search for a new defensive coordinator continues. The latest candidate to meet with the team is Ravens defensive line coach Anthony Weaver, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler (Twitter link).

[Related: Vikings Request Interview With Lions’ Aubrey Pleasant]

Weaver represents the second name to be linked to the opening since is was reported that Mike Pettine could be the favorite for the position. Even if the latter does ultimately land the job, Minnesota is at least doing its due diligence.

Weaver, 41, has already conducted interviews twice for DC roles lately. One was with the Ravens, where he spent the beginning of his playing career, along with the 2021 season as the team’s d-line coach and running game coordinator. The other was with the Broncos. Having started coaching only two years after his playing days were over, Weaver has been on NFL sidelines since 2012. While his most frequent role has been a position coach with defensive linemen, he does have one year of experience (Houston, in 2020) as a DC.

With multiple options to consider, the Vikings should ultimately end up with either a defensive signal-caller who has garnered plenty of interest recently, or one with a plethora of experience holding the role. Either way, new head coach Kevin O’Connell is likely to have his first DC in place sooner rather than later.

Vikings Request DC Interview With Lions’ Aubrey Pleasant

February 7th, 2022 at 7:42pm CST by Ben Levine

While Mike Pettine is “likely” to be the Vikings next defensive coordinator, that won’t stop Kevin O’Connell from considering other candidates. Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), the Vikings have requested an interview with Lions defensive backs coach/passing game coordinator Aubrey Pleasant for their defensive coordinator vacancy.

[RELATED: Mike Pettine Favorite For Vikings’ DC Job?]

Pleasant represented an interesting get for the Lions last offseason. Washington attempted to promote Pleasant ahead of the 2017 season, but he left for a lateral move with the Rams. He later interviewed for the Bengals’ DC job — one Lou Anarumo landed — in 2019 while overseeing the development of Rams corners Troy Hill and Darious Williams in Los Angeles.

Pleasant ultimately spent four years in Los Angeles, working alongside O’Connell in 2020. He took the “pass-game coordinator” promotion in Detroit for the 2021 campaign.

Meanwhile, Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that Broncos running backs coach Curtis Modkins is considering joining the Vikings staff as their new RB coach/run-game coordinator.

2022 NFL Head Coaching Search Tracker

February 6th, 2022 at 10:15pm CST by Zachary Links

Last year, seven NFL teams opted to make a head coaching change. Sean Payton stepping away from the Saints created nine full-time vacancies available this year.

Listed below are the head coaching candidates that have been linked to each of the teams with vacancies, along with their current status. If and when other teams decide to make head coaching changes, they’ll be added to this list. Here is the current breakdown:

Updated 2-7-22 (1:45pm CT)

Chicago Bears

Denver Broncos

Houston Texans

Jacksonville Jaguars

Las Vegas Raiders

Miami Dolphins

Minnesota Vikings

New Orleans Saints

New York Giants

NFC Coaching Notes: Eberflus, Bucs, Panthers, Giants, Packers

February 5th, 2022 at 4:22pm CST by Sam Robinson

Although Matt Eberflus landed the Bears job because of the Colts’ defensive performance, Chicago’s new HC is planning more of a CEO-type role for himself. Eberflus is not planning to call defensive plays for the Bears this season, via The Athletic’s Adam Jahns (on Twitter). Instead, new Chicago DC Alan Williams will handle that responsibility. Williams, 52, has previous DC experience, working under Leslie Frazier in Minnesota in the early 2010s, and has enjoyed a few tours as a DBs coach. This will be an interesting transition for Eberflus, a first-time HC. It will not be a notable transition for the Bears, who spent much of the past two seasons with their head coach operating in a CEO-type capacity. Matt Nagy handed off play-calling duties to then-OC Bill Lazor in each of the past two seasons.

