Adam Thielen Discusses 2022 Offseason of Change

Leber shared his personal outlook, that he imagines the Vikings to be the “top, premier” target organization for those interviewing for head coach or general manager vacancies.

“You’ve got all the weapons. You don’t have to change much,” Leber said. “We don’t need big, sweeping changes on the whole team. It’s like, ‘Make a small change here or there, and let’s go.’ “

Thielen concurred, reiterating the excitement of speaking with ownership and hearing their vision for the team.

Ultimately, the Wilfs could have said, “We’ve gotta blow this thing up,” Thielen pointed out. But they didn’t.

“That wasn’t the mindset. … They told us, ‘We know we’re not far away. We just think with a little fresh, new, good leadership and just a whole look at the entire big picture of getting good people … we’re not far away,’ ” Thielen recounted. “We told the owners, and they obviously agreed, ‘We should be a destination.’ We should be a place where a coach wants to get the job.

“I think it’s a place and a situation where if I was a coach or a GM, ‘Are you kidding me? I get to come to that situation? That’s amazing.’ That doesn’t happen most of the time,” Thielen continued. “And that’s credit to Zim’ and Rick. They brought in really good people. They brought in really good players and really good people off the field, and talent, and they got us to a place where we’re not far away. So I’m excited about that.”