The Minnesota Vikings shook up their front office on Tuesday morning, making the announcement that former Vice President of Player Personnel Rick Spielman to the position of General Manager, making Spielman the singular voice in player personnel decisions. This is a direct contrast to the way things have been run since Zygi Wilf fired Mike Tice after the 2005 season, as the team has been run by a "Triangle of Authority" consisting of Spielman, Vice President of Football Operations Rob Brzezinski, and the head coach (either Brad Childress or Leslie Frazier).
Spielman took a similar career path with the Miami Dolphins, having been named Vice President of Player Personnel in 2000 and being promoted to General Manager in 2004.
The upcoming draft for the Minnesota Vikings might be the most important draft in team history, with the team coming off of a 3-13 season and needing to launch the serious rebuilding project that will bring them back to being a competitive football team again. The fact that Zygi Wilf and company have decided to make Spielman the singular voice going into that draft speaks volumes for the level of confidence that the team has in him.
Now, Viking fans need to hope that confidence isn't misplaced.