WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Kevin O’Connell spoke for exactly 31 minutes, 58 seconds on Tuesday morning at the NFL owners meetings. He answered a wide array of questions from local reporters, while national reporters occasionally chimed in with some inquiries of their own.
Not once did Aaron Rodgers come up in conversation.
It was a breath of fresh air for pretty much everybody involved, considering Rodgers has dominated headlines at seemingly every turn.
The reprieve from the rumors gave O’Connell a chance to provide insight into the many moves the Vikings have made this offseason. It marked the first time he has gone in depth about everything that has happened over the past few weeks.
Here are five takeaways from that conversation:
The decision to pair Aaron Jones with Jordan Mason
After striking a new deal with Aaron Jones last month on the eve of free agency, the Vikings immediately started canvassing the market in search of a complementary piece to pair alongside him in the backfield.
Though he managed to play in every game last season, Jones finished with a career high 306 touches, a heavy workload that isn’t sustainable as he slowly progresses into the later stages of his career.
“We wanted to make sure we were using Aaron in a way that allowed him to be his most impactful self,” O’Connell said. “When he has historically had that 1A, 1B backfield structure, he can be a total game changer every time he touches it.”
That led to the Vikings acquiring Mason via a trade with the San Francisco 49ers. His impressive performance against the Vikings last season — he finished with 20 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown — played a role in him emerging as a viable option.
“We really felt what we were looking for was right before our very eyes,” O’Connell said. “He’s tough to tackle when he gets in space, and he has burst and explosion to finish runs.”
The combination of Jones and Mason should give the Vikings some versatility in the backfield as they aim for a marriage between the run and the pass that makes them unpredictable on offense.
The thought process behind signing injured players
It’s not hard to find the common thread when looking at some of the key players the Vikings added in free agency. They signed Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave on the defensive line, and Ryan Kelly and Will Fries on the offensive line, all of whom missed significant time due to injuries last season.
Why did they do that? It’s pretty clear that the Vikings feel like they possess a competitive advantage with Tyler Williams leading their medical staff.
“They’ve just proven it time and time again,” O’Connell said. “They’re world class down there with what they do.”
Not only do the Vikings believe Allen, Hargrave, Kelly, and Fries will be back to 100 percent ahead of next season, they also believe Williams and the medical staff can put together a plan that maximizes their ability to stay healthy moving forward.
The only player that the Vikings signed in free agency that could potentially have his rehab extend into training camp is Rondale Moore, as the receiver continues to recover from a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
The return of Harrison Smith and why it matters
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