MINNEAPOLIS – Upon his way out the door in New England in the mid-1990s, Bill Parcells famously proclaimed that, “If I’m going to be asked to cook the meal, I’d like to be able to pick the groceries.”
What the Hall of Fame coach was referring to was the desire for control over roster decisions that would correlate to the success of his team. He wanted more than just a say in the players whose efforts would result in the wins and losses that ultimately fell on his shoulders.
Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer took a page from his mentor’s book in free agency, making it abundantly clear if he’s going to be tasked with turning around a team that fell short of the playoffs with a 7-9 record, he’s going to do it his way by fixing the issues he deems the most dire.