Vikings mailbag: How will Kevin O'Connell impact the roster? Is the team rebuilding?

Thank you for submitting questions for this week's Vikings mailbag. You can always send questions to @Andrew_Krammer on Twitter or andrew.krammer@startribune.com. Listen for answers on the weekly Access Vikings podcast or find them here on Fridays. Let's get to it.

Q: Who on the roster should be most excited about these new hires? — Dave

AK: During the Rams' playoff run, receiver Justin Jefferson posted on his Twitter account saying he doesn't understand how Cooper Kupp gets so wide open over and over. Jefferson's expected new head coach, Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell, might have a few ideas for him. Not that Jefferson needs much help getting open, but nobody saw the ball more than Kupp last season with 191 targets – 22 more than the next receiver, the Packers' Davante Adams. By extension, quarterback Kirk Cousins may also be excited to reunite with O'Connell, who was his quarterbacks coach in Washington in 2017. It's way too early to know what the Vikings offense will look like, exactly, but one can assume the new coach will want to replicate the Rams' success. And Los Angeles goes through their No. 1 receiver more than any other NFL team.

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Q: Could there be a lesser quality in assistant coaches now that they can't announce Kevin O'Connell as head coach until after the Super Bowl? — @NorthStarsNHL

AK: No, O'Connell or any coach in this situation likely had a coaching staff in mind and pitched it as part of the interview process, with the idea that his preferences would be available. While the Vikings can't put pen to paper with O'Connell until after the Rams play the Bengals on Feb. 13 in the Super Bowl, he can unofficially assemble a staff. Two veteran free-agent coaches with ties to O'Connell stand out: former Washington offensive coordinator Matt Cavanaugh and former Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. Cavanaugh, 65, has been a senior adviser most recently for Washington and Jets. He was O'Connell's quarterbacks coach with the Jets in 2009 and 2010, and coached with him in Washington from 2017-2019. Pettine was the Browns head coach when O'Connell got his first NFL job in 2015. Former Broncos defensive coordinator Ed Donatell may also be available amid Denver's coaching change. Donatell was Jim Harbaugh's 49ers defensive backs coach for four years, including two that overlapped with general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah's time in San Francisco.

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Q: Are the Wilfs proving with their decision to pass on Jim Harbaugh that they are open to a rebuild? — @rufiox3

AK: Co-owner Mark Wilf said strongly on Jan. 10 that "we have high expectations for this football team. We believe we can be super competitive right here in 2022. This is not in that mode of a full rebuild." Wilf also said he'd let his football decision-makers make the decisions when asked about quarterback Kirk Cousins' future. Quarterback is the first domino in determining just how competitive the Vikings can be right away under new leadership. If Cousins remains for the final year of his current deal, there's little reason to think O'Connell and a new staff can't turn a talented offense into playoff contenders. But moving on from Cousins for a younger quarterback, like a rookie draft pick, is what would signal a bigger rebuild than ownership has been willing to acknowledge.

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Q: Will any of the previous assistant coaches be kept on O'Connell's staff? — Josh

AK: Receivers coach Keenan McCardell has formed a strong relationship with the Vikings' star duo of Justin Jefferson and Adam Thielen. Jefferson has made clear his desire for the team to keep McCardell on O'Connell's staff. That will be up to the new bosses. O'Connell's staff will come into clearer focus as he likely gets commitments from connections around the league. More assistants could then be let out of contracts to pursue other jobs if they get word that their job is being filled. The Vikings have a few veteran assistants who would likely land elsewhere quickly if not retained, including McCardell, defensive coordinator Andre Patterson and running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu.

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Q: Does hiring O'Connell offer any indication as to what the Vikings will do with Cousins? — @svartsven

AK: Until O'Connell or Adofo-Mensah say otherwise, it really doesn't. They're the only ones who can say what new leadership is thinking about the team's direction with Cousins, who is under contract for one more year at a $35 million salary ($45 million cap hit). The roster has a lot of holes and just as many salary-cap commitments to maneuver. What O'Connell or Adofo-Mensah think of Cousins as a quarterback overall is a different question than what they think of having him at this price, and for this roster. It's worth noting that Cousins prefers and has excelled in the Shanahan/Kubiak style of offense, which O'Connell comes from having coached in Washington and Los Angeles. He'll bring a new version of it to Minnesota, but they could also view Cousins as a fit all the same.

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Q: Who among Harrison Smith, Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks and Adam Thielen have realistic trade value? Can't see them just cutting everyone, but they need to redistribute the cap. — @au_mschmidt

AK: The one with the most trade value that I'd guess – linebacker Eric Kendricks – is the one you probably don't want to move because he's that valuable. He turns 30 this month, but he'll likely have more than a few productive years left leading a defense. The way contracts are structured for the other three mentioned – Cook, Smith and Thielen – complicate matters. They're all highly paid among peers, and much of that money is on the books as signing bonus prorations. Meaning if they're dealt without an agreed new contract, they'll leave more money on the books than they're clearing. It's not impossible, but it's another hurdle. Those are all still impactful stars who might be worth keeping on current or reworked deals.