Competitive or not, Guerin and his front office enter the 2025 NHL offseason searching for answers, after yet another first round exit out of the annual postseason tournament. So, where do they hope to find said answers?

Well, everything the Minnesota Wild do this offseason will stem from a sudden increase in salary cap space, now that Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s buyout penalties have finally (mostly) fallen off the books.

Bill Guerin confident Kirill Kaprizov extension will get done

But how high should our expectations be for this offseason? Over the weekend, Michael Russo (The Athletic) projected Minnesota to have approximately $17-18 million in additional cap space to play with, over the next few months. That, after they extend Kirill Kaprizov, something Bill Guerin is confident will get done.

Guerin reiterates he’s very confident they’ll extend Kaprizov this summer

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) May 6, 2025

Until it is signed, sealed and delivered, Billy did make it clear that Kaprizov’s new deal is the organization’s top priority. Kirill actually met with media on Monday and he too seemed optimistic that the two sides will find middle ground this summer.

Kirill Kaprizov will be 29 years old next season and his injury history is far from perfect. Nonetheless, he is by far the most talented player to ever skate for the Minnesota Wild and they have no plans of letting him go, no matter what that takes, which is expected to be six years, at about $15 million per season.

Related: Marc-Andre Fleury Not Done Playing Hockey Just Yet… and What About MN Wild EBUG Duties?

Kaprizov still has one year left on his current deal. The Russian winger ranks 4th in franchise history in goals (185), 11th in assists (201) and 5th in points (386). In 41 games last season, the former fifth round pick totaled 25 goals and 56 total points, but missed most of the second half due to a lower-body injury.

Minnesota Wild plan to add centerman, possibly a winger too

Of course, Kaprizov’s extension is far from the only thing on Bill Guerin’s offseason to-do list. Right behind him is the need to add a top-6 centerman, and possibly a high-end winger too, if the opportunity were to present itself. Defensemen? Nope, the Wild’s president off hockey operations says they are all set on the blue line.

Guerin says they’re in the market for centers this offseason. Wouldn’t be opposed to a scoring winger. Defense is set

— Michael Russo (@RussoHockey) May 6, 2025

When asked about 23-year-old Marco Rossi, and why he was pushed down to the fourth line for the NHL Playoffs, Guerin played dumb and made it seem like the lines were so stacked up top that Rossi couldn’t squeeze into anything higher than the fourth line, which he felt played well.

According to Russo, that’s not the way Rossi’s camp feels. Whether he’s willing to admit it or not, the fact that the Wild are looking to add specifically at center this summer proves that Marco probably isn’t in their long-term plans.

Related: New Minnesota Wild Arena Name and Sponsor Revealed…?

If he were, center would not be anywhere near the top of their priority list, being they already roster Rossi and Joel Eriksson Ek. Much like the longtime MN Wild beat writer, it seems pretty clear to me that the end of Marco Rossi’s time in St. Paul has come.

Kevin O’Connell speaks with media prior to Vikings vs Chargers:

Vikings head coach, Kevin O’Connell, touched on the team’s transaction report mid-week, as part of his opening statement. He mentioned Oli Udoh landing on injured reserve and the addition of offensive guard, Dalton Risner, who he hopes to get up to speed ASAP.

"Looking at our run game, what we've done, what we clearly can do better…for that group upfront I want them to be the driving force of success." – Head Coach Kevin O'Connell on the O-line group and adding Dalton Risner. pic.twitter.com/8Fe7aeVT47

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 20, 2023

Opening Statement: “It’s a very important week for our team. [I’m] very thankful to be back at home, in front of our fans, as we take on a really good football team, a really well-coached football team. Brandon does a great job, and with Kellen Moore now as his coordinator on offense, you can see on tape a lot of things that they’re doing that are causing people a lot of problems. [The Chargers] are a really talented team so we’re gonna need a great effort from our team. We’re already off to a great start, prep-wise, having Monday being a bonus day that we got a little bit of a head start. Got our players some rest, this past weekend, so we’ll continue that preparation, but our team’s locked in right now. We know we have not played our best overall football yet and that needs to be out in front of us very soon.”

On Risner: “We did sign, as you guys know, Dalton Risner, who we will attempt to get up to speed, as fast as possible, and see how he progresses. The guys he’s stepping on the practice field with have been playing football for the better part of two months, now. I know he’s in shape, he’s in great shape, and he’s very excited to be here; as we are to have him. So we’ll see how he progresses day-to-day and kind of getting caught up. We don’t have a lot of similar things in our offense, from his time in Denver, even though we do have some coaches with some relationships with him, which I know played a big part in [him landing here].”

