The Vikings finalized a restructuring of the front office under first-year General Manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday.
The top of the personnel department was reorganized with Ryan Grigson, the former Colts general manager, given a new title as senior vice president of player personnel. Grigson, who worked with Adofo-Mensah in Cleveland, was initially hired this offseason as a senior football advisor.
Ryan Monnens, entering his 21st season in Vikings scouting, has been named director of player personnel. Monnens, the former pro scout, shared that title last year with Jamaal Stephenson, the former college scouting director who is now a senior personnel executive.
Much of the scouting staff remains in place with two additions in pro scout Donovan Jackson, who most recently scouted for the Packers, and national scout David Williams, who was an area scout for the Bears. Former national scout Chisom Opara has been promoted to assistant director of player personnel. Former college scout Sean Gustus has moved to national scout.
Chris Blanco, who joined the Vikings last year as an assistant in pro personnel, has been promoted to director of pro personnel, helping to replace longtime pro scout Reed Burckhardt. Broncos General Manager George Paton, the ex-Vikings assistant GM, hired away Burckhardt this spring via a promotion as Denver's director of player personnel.
Former Vikings defensive quality control coach Imarjaye Albury has also been named a pro scout.
On the strength and conditioning side, Derik Keyes — entering his fifth season in Minnesota — was promoted to assistant director of player performance. The Vikings' new training staff added a seventh member in Connor Whicker, a former Texans intern and assistant athletic trainer at the University of Louisville.
Taylor Brooks, formerly a scouting associate, was promoted to player personnel analyst.
Kicker competition ends
Undrafted rookie Gabe Brkic had an uneven spring, capped by missing two of his four field goal attempts during Wednesday's final practice of the offseason, and was waived on Friday, the team announced.
Last year's starter, Greg Joseph, is the only kicker on the roster after he made 33 of 38 field goals [86.8%] and 36 of 40 extra points [90%] last season. The Vikings signed Brkic, who kicked collegiately at Oklahoma, after the NFL draft with special teams coordinator Matt Daniels saying there'd be a competition for the starting job this summer.
The Vikings still have a couple of special teams competitions to sort through during training camp between punters Jordan Berry and Ryan Wright as well as an ongoing rotation of punt returners, which during spring practices included receivers K.J. Osborn, Ihmir Smith-Marsette, Jalen Nailor and Albert Wilson.
