For years, NFL teams have interviewed and offered Indianapolis Colts assistant general manager Ed Dodds but time again they can’t seem to lock him down, now is the time for the Vikings to back the brinks truck up to Dodds or do whatever they have to so they can get him.
It was announced this morning that general manager Rick Spielman was being fired, along with head coach Mike Zimmer, and now the Minnesota Vikings franchise has a clean slate to take the next step. Spielman was not a bad general manager by any means, he had a very high hit rate on his draft picks and was even able to lure in the occasional big free agent. What eventually seemed to erode the relationship with the Wilf’s though is just the constant mediocrity across the board.
Before the season expectations were necessarily high but there were certain types of results that were expected and when you are the one constructing the team it falls on your shoulders.
Now is the time though as I mentioned to land the best hire possible for any team or any position this offseason, the Vikings need to be all in on Ed Dodds.
The Wilf’s Need to Do What No One Else Has Done
The Wilf’s will now look to make the right hire at head coach for a roster that has some promising young pieces to build up as well as some decent veterans to maintain but the roster as a whole needs some help.
During his tenure in Indianapolis, Ed Dodds worked alongside general manager Chris Ballard and was a part of scouting and decision making for some of the best draft picks in the last couple of drafts. Those classes that Dodds were a part of the decision making in have proven to be some of the best draft steals and quality picks of the last decade.
Dodds also has a strong tenure in the league and has the connections to build a strong staff around him as well. The Colts have a behind the scenes series they do every year and that is where you can see where Dodds thrives and how he can be every bit the leader this team needs from a front office standpoint.
Head Coaching Candidates with Links to Dodds
Ed Dodds before coming to Indianapolis was a big part of the Seattle Seahawks organization being there from 2007 to 2016. Just like in Indianapolis he was a part of several great draft classes serving under general manager John Schneider including two NFC championship teams and a Super Bowl win in 2013.
Two coaches on that roster were current Jaguars offensive coordinator and interim head coach Darrell Bevell and current Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Quinn has the head coaching status on his resume of course being the Atlanta Falcons coach from 2015 to 2020, he has done a tremendous job with the Cowboys defense especially Trevon Diggs and rookie Micah Parsons.
As for Bevell, he has had the most successful offense in Duval county but after Urban Meyer’s firing he did seem to right the ship enough and proved to be someone the players could rally behind. Their big upset of the Colts yesterday to keep them out of the playoffs cemented that point but ultimately I doubt they consider Bevell.
Quinn could be a serious contender if Dodds is the hire, otherwise I think maybe he looks for another well seasoned coordinator perhaps Brian Daboll in Buffalo or Greg Roman in Baltimore.
This all is for nothing if the Wilf’s cannot lockdown Ed Dodds, while missing out on him wouldn’t be total armageddon for a floundering Vikings team facing cap issues and big questions at several key positions, it could set them back further with the wrong hire. Look to Jacksonville as a prime example of what a bad general manager hire can do for a franchise, a franchise that even has prime draft capital unlike the Vikings.
The next several months will be crucial for the 2022 season and beyond.