"Looking at our run game, what we've done, what we clearly can do better…for that group upfront I want them to be the driving force of success." – Head Coach Kevin O'Connell on the O-line group and adding Dalton Risner. pic.twitter.com/8Fe7aeVT47

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 20, 2023

Related: Dalton Risner Does Not Expect to Start for Vikings vs Chargers

Kirk Cousins Speaks with media prior to Minnesota Vikings vs Los Angeles Chargers:

Kirk Cousins wore an Alexander Mattison “I Am Gifted” Foundation hat as he talked about his wife’s excitement over certain QB matchups around the NFL while answering questions surrounding everything from his focuses in week 3 and his matchup vs Justin Herbert to his appreciation for superstar wide receiver, Justin Jefferson.

LIVE: QB Kirk Cousins speaks to the media. https://t.co/EWiU6h6s8F

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 20, 2023

Opening Statement: “Umm, another great football team coming in here, great challenge for us, gotta get on track, you know, tough start. We dug ourselves a hole and now we gotta dig ourselves out. Uh… A lot of football up ahead and gotta take it one day at a time, as the old cliche would say.”

Reporter: “You lose two close games and you’re 0-2 and you have seven turnovers… Does that make you feel better about your team, or worse?”

Cousins: “I don’t know… I know, uh, that’s kind of the message, right? You know, we’re 0-2, we’re -6 in turnover margin. If you had told me, after two weeks, we’d be -6, I would tell you we’d be 0-2. So, we don’t really have to look at much else. That pretty much tells the story. That being said, um, we’re in those games, it’s come down to the last couple plays and there’s something encouraging to take from that. But only so much, you know, at some point the bottom line is, you gotta win.”

Related: Kirk Cousins Lost His Mind on Sideline After Interception vs Bucs

Reporter: “Do you know Justin Herbert at all and even if not, what do you think about his game?”

Cousins: “I’ve only crossed paths with him playing [against] the Chargers and at the Pro Bowl. [Herbert is] fun to watch. There’s guys that, maybe, my wife, I’ll come home from work on a Thursday and there’s a Thursday night game or Sunday night game let’s say after a game and she’ll say, ‘oh it’s Rodgers versus Brady, this will be a good one tonight’ and I’m like, ‘well, it’s the Packers versus the Patriots, but I hear what you’re saying’ and Herbert ‘s one of those guys where you kind of say, ‘oh, he’s playing tonight that’ll be fun’. You know you’ll get to see great great arm talent and ability and explosive offense. And you know that his skill guys, they know the ball could be coming their way anytime and and that’s the kind of quarterback you wanna be. I think we (the Vikings) take pride as an explosive group that can make a lot of plays, anybody can help us. And I think the Chargers have been that way as well.”

Reporter: “What do you have to do to get more out of the run game?”

Cousins: “You know, we can’t be down 27-7. If we could be up 27-7, I think we’ll get more from our running game. And guess what that goes back to? Turnovers. So, if we can protect the football we’ll be in a much better position to do a lot of different things. We talk about situational football, right, so third down, red zone, two minute… Well, if you look at those phases of football, we’d be a lot better if we hadn’t turned the ball over in those phases of football. We had a 3rd down turnover, a red zone interception, a two-minute interception… So, it all kind of goes back to the same thing and it’s fixable, which goes back to having hope, you know? And it’s fixable. There’s times you sit there and you go, ‘this issue isn’t fixable’ and that’s not a good feeling. But in this case, you say, ‘hey, we can fix this’. But it remains to be seen if we will. We gotta go do it.”

Reporter: With Justin Jefferson and the numbers he’s put up so far; he’s only had to make a couple of spectacular catches. What’s allowed him to have opportunities, despite the fact that everybody knows the ball’s gonna go to him?

"I will always say, among many traits, the trait that might be the best is he's fearless…he catches the ball and people are all around him." -QB Kirk Cousins on the number of opportunities for catches for WR Justin Jefferson. pic.twitter.com/5IVw0n7jZQ

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 20, 2023

Cousins: “Yeah, I think that’s coaches. I think that’s, you know, their game plans, their schemes, moving [Jefferson] around, [the] route trees, giving him enough of a route tree where it’s difficult to defend. And then, it’s obviously ability, right? I mean, at some point, he’s gotta go make a play and he made some catches the other night. I will always say, among many traits, that the trait that I think might be his best is, he’s pretty fearless, you know? He catches the ball and people are all around him and there’s a lot of, you know… guys get alligator arms and they hear footsteps and that’s just not him. He just runs through it. You know [with] how good he is, I’m not trying to put him in those positions where he’s getting hit and having to hear footsteps a lot. But when he does, he tends to make the play, hold on to the ball; and that’s a great thing to see. As I told him, after the game, I told him on a couple plays, you know, they’re great plays and he said, ‘hey man, you put the ball there, it’s my job to go catch it’, so he also sets a high standard for himself. That, ‘if it’s in my general area, shame on me if I don’t catch it’.”

