Minnesota Vikings: Rick Spielman Always Bears Watching

In his second season at the helm, head coach Mike Zimmer got the Minnesota Vikings back in the playoffs. What’s next for this surging team?

This will be the 10th NFL draft for Minnesota Vikings executive Rick Spielman with the organization. He was hired in May of 2006 and vice president of player personnel in 2006 (after the draft that year) and was promoted to general manager in 2012.

It’s safe to say that he and the team have been one of the busier franchises in the first round of the draft the past four years. And if his recent thoughts are any indication, the Purple Gang could be movers and shakers on the evening of April 28.

Feb 24, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman speaks to the media during the 2016 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

“As I sit there, I enjoy reading the mock drafts and everybody out there trying to determine what we’re going to do, we are in a position to take the best player,” said the always-busy general manager to Mark Craig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the press two days before the draft. “I’m sure I’ll get a receiver question here, but we are not honed in on a receiver in the first round. We’ll look at the best potential player, regardless of position.

“It will be interesting at the 23rd pick because I’ve already had two calls that I can verify today about teams potentially coming up our way,” added Spielman. “And one may be potentially in the second round. So we’re going to have to make some determinations, and usually those determinations aren’t made until we’re actually on the clock.

So what are the main factors in regards to a decision? “One…,” explained the longtime NFL executive, “who’s available there? Is he too good to pass up? Two, what is the depth behind that position so if we do pass him up, do we have another swing at a guy at that same position in the second round? Or, three, don’t move out of the first round because of that fifth-year option. Maybe try to move down in the first round and still get a player that you feel very excited to get.”

It’s extremely interesting when you look at how many moves and deals Spielman has made over the past four drafts since becoming the fulltime GM in ’12. It’s mainly reflected in the fact that the club has added eight players in that round alone over that span.

2012: T Matt Kalil (Southern Cal) and S Harrison Smith (Notre Dame)

2013: DT Sharrif Floyd (Florida), CB Xavier Rhodes (Florida State) and WR Cordarrelle Patterson (Tennessee)

2014: LB Anthony Barr (UCLA) and QB Teddy Bridgewater (Louisville)

2015: CB Trae Waynes (Michigan State)

Of course, it’s also worth noting that while it wouldn’t be a surprise for the Vikings to come out of this draft with more than one first-round selection (never say never), it could come at a hefty price.

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Spielman has eight picks to work with but the only round in which the team has multiple selection is the seventh. It doesn’t really add up to the kind of ammunition needed to make a move up high, unless the club mortgages a bit of the future.

And that could happen. Minnesota was a 5-10-1 team in 2013. It improved to 7-9 during head coach’s Mike Zimmer’s first season in the Twin Cities. This past year, the Vikings finished 11-5 and unseated the Green Bay Packers for the NFC North title.

It’s a club that hasn’t done a lot during free agency, which has been the team’s course of action as of late because of Spielman’s draft prowess. Minnesota added offensive linemen Alex Boone (49ers) and Andre Smith (Bengals), as well as safety Michael Griffin (Titans) and linebackers Emmanuel Lamur (Bengals) and Travis Lewis (Lions).

More nfl spin zone: ESPN NFC North Predictions: Too Soon?

Many of the moves were made to improve depth. As far as upgrading the starting lineups, don’t count out Spielman making his usual impact in round one.

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