With decisions to be made on Kirk Cousins and Anthony Barr, Vikings have 'a puzzle'

INDIANAPOLIS – The Vikings' new brain trust, led by General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and coach Kevin O'Connell, arrived at the annual NFL scouting combine this week trying to catch up with other teams that have coaching and scouting systems in place and much of the groundwork done.

But the Vikings' most pressing questions come from their current salary cap-strapped roster. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is entering his final season under contract at a lofty $45 million charge. Defensive end Danielle Hunter has an $18 million roster bonus, a built-in trigger to restart negotiations, due this month. The Vikings' pending free agents include five prominent defenders, led by linebacker Anthony Barr.

On the pair's 14th official day together, Adofo-Mensah likened team building to a puzzle. The Vikings have another two weeks before NFL free agency opens, and pieces will start falling into place.

While Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell have voiced support for Cousins, the new GM said "everything's in play" at quarterback.

"You have options, just like they have options," Adofo-Mensah said. "All these things are uncertain: how he's going to play, what's the market going to be, all these things — this puzzle. And ultimately you're just trying to answer it not knowing today what's going to happen. So, I wish I could tell you for certain anything. Everything's in play, and I hate to be that general, but everything's in play with every player.

"Everybody's going to get up there and say that, but it is just the truth."

Adofo-Mensah and salary cap manager Rob Brzezinski will continue meeting with representatives of their players this week in Indianapolis. The team has exclusive negotiating rights with their 17 unrestricted free agents — including Barr, cornerback Patrick Peterson and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson — until March 14, when talks open leaguewide among free agents.

Adofo-Mensah said he had dinner with Cousins' agent, Mike McCartney, and has also spoken with Cousins about their visions for the Vikings' future.

"Went over the team and the offensive performance kind of the same way I would," Adofo-Mensah said. "We just talked generally about our vision for the team and what we want to accomplish. And, look, those conversations are ongoing and I can't tell you anything at this moment, but we will communicate and we will do whatever is best for the Minnesota Vikings, and Kirk will do what's best for Kirk. But I think there's a lot of middle ground for us to work well together."

O'Connell reiterated that he's happy to be reunited with Cousins after they worked together in 2017 with Washington. He wants Cousins to have a say in the offensive overhaul.

"Have him be a part of the process as well," O'Connell said. "Where we figure out what's the best way to play offense for the Vikings this year? How can we take advantage of our personnel we have around him? Which is really, really important."

The Vikings also have decisions to make with key defenders.

Hunter, the NFL's youngest player to 50 career sacks, has played only seven games in the past two years because of neck and chest injuries. He's been one of the NFL's best edge rushers when healthy, and Adofo-Mensah said they're hoping to find a way to keep Hunter in Minnesota. Hunter is currently on the books for more than $26 million this year on a deal that expires after the 2023 season.

They spoke on the phone shortly after Adofo-Mensah was hired.

"He was traveling somewhere I had been, and we caught up about that," Adofo-Mensah said. "He is a really good football player, and to build championship teams, you need a lot of really good football players. He is somebody who we want to continue to work with going forward, and we're excited to talk through all the possibilities with that."

Barr, who turns 30 this month, is a pending free agent who is still counting nearly $10 million against the Vikings' cap this season because of last year's restructured deal that pushed charges to 2022.

"You think of Anthony Barr and what he's meant to this community, to this team," Adofo-Mensah said. "He's incredibly versatile, especially in a 3-4 scheme and things like that. Again, it's the puzzle pieces, though. We've got a lot of things to consider, a lot of ways to go forward."