Related: Check out the rest of our Vikings blogs

TJ Hockenson Speaks with media prior to Vikings vs Chargers:

LIVE: TE TJ Hockenson speaks to the media. https://t.co/qtX62IK5F2

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 20, 2023

Reporter: “What does the addition of Risner do for the offensive line and the run game?”

Hockenson: “I mean, yeah, we’ll see, you know? I was in his position last year, you know, coming in and trying to learn everything, so it’s one of those things, you gotta learn everything first. I mean, that’s the hard part about this league, about offenses. There’s a lot to learn in our offense, it’s pretty complex, and so, to be able to do that in a short time it’ll be a challenge for him. It’s great to have him in this locker room, you know, obviously. And, you know, we’ll see what he can do.”

"We got a lot ahead of us, we're looking forward to this weekend. We got sour taste in our mouth. It's nice to get that first one, once you get that first one, they all start rolling." – TE TJ Hockenson after Phili, looking ahead to this weekend against the Chargers. pic.twitter.com/zNutQufrVA

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 20, 2023

But wide receiver is one position that Kwesi Adofo-Mensah should have a plethora of talented options for, at 12. The earliest run on this draft’s best receivers isn’t expected to start until pick 10 or later. That means the Vikings could have their pick of Jameson Williams (Alabama), Drake London (USC), Garrett Wilson (Ohio State) and Chris Olave (Ohio State).

WR Coach doesn’t want WR at #12

Well, Kwesi stepped to the podium on Tuesday morning and spoke with Vikings media to discuss the draft. Most of it was pretty uneventful and rather generic. But Kwesi had one story he came prepared to tell. It involved wide receivers coach, Keenan McCardell, and an supposed stump speech he gave the draft room about AVOIDING wide receivers on Thursday night. Here is Chad Graff’s (The Athletic) iteration of “Storytime with Kwesi”:

But McCardell urged an end to that line of thinking. The Vikings have other needs, several of which are more pressing, and McCardell dissuaded the group from envisioning a stacked wide receiver room to instead focus on positions in need of more help.

“He gives the impassioned plea to pick a different position than his,” Adofo-Mensah said. “And there are some great options there at his position. And there were no words that needed to be said. Everybody felt the moment. And when you talk about selflessness and team and all those things, well, in that moment, he showed everybody what it was about.”

Adofo-Mensah told the story to illustrate the idea that the group working in the draft room each day is emphasizing what’s best for the team, not necessarily what might be best for specific positions or their individual careers.

But it also revealed something else: The Vikings probably won’t be picking a wide receiver at No. 12.

Chad Graff – The Athletic

Smoke Screen or nah?

Or maybe, that’s exactly what Kwesi Adofo-Mensah wanted Chad Graff and others around Minnesota media to write. I hope that’s the case. It feels way too stupid, even for a first-time GM, to give away inside the draft room knowledge like this. The only plausible explanation for telling this story is that it is completely made up. A classic pre-draft smoke screen.

In recent weeks, wide receiver has become a popular pick among Minnesota Vikings fans and media members. As strong as they might currently look at that position, Adam Thielen will be 32 years old when next season begins and Justin Jefferson is going to be VERY expensive sooner than we realize.

Plus, under Kevin O’Connell, the Vikings will run a lot more 11-personnel than what we’re used to seeing. That means a minimum of three receivers on the field in most offensive sets. And let’s never forget how set at WR the Minnesota Vikings were when they drafted Randy Moss 21st overall in April of 1998. Both Cris Carter and Jake Reed went for over 1000 yards receiving in each of the prior four seasons heading into that draft.

Kwesi Adofo-Mensah trying to distance the Vikings from first round wide receivers two days before draft night seems too ridiculous to be real. So, I’m calling bullshit. He isn’t going to fool me with some fictional story about his WR coach wanting less talent to work with. Maybe Chad Graff, but not me.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

But he wasn’t the only guy who had a big night. Jordan McLaughlin, who didn’t play at all in game three, was lights out through the final three quarters. When the dust settled, he finished 5/6 from the field and 4/4 from deep, contributing an extremely clutch 16 points, all of which the Minnesota Timberwolves needed.

