Reusse: Jared Allen’s invitation reminds us Brad Childress sure could assemble future Hall of Famers

The NFL gave approval to Red McCombs’ sale of the Vikings to Zygi Wilf and his family in May 2005. The Vikings were headed into the upcoming season with personnel director Frank Gilliam, administrator Rob Brzezinski and coach Mike Tice as the football decisionmakers.

McCombs had decided to go cheap in his final run as the owner, apparently to squeeze a few more million out of a sale that would bring an enormous profit.

The Vikings had traded receiver Randy Moss to Oakland in March 2005. They were tying the offensive wagon fully to quarterback Daunte Culpepper, just turned 28, coming off a phenomenal 2004 season.

McCombs’ cheapness had cost the Vikings and Culpepper the offensive coordinator, Scott Linehan, so integral to Daunte’s success. No Linehan, no Moss, not as much guaranteed money in Culpepper’s contract as he imagined … the 2005 season was a disaster for Daunte and ended with an injury in Game 7.

Brad Johnson came in and put the Vikings on a winning streak, although they missed the playoffs. There were other distractions that season, including hijinks on a watercraft.

Tice was fired by the Wilfs within a half-hour of the season finale.

Soon, Brad Childress was hired as head coach, with a solid degree of personnel power. Childress and his associates did a fine job of assembling future Hall of Famers.

March 2006: Landed guard Steve Hutchinson with a poison pill-filled, $49 million total, seven-year guaranteed contract — with no compensation for the Seattle Seahawks. Voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2020.

April 2007: Selected running back Adrian Peterson, all-world to be, at No. 7 in the draft. Should go into Hall of Fame in first year of eligibility in 2027.

April 2008: Acquired pass-rushing end Jared Allen from Kansas City for a first-rounder and two third-rounders, then signed him to a six-year, $73 million contract. His election to the Hall of Fame was announced Thursday.

August 2009: Signed free-agent quarterback Brett Favre after training camp in Mankato was complete. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2016.

If this were baseball, and honorees advertised a specific team on their plaques, Hutchinson, Peterson and Allen would be in Vikings apparel. So would Moss, a 2018 inductee, although his association with Childress was brief, unhappy and basically cost Chilly his job in the chaotic season of 2010.

Hutchinson, Peterson, Allen and Favre were on the Superdome turf when the Vikings lost in the NFC title game in January 2010. When lamenting losses, Vikings fans of seniority seem to go first to the 30-27 overtime loss to Atlanta in January 1999.

Understandable — an “invincible” 15-1 team, a home game and Gary Anderson missing the 38-yarder.

Still, it says here the Saints loss was equally gut-wrenching. That was 31-28 in overtime. There’s still whining about the too-many-men penalty that caused Childress to cancel Ryan Longwell’s field goal try, followed by Favre throwing the incomprehensible interception.

What I contend is that the Vikings played more fiercely on that Sunday in the Superdome than 11 years earlier in the Dome.

“The effort, the preparation, handling the crowd … we played great,” Childress said. “It was just those turnovers that came out of nowhere. Adrian — he carried us game after game, he had those fumbles.

“We turned it over five times. We’d never had a three-turnover game all year.”

Toughest of losses, but coaching players like Hutchinson and Allen and being in on the maneuvering to get them … priceless.

Childress on Hutchinson: “When we saw the way Seattle had tagged Hutchinson, transition rather than franchise, we couldn’t believe it. That was a loophole the Seahawks didn’t close to save some bucks.

“Thanks to the Wilfs, we were able to offer the $49 million it was going to take. Then Rob wrote the contract with clauses that made it impossible for Seattle to match — ‘The team had to play eight games in Minneapolis,’ stuff like that.

“Mike Holmgren was in Seattle. I get a call. The phone says, ‘Mike Holmgren.’ I answer it, ‘Hey, Mike, what’s up?’ He says, ‘I just want to tell you as a friend, you don’t want to do this. The other teams are very upset. The Board of Governors is not happy with the Vikings.’

“He was right, but we got Steve Hutchinson … a great player at guard, and with exactly the talent and mindset you want on the offensive line."

It was Hutchinson the Hall of Fame sent to Allen’s home to tell Jared he would be announced as a Hall of Famer on Thursday night.

Childress on Allen: “Jared had a couple of incidents in his past. I’m not sure he had a driver’s license when he got to Minnesota. But why the Chiefs wouldn’t pay a pass rusher like him, I have no idea. Again, the Wilfs came through for us.

“You need leaders on both ends of the spectrum. That was Hutch and Jared. Hutch was meanness, toughness. Jared was a free spirit. And they became the best of friends.”

Can you define free spirit, Coach? “I was giving my speech to the team. It was Halloween. There are smiles on everyone’s face. Kevin Williams, who just competed every minute and didn’t say anything, he’s there giggling. And then I see Jared. He’s shown up in a wrestling singlet.

“How do I say this? The singlet didn’t give him proper coverage.”