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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RSteve" data-source="post: 569086" data-attributes="member: 164">Very interesting day in MN Vikings land. Several of the unrestricted free agents, who asked not to be identified, said if Spielman and Zimmer were back next year, they would sign elsewhere. Eric Kendricks, Vikings' Pro Bowl middle linebacker said Zimmer/Spielman cultivated a culture of fear. ESPN reporter Courtney Cronin, who covers the Vikings, said that several players confided that they thought Zimmer was totally out of touch with the players; that he was completely distant and cared nothing about the team members as human beings, only as players. Zimmer didn't get his first head coaching job until he was 57-years-old. I'd guess that his distant personality had much to do with that. He was a brilliant defensive coordinator years ago, but didn't change with changes in the game. Zimmer is owed $30 million on his contract, so he won't starve.Also reported was that the Wilf brothers, Vikings' owners, hadn't planned on terminating GM Spielman until late Sunday after speaking to many players following the Vikings-Bears game. Apparently, many spoke about the negative level of communication that Spielman had with players and that he would not take suggestions about team needs.From Wednesday's Mpls-Star Tribune:Vikings' all-pro offensive tackle Brian O'Neill and linebacker Eric Kendricks, suggested the Vikings could benefit from a coach who could connect with players. Zimmer, known for his skills as a schemer and play-caller on defense, would light up practices with a string of expletives, and though some players appreciated his candor, his sharpest public critiques — such as when he called the team "soft" after the Vikings lost their first game following a 5-0 start in 2016 — didn't go over well in the locker room."I think from an overall standpoint, a culture where communication is put at the forefront [would help]," said Kendricks, who played seven seasons for Zimmer and was named an All-Pro in 2019."No matter what your role is on the staff, [it's] you having a voice and being able to communicate things that you think could help facilitate wins. I think just having that voice, no matter how big your role is, is important, to listen up and take each other's feelings into account. I don't think the fear-based organization is the way to go."</blockquote>

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