Anthony Edwards on McLaughlin

After the victory, Anthony Edwards and Jordan McLaughlin took the press conference podium together. Ant had another big performance of his own, putting up 24 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists on 50% shooting from both inside and outside the 3PT line. But he didn’t want to talk about his game. Edwards was only interested in discussing the career night by his REALLY short teammate, Jordan McLaughlin, who stands 5’11”, 185 pounds.

You’ll rarely hear a negative word fall out of Anthony Edwards’ mouth and Sunday’s early morning appearance was no different. Of course, the references to JMac’s height came with Ant’s patented playful love. He spoke with sarcastic amazement at how McLaughlin somehow finds a way to be so effective when he’s so small.

In between height references, Edwards called Jordan McLaughlin the greatest teammate he’s ever played with, right next to Josh Okogie. He also nodded along as JMac told reporters how he stays ready in between appearances, which can come few and far-between, at times. Ant even claims to have grinded McLaughlin’s college tape from back when he was at USC (2014-18). Here are a few of the highlights. The full 7-minute must-see press conference video is below them.

Anthony Edwards on Jordan McLaughlin (while sitting next to Jordan McLaughlin):

"He just so short man, you know? It’s just impressive. Look how small he is. He don’t let it bother him."

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) April 24, 2022

Anthony Edwards said you could watch back Jordan McLaughlin's college film and see this is the stuff he could do

I asked if he's grinded USC film.

Ant: "Yeah. Yep, yep, yep, I have."

What impressed him the most from that?

Ant: "He's just so short."

— jace frederick (@JaceFrederick) April 24, 2022

Anthony Edwards: "Jordan McLaughlin and Josh Okogie are the best teammates I've ever played with in my life… I can't compare anybody to those two."

— Dane Moore (@DaneMooreNBA) April 24, 2022

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Well, Breeland started again against Cleveland but didn’t even make it out of the 1st quarter. He exited the game after giving up a 21-yard 3rd down completion ten minutes into the game, where he failed to pick up the correct assignment (see video below).

Bashaud got in front of Vikings reporters on Friday afternoon and his appearance didn’t even last four minutes. That’s all it took for fireworks to fly, though. Breeland was asked early-on about that last play of his game vs Cleveland and why he never returned after. Were the two related? What happened? He looked confused by the question and couldn’t seem to remember what play he was being asked about.

It was a great way to start an even better press conference that would only get better from here.

Breeland seemed to forget his last play vs Cleveland (a 21 yard 3rd down gain he gave up in the 1st quarter).

Luckily, I found it for him. #Vikings pic.twitter.com/2wa9OBY4Kg

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) October 8, 2021

Breeland vs Tomasson

You can hear two reporters asking the questions that seem to be frustrating Bashaud Breeland. After taking the above question, he turns to Chris Tomasson (Pioneer Press), who is known for some of the heated exchanges he’s had with head coach, Mike Zimmer.

Tomasson asked Breeland about his PFF grade, which ranks 103 of 103 cornerbacks in the league, and if the former Chief is embarrassed by such things. Bashaud’s response couldn’t have been any better. First, he claimed not to be embarrassed by PFF’s ranking. Then, he turns the question on Tomasson and says Chris would probably be ranked 101st in his profession, if such rankings existed.

It was a legendary player/reporter exchange that I’m just glad I watched happen in real time.

Chris Tomasson asked Breeland him if he's embarrassed by PFF ranking him the 103rd CB (out of 103) in the league. Breeland responded by saying Chris would probably rank 101 of 101 reporters if someone ranked them. ???????????????? pic.twitter.com/sW45QXMMEu

— Skol Vikes (@SkolBros) October 8, 2021

What else?

Bashaud Breeland admitted to a poor start. He wasn’t up there trying to convince people that PFF’s rankings are wrong. Instead, Breeland pointed to a difficulty he’s had adjusting to a “new team and new scheme” but that he feels he’s getting better every week.

He challenged fans and media, saying “ya’ll just watch”, followed by “I can’t wait till Sunday”. We’ll see if a different Bashaud shows up on Sunday. Here’s his full interview.

LIVE: Bashaud Breeland talks to the media https://t.co/xtfJfhLHJr

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) October 8, 2021

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

No matter, Zim told media early Wednesday afternoon that we’ll see a lot of starters play on both sides of the ball for the third and final preseason game this Friday night in Kansas City. Expect to see something much like what we saw last weekend. Hopefully with more success, though.

