Who’s Linked To O'Connell: Filling Out The Staff

[gopherwrestler]

I honestly believe Grigson is here to help take over the drafting part of it that Spielman was part of, but less control. He has a ton of scouting experience, going through player reports, and all of that Jazz. Here are a list of some players he was most likely apart of.

Rams 1999-2003 (national scout)
Torry Holt
Dre Bly
Brian Young (Saints Defensive Assistant since 2011)
Adam Archuleta
Ryan Pickett
 

Eagles 2004-2011
Deshaun Jackson
Brent Celek
Trevor Laws (Apple Valley Wrestling Champ  )
Quienton Demps
King Dunlap
LeSaun McCoy

Starting in 2010 he was the Eagles Director of Player Personel
Draft:
Brandon Graham
Nate Allen
Mike Kafka
Kurt Coleman
Dion Lewis
Jason Kelce

Roster Moves:
End of the McNabb Era
Vince Young
Ronnie Brown
Evan Mathis
Nnamdi Asomugha
Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie

 

 

 

So the story on him was he was fairly decent and moved up the line at a decent clip. He really may have had just one bad stop and it was with the Colts.

[skywindO2]

 

Not a fan of this. I'd rather go with a younger unknown than a known old guy that's never been particularly good. 

[vikingsrule]

14 minutes ago, skywindO2 said:

 

Not a fan of this. I'd rather go with a younger unknown than a known old guy that's never been particularly good. 

I don’t know, got to have some balance on the coaching staff. Can’t have a bunch of 30 year olds who know the head coach. Some veterans on defense, particularly some head coach experience might be useful on defense. Donatell hasn’t been a head coach but he’s been around long enough. Even if this team can field an average level defense that would be a miracle so my expectations are very low at this point. Would have preferred a different route but anything has to be better than Zimmer’s defense the last two years. Donatell probably isn’t getting poached to be a HC but you know Pleasant and Desai will end up going on a bunch of HC interviews with moderate success. Not that it’s a bad thing to hire future head coaches, just would be nice to have 2-3 years of stability on defense to get it to a better spot.

Edited February 9, 2022 by vikingsrule

[Kparty15]

1 hour ago, SemperFeist said:

Keeping Spielman doesn’t change the culture within the building. 

Personally I don’t care what the culture is in the building if you can’t evaluate talent.  I just hope Grigson doesn’t have any control on personnel decisions.

[RpMc]

15 minutes ago, Kparty15 said:

Personally I don’t care what the culture is in the building if you can’t evaluate talent.  I just hope Grigson doesn’t have any control on personnel decisions.

You could have the most talented team on the planet, and if the culture sucks it won't matter.

[CriminalMind]

4 hours ago, Kparty15 said:

I hope you’re right.  I would’ve rather just kept Spielman in that role though.

Who knows if Rick would have even accepted. He’s already figuring out how to consult with a team and then get back in to a high spot eventually. It’s a relationship business. 

[Ozzy]

3 hours ago, vikingsrule said:

I don’t know, got to have some balance on the coaching staff. Can’t have a bunch of 30 year olds who know the head coach. Some veterans on defense, particularly some head coach experience might be useful on defense. Donatell hasn’t been a head coach but he’s been around long enough. Even if this team can field an average level defense that would be a miracle so my expectations are very low at this point. Would have preferred a different route but anything has to be better than Zimmer’s defense the last two years. Donatell probably isn’t getting poached to be a HC but you know Pleasant and Desai will end up going on a bunch of HC interviews with moderate success. Not that it’s a bad thing to hire future head coaches, just would be nice to have 2-3 years of stability on defense to get it to a better spot.

True, but should not just hire a guy because he is old.  By the way Vic Fangio is a superior defensive coordinator in every way and he was the reason Denver had a good D last year not Ed Donatell, and also pretty sure he is older as well.  So if they want to hire an older dude hire Vic Fangio!

 

Then again maybe he does not want to come here but in now way is Vic Fangio not a better DC, and of course Sean Desai I would rather have because he has more upside and coaching potential.  Ed Donatell is what he is, ok coach but nothing great just a serviceable guy.

 

And yet another hire of hey I worked with this guy once back when, you are hired.  Kind of disappointing honestly for Kwesi right out the gate.  Now maybe he is right and both of them are just super stars but there is a reason Ed Donatell never became a head coach in the league, O'Connell is just young so who knows with him but at least he has some upside.

[dc_vikingfan]

Everyone is the favorite for the Vikings DC job. Not the biggest of Ed if doesn't have Vic with him. Do believe KO will need an experience coach on his staff somewhere. Then once settle he can hire an younger higher upside coach later.

