Vikings and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah pursue fiscally prudent approach to building team

Earlier this week, as the Vikings were set to begin free agency, new General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah checked his phone to see a text from his realtor: He'd lost out on the house he was bidding to buy in the Twin Cities.

"The agent texted me, 'Let this be a lesson for when multiple people are bidding for something,' " Adofo-Mensah said Thursday. "That was when free agency was about to start, so I was like, 'Yeah, that'd be an interesting lesson to learn.' "

The GM shared the story from a podium on Thursday, before he introduced the two free agents — former Bills defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and Cardinals linebacker Jordan Hicks — the Vikings landed with modest deals earlier this week. He talked about the "winner's curse," the economic phenomenon that occurs when a bidder overpays for an item in an auction.

"That happens when people don't focus on the right things," Adofo-Mensah said. "The job isn't to win the bidding war. The job is to win the objective of building a team, the best team you can, with the resources you have at your disposal."

The Vikings had the salary cap space for Phillips and Hicks to sign their deals, and meet reporters on Thursday afternoon, only because they'd converted safety Harrison Smith's $8 million roster bonus to a signing bonus earlier in the day. They have just over $22 million, or more than 10% of their 2022 salary cap, tied up in dead money, with the $9.89 million left over from linebacker Anthony Barr's second contract leading the way.

Adofo-Mensah's economics degrees from Princeton and Stanford could serve him well in the new GM's first foray into free agency, when the Vikings need a fiscally prudent approach to filling their roster. Former GM Rick Spielman's final attempt to build a playoff team meant pushing costs into the future as the Vikings tried to work underneath 2021's lower salary ceiling. So far in 2022, the Vikings have sifted through the aftermath by shifting cap costs (through Smith's bonus conversion and quarterback Kirk Cousins' contract extension) and looking for value where they can.

"Harrison is someone we identified very early in this," Adofo-Mensah said. "He's someone we thought would be foundational to our new 3-4. Disruptive in both phases, the run and the pass. … And Jordan Hicks, we were in the middle of a meeting when we found out [the Cardinals were releasing him]. We literally stopped the meeting and 'KO' [coach Kevin O'Connell] turned to me and said, 'I didn't like playing against that guy.' Sometimes it's really not more difficult than that."

Phillips, who did his best work as a run stopper in Buffalo, figures to replace Michael Pierce in the middle of the Vikings' defense as they shift to a three-man front. Hicks will line up at inside linebacker next to Eric Kendricks in the scheme and could play there in the nickel package as the Vikings try to build the middle of their defense with two versatile linebackers.

"Just looking at last year, there were two linebackers in the NFL with 100-plus tackles and four [sacks]," O'Connell said. "Those two guys will be playing linebacker for our team now with Eric Kendricks and obviously Jordan Hicks."

As O'Connell and Adofo-Mensah introduced their two new defenders, the Vikings were hosting Bills restricted free agent Ryan Bates on a free-agent visit, according to a league source. The Vikings, at least for now, will have to stick with affordable additions to the roster, though they could clear between $13 million and $14 million in cap space by trading defensive end Danielle Hunter (as sources have said they've considered doing) or converting his $18 million roster bonus to a signing bonus.

Both Phillips and Hicks professed excitement to be in Minnesota, talking about the relatives each one had in the state, gushing about the Vikings' facilities and praising their new leadership.

They represent the kinds of investments the Vikings have to make for now, in the wake of the ones they'd made in the past.

They are the first additions who'll have the chance to prove Adofo-Mensah and O'Connell right.

"I've seen it run right before," said Hicks, who'd been with the Eagles team that won Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium after the 2017 season. "And I've been around programs where you just feel like something's off. You can tell that [O'Connell] wants this precise direction done the right way. So it's exciting."

Andrew Krammer contributed reporting to this story.