Most of the Vikings’ starters will play Friday against the Chiefs in the team’s preseason finale, per Mike Zimmer.

— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) August 25, 2021

"It'll be similar to last week. Let's just say that." – Coach Zimmer on plans for who will play Friday night pic.twitter.com/y6TOGF1Inx

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 25, 2021

Cousins and the starting offense got three series’ together on Saturday, before Zimmer pulled them off the field for the night. Kirk went 5/7 for 23 yards, a sack and 75.3 QB Rating. Minnesota Vikings fans hope to see their QB get in more of a rhythm on Friday night. The real thing is only two weeks away.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

All personalities have their own way of capturing audiences. Fleck brings fire, Zim and Guerin bring honesty and Finch brings an ability to teach and deep dive his philosophies.

Stronger Dantzler?

Early this afternoon, it was Mike Zimmer who held his daily training camp presser at TCO Performance Center in Eagan and his pointed candor was on full display. While Mike’s transparency is great for us… it’s unlikely Cam Dantzler feels the same way. Not after Cam hears about this exchange between the Minnesota Vikings head coach and Courtney Cronin (ESPN), who asked if the 2nd-year CB looked any bigger/stronger than he did last year.

Hey Zim, Cam Dantzler looks quite a bit bigger and stronger than he did last year. Your thoughts? pic.twitter.com/FUhXlnGBv4

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) July 29, 2021

Cronin (ESPN): Is Dantzler where he needs to be physically? He looks a lot bigger this year…

Zimmer: “He’s a little bit bigger. You know, he’s still got to get in the weight room and things like that. He came off the field way too much last year. So, you know, if he gets a couple hits on him, he’s gotta stay the heck out there and go compete! But he did some good things yesterday, as I said before.”

“I guess, you know, the biggest thing, and I’m not just talking about Dantzler specifically, but some of those guys got a chance to play last year. Adding some of these other guys, I feel like the depth should really help us on special teams. Some of these guys that played last year won’t be — knocks on (wood) podium — probably won’t be playing first and second down but they should be playing a lot on special teams.”

Not the first time, won’t be the last

Mike Zimmer may or may not apologize to Cam Dantzler after this latest podium plastering but that won’t stop it from happening again. This is who Mike Zimmer is. He successfully holds himself back at times but it’s in his nature to answer questions as honestly as possible.

As long as he’s in a good mood.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Ben Johnson is the new men’s head basketball coach at the University of Minnesota and there’s no doubt, after watching his introductory press conference, that he’s excited to take over what he called his “dream job”. Now, every coach says that when they take a new job but you can believe it with Ben. He loves the state of Minnesota and has proven that throughout his playing and coaching career. He even compared himself to Tom Izzo, who was a Michigan guy hired at Michigan State when he was 35-years-old.

Now that’s a self-comparison that takes some testicular fortitude. The Izzo comparison was just one of the many highlights to a press conference that Ben Johnson tee’d up and absolutely smashed out of the Dinkytown ballpark. I walked away from today’s presser convinced Mark Coyle and the University of Minnesota made the correct hire on Monday.

Ben Johnson walks away from the podium and he should feel good because he just hit an absolute moon shot home run intro press conference. What a great start. #Gophers

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) March 23, 2021

The Highlights

Ok, let’s get into some of the highlights I mentioned above. There were quite a few and Johnson answered all of the pressing questions with a casual ease. Conversation clearly comes natural for Ben and it’s because of his genuine nature. When he speaks, you feel like he’s telling you the truth. Whether he’s being truthful or not, it’s not an easy thing to pull off.

He’s an impressive human being and it’s clear why he is so well-liked by those who know him.

Transfers (or possible transfers)

Let’s start with his likeability, since we’re on the subject. Ben Johnson will need all of the likeability he can muster as he tries to convince some of the current Gophers to stick around town. At the same time, however, I love his overall approach to the transfer portal. It’s the Wild Wild West age of major college transfers so you can’t expect everyone to remain in your saloon. You just have to be ready when they leave.

He touched on the portal earlier in the presser too. pic.twitter.com/jhYQRvsY03

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) March 23, 2021

The Barn

Before Ben Johnson took to the podium today, my love for Williams Arena had been beaten out of me after years and years of mediocre basketball being played inside. Some voices around town had actually convinced me The Barn had become a detriment to recruiting the best high school basketball players.

