Year 2 for Vikings regime will tell us if 'competitive rebuild' works

On the eve of training camp Tuesday, after he had been understandably vague with answers to questions about his starting quarterback, star receiver, top pass rusher and most recent first-round draft pick, Vikings General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah was asked to assess the state of the team's self-described "competitive rebuild" as he and head coach Kevin O'Connell prepare for their second seasons.

He talked about going 13-4 last season and making the playoffs — a taste of the postseason that Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell savored and which made them hungry for consistent repeated trips and playoff opportunities.

"We want to be great every year and give ourselves a chance. How do you shape-shift while still winning?" Adofo-Mensah said, trying to explain the evolution of the approach. "Ultimately that's a little riskier than tearing everything down and being bad for a little while and coming back up."

But that's the path the Vikings have chosen. The Year 1 results lent credence to the plan; now, though, the stakes are raised as decisions get more complicated, as I talked about on Wednesday's Daily Delivery podcast.

Balancing the present and the future has left a lot of things, at least for the moment, unresolved.

Edge rusher Danielle Hunter arrived at camp, but it sure sounds like he will be a "hold in" — present but not a full participant until the Vikings either pay him or trade him.

Adofo-Mensah would only describe conversations as "ongoing" regarding Hunter, a message that was repeated — though without as much urgency — about a contract extension for Justin Jefferson and the status of quarterback Kirk Cousins as he enters the final year of his deal.

If the Vikings were merely trying to be competitive, would it be easier to just pay Hunter and extend Cousins? Probably.

If the Vikings were on a strictly rebuilding track, would it be easier to just trade Hunter and let Cousins go? Definitely.

Trying to do both is complicated.

Adofo-Mensah also spoke highly of the character of first-round pick Jordan Addison, who last week was stopped after driving 140 mph. He needs to be right about the player and the person if the Vikings' offense is going to unlock its full potential this year.

Straddling the line and giving themselves the ability to "shape-shift" allows the Vikings a certain amount of future flexibility. But make no mistake: 2023 is a huge pivot point where we will find out if the competitive rebuild is really working.

Here are four more things to know today:

*Speaking of Cousins, Star Tribune columnist Chip Scoggins will join me on Thursday's podcast to talk about the Vikings QB and the recently released Netflix documentary "Quarterback" in which he plays a leading role.

*The dangers of recording before a game is played: On Wednesday's show, La Velle praised the Twins' bullpen and justifiably so. But then the relievers unraveled hours after we recorded and cost the Twins in a 9-7 loss to Seattle.

*Nothing against Jaylen Brown, but he is nowhere near the best player in the NBA. He's not even the best player on the Celtics. Seeing that he's going to make $304 million over the next five years — the richest deal in NBA history — is a reminder that the NBA salary system is broken.

*Trea Turner had an inning to forget.