CLEVELAND — It appears the Minnesota Vikings are closing in on hiring a new general manager. And if they do, it could have significant implications for the Cleveland Browns.
According to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network, the Vikings are working toward hiring Browns Vice President of Football Operations Kwesi Adofo-Mensah as their new general manager. Adofo-Mensah was also a finalist for the Chicago Bears' open general manager position, which is expected to be filled by Kansas City Chiefs executive director of player personnel Ryan Poles, according to ProFootballTalk.
The Vikings' potential hiring of Adofo-Mensah, who has been with Cleveland since 2020, could have multiple ramifications for the Browns. Based on a resolution that was approved by the NFL's owners in 2020 to encourage the hiring of minority candidates to head coaching and general manager positions, Cleveland would receive compensatory third-round picks in the 2022 and 2023 NFL Drafts should Minnesota hire Adofo-Mensah.
That extra draft capital could come in handy for the Browns as they enter the offseason looking to improve from last season's disappointing 8-9 record. And as far as the quarterback position is involved, Adofo-Mensah's hiring could have other implications.
While Cleveland has remained publicly committed to Baker Mayfield, general manager Andrew Berry has also acknowledged that it's his job to assemble the best team possible. One potential avenue to doing that could be by upgrading at the quarterback position, following Mayfield's underwhelming 2021 season.
As far as the quarterback market is concerned, it's plausible that Minnesota could opt to move on from Kirk Cousins, who is entering the final year of his contract. In that case, Cousins' connection to Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski and the Browns' preexisting relationship with Adofo-Mensah -- and newfound draft capital -- could prove advantageous to getting a deal done.
At this point, however, it's too early to say whether Adofo-Mensah's Cleveland connections would be enough to facilitate a blockbuster trade. But in a league largely built on relationships, the pipeline between Browns and Vikings appears to have just gotten stronger.