PODCAST: Playing GM of the Vikings for the Offseason

Matthew Coller’s latest Purple Insider episode turns into a full offseason lab experiment, with Coller stepping into the GM chair for the Minnesota Vikings using the Stick to the Model simulator. The goal: fix the roster, manage the cap, and try to build a competitive 2026 team without wrecking the future.

The show starts with aggressive cap maneuvering. Coller restructures cornerstone contracts — including Justin Jefferson, Brian O'Neill, T.J. Hockenson, Christian Darrisaw, and Jonathan Greenard — to generate breathing room. He then makes harder calls, releasing veterans like Aaron Jones and Ryan Kelly to push total cap space north of $50 million. The exercise quickly reveals how fast that flexibility disappears once you start filling holes.

In free agency, Coller takes a measured approach. He adds Rachaad White as a starting-caliber back, Greg Dortch as depth, and Luke Fortner as a low-cost center solution. On defense, he targets value pieces like Cam Taylor-Britt and Alohi Gilman while retaining younger contributors such as Jaylen Redmond.

The draft strategy emphasizes flexibility. Coller trades back from the first round to accumulate more capital, then focuses on adding explosiveness at running back, help at safety, and an interior defensive lineman within the first three rounds. The simulator ultimately assigns the offseason a “B” grade — strong marks for filling needs, lighter praise for long-term cap health.

The back half of the episode turns interactive, with Coller answering fan questions about quarterbacks like Kyler Murrayand broader front office structure, including support for elevating Rob Brzezinski into a larger leadership role. Coller closes with a reflective note: the Vikings’ recent regret hasn’t been aggression — it’s short-sighted spending and undervaluing draft capital. The simulation underscores how thin the margin is between competing now and compromising tomorrow.