Here is the latest from the NFC coaching carousel:

  • The Buccaneers are set to go through a major transition, with Tom Brady‘s retirement ending a brief but successful era that likely doubled as the second-highest peak in franchise history. But Bruce Arians is not eyeing a rebuild. The fourth-year Bucs HC denied a report that indicated the team would allow assistants to pursue other jobs even if the new positions were not promotions, per The Athletic’s Greg Auman (on Twitter). It looks like Arians will keep both coordinators — Byron Leftwich and Todd Bowles — for the 2022 season, so Tampa Bay will still feature considerable continuity despite Brady’s departure and the presumptive exits of some key free agents.
  • Circling back to the Bears, the team made some additional hires in recent days. New OC Luke Getsy‘s right-hand man on the Justin Fields front will be Andrew Janocko, Chicago’s new quarterbacks coach. Janocko spent the past seven seasons with the Vikings, ending the run by serving as their QBs coach in 2021. He also worked as the Vikes’ receivers coach and assistant O-line coach at points during his long Minnesota tenure. The Bears also hired James Rowe as their secondary coach. Rowe will come over after serving as the Colts’ cornerbacks coach. David Overstreet, Indianapolis’ assistant DBs coach, will also follow Eberflus and fill the same position with the Bears. Overstreet moved up from the quality control level with Indy in 2021.
  • Former Packers offensive line coach James Campen landed a job as the Panthers‘ O-line coach, Field Yates of ESPN.com tweets. Following a 12-year tenure in Green Bay, Campen will begin the 2022 season with a new team for the fourth straight year. He coached the Browns, Chargers and Texans’ O-lines from 2019-21.
  • Giants running backs coach Burton Burns is expected to retire, Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post tweets. Burns, 69, began coaching in 1981 and spent the past two years as the Giants’ RBs coach — his only NFL position during his career. Fellow college-staff veteran Kevin Sherrer is expected to follow Burns on the way out, per Dunleavy. Sherrer served as the Giants’ linebackers coach last season and migrated to the NFL level, like Burns, for the first time in 2020.
  • To replace tight ends coach Justin Outten, who made a big leap to become the Broncos’ offensive coordinator, the Packers promoted John Dunn. Although this is a promotion, after Dunn spent the 2021 season as an offensive analyst in Green Bay, he coached Jets tight ends from 2019-20.

Mike Pettine Favorite For Vikings’ DC Job?

February 4th, 2022 at 11:44am CST by Adam La Rose

With it all-but official that Kevin O’Connell will become the next head coach of the Vikings, there is a growing sense that his first defensive coordinator is soon to be named. CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora tweets that Mike Pettine is the “likely” hire as DC. 

[Related: Vikings Plan To Hire Kevin O’Connell]

Specifically, La Canfora says “I keep hearing” Pettine’s name attached to the DC job in Minnesota. The 55-year-old has been a coach in the NFL dating back to 2002. He’s had three different stints as a DC, with the Jets, Bills and Packers. The latter chose not to renew his contract after the 2020 season. He spent this year with the Bears under the title of senior defensive assistant.

Chicago ranked sixth in the league in yards allowed, and fourth in sacks. That success came with players like Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks each missing considerable time. Pettine’s experience helped Sean Desai during his first campaign as a coordinator, which has garnered him interest from the Raiders.

If Pettine were to take on a fourth DC job, he would be tasked with guiding a Minnesota unit that finished 30th in the league in yards allowed and 24th in points against last year. The team has a litany of veterans that are pending free agents, especially on the edge and in the secondary. An offseason of roster turnover could at least be helped by the presence of a veteran coach with plenty of experience in the NFC North.

Chargers Hire Ryan Ficken As ST Coordinator

February 3rd, 2022 at 8:51am CST by Adam La Rose

After a committed process, the Chargers have landed their preferred candidate to lead their special teams. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the team is hiring Ryan Ficken as their new ST coordinator (Twitter link).

Ficken had spent his entire NFL coaching career with the Vikings up to this point. After a three-year stint at UCLA, he came to Minnesota in 2007. Following six years as an assistant positional coach, he began the work on special teams for which he is now most well known. Despite his experience with the unit, 2021 was actually the first year in which he served as ST coordinator.

His tenure in Minnesota certainly left Ficken in high regard. As Pelissero notes, the Vikings blocked him from leaving at first, but the Chargers “pursued him hard” and ultimately made the hire. While there is plenty of optimism on the offensive side of the ball in particular in L.A., special teams are definitely an area where improvement is needed. The Bolts ranked 28th in ST DVOA in 2021, so Ficken could at a minimum try and bring the team closer to the middle of the pack, where the Vikings ranked last season.

This news also marks the second straight day that a Vikings coordinator leaves the team, as Klint Kubiak was hired as the Broncos’ QBs coach/passing game coordinator on Wednesday. Assuming Kevin O’Connell does become the new HC in Minnesota, he will clearly have work do in rebuilding some key parts of the team’s staff.

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