Well, I’d like to thank Ben Johnson for verbally punching me in the face with his love for The Barn. Williams Arena is one of the greatest venues in COLLEGE sports, where atmosphere is more important than business suites. It’s not meant to be a knock-off pro arena and we should be proud of that. It’s a legitimate college basketball facility and any downsides are just part of the character. If we can pack The Barn again, we’ll never want to tear it down. Ben convinced me of that today.

For whatever reason, Ben Johnson really took control of this presser when asked about Williams Arena. He did just fine up until that point, but when asked about The Barn and what it means to the state of Minnesota… he hit a different gear and never looked back.

This. pic.twitter.com/9Yqy2fMxY4

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) March 23, 2021

Recruiting

Alright, let’s get to brass tax. Ben Johnson was hired at the University of Minnesota because of his deep ties to local recruiting and elite reputation as a college basketball recruiter. So of course, he was hit with plenty of questions surrounding the idea of closing the Minnesota recruiting borders. Greg Gard at Wisconsin, for example, has built most of his roster off of Minnesota defectors.

That needs to stop and Coyle decided plugging that recruiting leak was more important than hiring a coach with experience. After listening to Ben’s press conference, I 100% agree. The college game, especially basketball, comes down to talent and how well you can recruit that talent to come and put on your team’s uniform.

Minnesota has one of the deepest in-state basketball talent pools in the country right now. Keeping some of the best kids to stay home will all but guarantee a more successful stay in Dinkytown than what Richard Pitino experienced. So how is he going to go about that business?

For Ben Johnson, recruiting is a “we” thing and he made that clear to all of the Minnesota high school and AAU coaches who are willing to listen. The whole “One Minnesota” thing will fit well on Ben Johnson.

"This is OUR program. This is OUR school." pic.twitter.com/j7Y56WUoGx

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) March 23, 2021

Assistant Coaching Staff

As the youngest head coach in the Big Ten, Ben will need quality assistant help as he grows and earns his bruises in a Big Ten’s captain’s chair. Guys like Tim Miles and Dave Thorson both have great relationships with Ben and that’s only the beginning.

When asked about possible staff hires and the budget he’s been afforded to hire assistants, Ben made it clear that there’s no shortage of interest from across the country. In fact, he claims we’d be shocked by some of the names who have called on it. Again, this dude knows how to get you excited.

Johnson wants good assistants but he doesn’t lack confidence in himself and his fit for this job, either. Ben was asked about a possible learning curve, given his inexperience. Sure, there’s all the on-bench coaching stuff (timeouts, adjustments, etc) that comes with being a head coach but that’s not what the former DeLaSalle star is worried about.

Nah, he’s worried about wanting too much, too quickly and working too hard. Ok, Michael Scott. You’ve convinced me. I’m a Ben Johnson believer.

Ben Johnson on what could be a star-studded assistant coaching staff…? #Gophers pic.twitter.com/8UVW2vpAxG

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) March 23, 2021

Ben Johnson does a damn good Michael Scott impression when asked about possible weaknesses or a first time head coach learning curve. #Gophers pic.twitter.com/oa1RMXr7Ho

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) March 23, 2021

For the full introductory press conference, you can click HERE.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

Gopher Football is expecting to “grow higher” (like bamboo) in 2020. At least, that’s the new mantra the team has adopted for the upcoming season. You can listen to PJ Fleck’s breakdown on how it fits, below. Essentially, bamboo takes a few years to fester underground, at which time, it quickly blasts through the surface, into 100 ft of one of the strongest natural material on earth.

I’ll let you put that puzzle together. The question on 2020’s mantra was posed at the 03:45 mark of PJ’s video, directly below. Some other takeaways are mentioned underneath that, along with Tanner Morgan’s press conference video.

PJ Fleck LIVE for the first time this spring szn! #RTBSKIUMAHGOGOPHERS https://t.co/7LgqILKV3T

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) March 2, 2020

After some jokes to start the presser, about new Australian punter Mark Crawford, PJ’s first question was about the starting QB position and whether or not he considered Tanner Morgan his starter.

PJ answered it flawlessly, reminding us that he doesn’t name starters in the spring…. but that Tanner Morgan was set to get all of the 1st-team reps. This was mostly a given, but Zack Annexstad was favored to win the job last year out of camp, before injury took that away.

First of all, I think Tanner Morgan has earned the 1st-team reps, period… in terms of spring. I think if you asked Tanner, Zack, Cole or Jacob… they all want an opportunity, and everyone is going to get an opportunity. I think that’s what this program is about…

But, I think when you look at what Tanner has done and the body of work over a period of time…. what he’s done for this institution, what he’s done for this football program… what he does with the leadership role he has, he’s earned those 1st-team reps in the spring.