[Ozzy]

2 minutes ago, dc_vikingfan said:

Everyone is the favorite for the Vikings DC job. Not the biggest of Ed if doesn't have Vic with him. Do believe KO will need an experience coach on his staff somewhere. Then once settle he can hire an younger higher upside coach later.

True but wasn't Ed Donatell on the Packers when the Vikings ripped them apart on a year by year basis?  

 

There is a reason the Seattle Seahawks hired Ed Donatell as a "Senior defensive assistant" what just a week or two ago and not the defensive coordinator when they also were in need of one.  Just sucks they go for him instead of Desai or Fangio if that is the case.

 

Maybe the Vikings think Denver had a great secondary because of Ed Donatell.  No they had a great secondary because they brought in great secondary players.  Drafted Surtain II, brought in Kyle Fuller from Chicago who clearly knows Fangio's system, also drafted Caden Sterns who is a great safety prospect and Jamar Johnson who is another good safety prospect.  Combine that with Darby, Callahan who also came over from Chicago in 2020 and Simmons who is one of the best young safeties in the league and Jackson who is a good solid vet.  So again the players made the coach look good in that one for sure, could argue Denver had the best secondary and the deepest secondary in the NFL last year.  Would love for Minnesota to have that but obviously that is more to do with drafting and free agency than coaching.  

[vike daddy]

8 hours ago, Frank Costello said:

It seems like the coaches being brought in or mentioned, are a bunch of young 'yes men'. 

It seems the team and the FO are scarred for life by Zimmer. Anyone older with a large personality and or presence almost automatically getting skipped over. 

sorry, my dudeness. but none of us have any upfront detail or knowledge to make this form of evaluation and pronouncement.

[swede700]

5 hours ago, RpMc said:

You could have the most talented team on the planet, and if the culture sucks it won't matter.

Agreed...everywhere in life, in business and family, culture is what matters the most.  It can be good or it can be poisonous and that will matter more than the parts. While talent means a lot, with a poisonous culture...like existed last year with the Vikings, the team will not succeed.

[vike daddy]

Donatell served as the defensive coordinator for the Denver Broncos for the previous three seasons.

The Broncos had the No. 2-ranked scoring defense in the league this season behind the Buffalo Bills, and they were ranked ninth in total yards allowed. 

https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/2022/02/09/ed-donatell-reportedly-the-favorite-to-be-vikings-next-defensive-coordinator/?utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR287aV4KRcWic7RxrI1KZCkaORBa-4UZkAFFAJS8IOb8ABaxcEyWBpFkjA

[Ozzy]

Just a reminder the new head coaching hires in 2021.

 

Brandon Staley, Chargers (Some what underachieved with a very talented roster)
Urban Meyer, Jaguars  Fired
Nick Sirianni, Eagles (Did decent but still Jalen Hurts is his QB)
Dan Campbell, Lions (2nd worst team in the NFL but shows potential)
Arthur Smith, Falcons (Wildly overachieved and surprised with a suspect roster)
Robert Saleh, Jets (showed some progress but still one of the worst teams in the league)
David Culley, Texans  Fired

 

[Frank Costello]

1 hour ago, vike daddy said:

sorry, my dudeness. but none of us have any upfront detail or knowledge to make this form of evaluation and pronouncement.

I mean, most of the guys being mentioned are either incredibly young or unproven as a full time DC. They're not going to come in and make any demands, that's just common sense. 

Fangio is more proven then all of them combined and would almost guarantee us the results we want. But he's also a veteran, and a BIG personality that may rub ppl the wrong way. 

So you'll have to forgive me when I say you're wrong as the FO has already shown in declining Harbaugh that they don't want any large personalities in the room. They want collaborators only. Now I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's a very unproven thing for us. 

[RpMc]

1 hour ago, Frank Costello said:

I mean, most of the guys being mentioned are either incredibly young or unproven as a full time DC. They're not going to come in and make any demands, that's just common sense. 

Fangio is more proven then all of them combined and would almost guarantee us the results we want. But he's also a veteran, and a BIG personality that may rub ppl the wrong way. 

So you'll have to forgive me when I say you're wrong as the FO has already shown in declining Harbaugh that they don't want any large personalities in the room. They want collaborators only. Now I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's a very unproven thing for us. 

Not wanting Harbaugh =/= not wanting large personalities.

Its been made known that Harbaugh didn’t necessarily prepare for the interview, thought it was a foregone conclusion, and things got awkward due to that.