Kevin O’Connell looking for Vikings players to take personal leadership to the next level
The Vikings kicked off the offseason by releasing linebacker Eric Kendricks and wide receiver Adam Thielen in moves that foreshadowed further veteran departures once free agency got underway.
Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and cornerback Patrick Peterson moved on to other teams in March while edge rusher Za'Darius Smith was traded to the Browns this month. There’s still some thought that running back Dalvin Cook could be dispatched, but head coach Kevin O’Connell said the team will be looking for less experienced players to step into new roles as leaders whether Cook is around this season or not.
“It’s like, hey, I think you’ve earned the right. Your performance and production is one thing, but now you’re filling a void of some players that aren’t here anymore, that were here since you’ve been here. And you’ve become the player you’ve become, maybe because of the exposure to those guys,” O’Connell said, via Albert Breer of SI.com. “Now it’s, can you take your own personal leadership to the next level and help guide this team? And, time and time again, in those conversations, it’s something that those players are excited about.”
The Vikings were able to win the NFC North with the help of those departed players and filling the tangible and intangible holes they left behind will help determine if they can repeat that kind of success in O’Connell’s second season with the team.
Kevin O’Connell looking for Vikings players to take personal leadership to the next level originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