If you ask Tanner Morgan, as humble of a kid as he is, ‘are you the starter’, he’s gonna say ‘I’ve got to go earn it and I wouldn’t have it any other way.’

It’s gonna be a very competitive spring and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

PJ Fleck – Press Conference video embedded above

Tanner Morgan answers this question himself in his portion of this press conference but it surprises nobody, that Tanner is expected to be the starter, unless something crazy happens. If that wasn’t the case, he probably isn’t the only guy PJ brings with him for this press conference.

After more explanation for this season’s mantra, PJ got into his new coaching hires which includes a new OC (Mike Sanford), new DL coach (Chad Wilt), DB coach (Paul Haines).

He went in-depth on how much control of the offense Sanford will have and also how blown away he and Joe Rossi were by Chad Wilt’s interview. PJ finished this segment off by saying that this is the best coaching room he has ever had, which some from Penn State could take offense too, if they are as sensitive as we Gopher fans are…

I think this is the best staff I’ve had and I told them that.

PJ Fleck – Press Conference video embedded above

New names to look for:

When asked about how the Gophers will look on defense, after the departure of so many key guys. PJ touches on a few different guys to look for, and who look different to him in many facets, now that they will be relied upon more.

• Boye Mafe – DL | RSJR
• Braelen Oliver – LB | RSSO
• Mariano Sori-Marin – LB | JR
• Tyler Nubin – DB | SO

Lastly, PJ is asked about how last year’s winning season has benefitted recruiting. He took this opportunity to tell everyone that winning gives them a better chance of getting into some doors and keep guys committed, but that winning isn’t going to change the type of people the Gophers recruit and eventually bring in.

You have to be a boat-rower to play football at the University of Minnesota, no matter how good at football you are. Otherwise, you will want to blow your brains out before your first game… if you ever touch the field.

Tanner Morgan Takes the Podium:

Tanner Morgan speaks like PJ Fleck LIVE #RTBSKIUMAHGOGOPHERS https://t.co/L5Y9uMItQa

— Minnesota Sports Fan (@realmnsportsfan) March 2, 2020

Tanner is a PJ Fleck clone… with less energy for the media. He says the same things and he looks the same too. He might look even older than Fleck.

When asked about his new OC, Mike Sanford, Tanner talked a lot about how much they’ve been working to improve his footwork in the pocket. He made it seem like Sanford found some of his pocket presence last season downright sloppy.

I think one really big thing, is just cleaning up my feet. A lot of times, I was really sloppy, just kind of moving around a lot. There’s a lot of ways I can get better and that progresses to pocket movement.

There was a lot of times where I walked into sacks where maybe I could have gotten out, if I stepped here or I created false pressure… so that’s one area that we’ve really been working at or we noticed when we watched the film

Tanner Morgan – Press Conference video above

Tanner also talked about Chris Autman-Bell emerging this year and how much confidence Chris has in himself. He’s been waiting for this opportunity and I expect a monster year out of the redshirt junior.

He stanned for Tyler Johnson too, as he goes through his offseason, getting ready for the draft.

Personally, I’ll be interested to see how this team looks as things get rolling. They have a lot of returning pieces but they’ve lost many important guys too. As the team grows up early on, we might need to pray they are able to keep it together for the non-conference schedule like they did last year, before they find their footing for the main conference schedule.

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan

? Mike Zimmer addresses the media with an end of season press conference. #Skol https://t.co/BE9e2s80G4

Holy moly…. Mike Zimmer gave the earliest press conference I’ve ever seen, this morning when he stepped up to the podium at 8 AM. Clearly, Zim is ready to get back to The Ranch where he can shake off Saturday’s loss so he can start to get his head right for this offseason.

Normally, Mike Zimmer is one of the most open and honest coaches in the business. He gives the best press conferences, because of it. Today, he was a little more reserved but still tipped his offseason hand in a lot of areas. Let’s jump into them because the only way to get over the past, is to look toward the future.

Riff Between Zimmer and Departing DC, George Edwards?

Mike Zimmer on defensive coordinator George Edwards’ departure: “He was at a situation where he was at the end of his contract, and it was probably best.”

— Ben Goessling (@GoesslingStrib) January 13, 2020

This is quite interesting because George Edwards has been Zimmer’s Defensive Coordinator since he arrived in Minnesota. Sure, he didn’t call plays, but it was always assumed that Zimmer and Edwards had a great relationship.

Well, not so fast… This quote from Zimmer puts that relationship into question. It seems there may have been frustration on both sides. I’m not going to jump to any conclusions, beyond what I already have, because nothing else was said on the topic and assumptions tend to make idiots out of people… but, the quote is interesting nonetheless.

What’s Next at Both Coordinator Positions?

“I think it’s important not just for Kirk but the entire offense to have the same system, the same calls so when they come in here on Day 1 it’s not completely foreign to them.” – Coach Zimmer

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 13, 2020

Zimmer says he is going to take some time away before he names his next offensive and defensive coordinators, but also said how important it is that there is continuity in the organization and in the identity on both sides of the ball. Well if that’s all true, and the goal is to keep Kirk Cousins’ head from imploding with yet ANOTHER scheme on offense, while also keeping the best coaching talent in the building on both sides of the ball; then promoting the Kubiaks on offense and Andre Patterson on defense, is where these hires are likely going.

I think Zimmer’s number one pick for OC is Gary Kubiak because he loves him and values old school. Whether Gary will be up to it, is another question. If he isn’t, it’s difficult to imagine anyone but his son Klint Kubiak taking over as OC, for the first time in his coaching career, with Gary playing the same role he did this year for Kevin Stefanski. I don’t think any other scenario makes sense for the Vikings offense, beyond the Kubiaks, if continuity is the narrative Zimmer is rolling with. If you move on from Gary and Klint, then you also move on from Running Game Coordinator, Rick Dennison and TE Coach Brian Pariani, who have both been with Kubiak forever.

There is no continuity from 2019 to 2020 on offense without the Kubiaks… PERIOD. That includes Pat Shurmur.

On defense, Defensive Line Coach, Andre Patterson has openly discussed his goal of being a defensive coordinator in the NFL and he is universally known around the league as one of the best defensive line coaches out there. If being a DC is his goal and Zimmer isn’t willing to fill this now-open position with his most talented defensive coach, then why would Patterson stay? Whoever takes over isn’t going to be calling plays so again, for continuity-sake, Andre Patterson is the only guy that really fits in this spot. With the changes you have coming in personnel on the field (especially at DL), Andre Patterson is someone who we MUST retain and keep happy, going forward.

Changes Are a-Coming on Defense….

“I think we’ll have to make some tough decisions in a lot of areas, not just the secondary.” – Coach Zimmer

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 13, 2020

#Vikings coach Mike Zimmer on his roster: "At the end of the day it ends up being a young man's game.''

— Chris Tomasson (@christomasson) January 13, 2020

the run game coordinator & often called run plays) – or whether Minnesota wants to hire from the outside, the person at the helm of the Vikings offense will be tasked with maintaining the stability the team found this season.

— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) January 13, 2020

It doesn’t take someone with Rob Brzezinski’s salary cap brain to realize the Vikings can’t afford everyone they have on their defensive roster, especially with a bunch of their contracts being due.

According to Spotrac.com, Trae Waynes, Anthony Harris, Andrew Sendejo, Mackensie Alexander, Kentrell Brothers, Jayron Kearse, and Stephen Weatherly are all unrestricted free agents… (deep breath) and Everson Griffen is on a team option worth $14.5M that’s probably going to prove too expensive to pick up…

So, none of these unrestricted free agents are on the books for 2020, yet the Vikings are still last in the league currently for 2020 available cap, and the only team “in the red”, needing to cut $5M just to get back to even.

Zimmer’s Contract Status:

“I love these players, this organization, the owners have been outstanding to me so I believe there will be conversations here in the future and whatever happens, I’ll be happy with it.” – Coach Zimmer on his contract status

— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 13, 2020

This pretty much seals Mike Zimmer’s (and Rick Spielman’s) fate for a contract extension. He says here that they are already planning to sit down and discuss his future.

I can promise you that Mike Zimmer isn’t going into 2020 as a “lame duck” head coach. Again, continuity is the theme. The Vikings are going to try to flip this roster into a much younger version (especially on defense), while still competing for deep playoff runs. Whether or not they are successful in this difficult endeavor, will have a lot to do with how well Mike Zimmer & Co. will be able to coach up this youth-infused defense, while hoping the more engrained offense can carry the team through any mistakes that young D might make early.

That means keeping more of the same in gameplanning for Kirk Cousins, while improving the O-line and CAREFULLY steering through this offseason purge on defense.

It’ll be another newsworthy offseason!

Eric Strack | Minnesota Sports Fan