Vikings introduce Harrison Phillips, Jordan Hicks to start free agency

MINNEAPOLIS - Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is in his first season in NFL free agency as a general manager, and it didn’t take long for the new Minnesota Vikings front office head to see how competitive the market can be.

He was just days into being in the Twin Cities and put an offer in on a house. His real estate agent texted him to let him know he didn’t get it, and told him to let it be a learning lesson when multiple people are bidding for something. He could only laugh as he starts putting together the 2022 Vikings’ roster.

"The job isn’t to win the bidding war, the job is to win the objective of building a team. The best team you can with the resources you have at your disposal," Adofo-Mensah said.

He and coach Kevin O’Connell on Thursday introduced the Vikings’ first two free agent signings, defensive tackle Harrison Phillips and linebacker Jordan Hicks.

"Harrison Phillips and Jordan Hicks are two players that embody the smart, tough and competitive environment we’re trying to build," Adofo-Mensah said.

‘HORRIBLE HARRY’ TO BE FIRE HYDRANT AT THE DOG SHOW

Phillips was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 2018 and is likely to replace Michael Pierce at nose tackle. He’s going to be doing the dirty work on the defensive line, and at 6-3, 307 pounds, labeled his job being "the fire hydrant at the dog show."

"You’ve got the role because you get pissed on, but you’ve got to roll with it and do it to the best of your ability. I think I signed up for it when I was born at like 11 pounds," Phillips joked.

Phillips played 14 games last season, starting eight, and made 51 tackles with one sack and four tackles for loss. He said he fought tears while signing his contract with the Vikings at TCO Performance Center, and embraced the vision of playing as a team and culture that O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah are trying to rebuild.

"If the buy-in from the players is to win football games and win each one-week season, you need to start there. And the culture, they go hand-in-hand," Phillips said.

O’Connell, a former quarterback, said multiple times Phillips is the type of defensive player that disrupts a game.

"You turn on the tape and you see this guy impacting the run game, impacting the pass game. He’s versatile. It shows up play after play on tape.

He adopted the nickname "Horrible Harry" as a kid, after the children’s books where a child takes a snake from recess and brings it into school. He actually did that two years before having the book read to him, when he was in kindergarten.

"I was just being a naughty little kid, it stuck there. I’m not a bad man, but sometimes I have to do what a bad man might do," Phillips said.

He should fit right in with the Vikings His mother is nicknamed "The Purple Lady," loves the color purple as does his grandmother.

JORDAN HICKS EXCITED TO BE TEAMMATES WITH ERIC KENDRICKS

O’Connell and Adofo-Mensah were in a meeting when they learned Jordan Hicks was available, and the former Arizona Cardinals linebacker immediately became a priority.

"We were in the middle of a meeting when we found out. We literally stopped the meeting and KO says ‘I didn’t like playing against that guy.’ Sometimes it’s really not more difficult than that," Adofo-Mensah said.

Hicks was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015 and was part of the team’s Super Bowl run in 2018, but didn’t play because of an injury. He then signed with the Cardinals for three seasons, playing two of them with Vikings’ defensive back Patrick Peterson. His biggest motivation to come to the Vikings? Getting to be teammates with Eric Kendricks.

Hicks was teammates with Eric’s brother, Mychal, in Philadelphia.

"It was a big part of my decision. Always from afar I’ve admired his game. When the opportunity presented to be able to come in and play alongside him, it was really a no-brainer," Hicks said.

Hicks is likely a candidate to replace Anthony Barr. Last season, Hicks had 116 tackles and four sacks for the Cardinals. Eric Kendricks had 143 tackles and five sacks last season. Now, they’re teammates.

Hicks has 89 career starts and has at least 116 tackles in each of the last three seasons. He was also a defensive captain for the Cardinals the last two years.

"When you can add a guy like Jordan Hicks, it tells you all you need to know about what it’s like in an NFL locker room when a new guy can come in and immediately put his stamp not only on a team, but on a whole organization," O’Connell said.

Hicks is married with three young kids, and his grandma lives in Austin. He wants to be a disruptor on the Vikings’ defense, and a player opponents have to game plan for.

He also sees the vision of leadership and collaboration the Vikings are building with a new regime.

"It’s not hard when you meet these guys and hear the direction, what they want to do with this team. The intentionality in every single decision has, it’s going in the right direction," Hicks said.

The Vikings aren’t done adding pieces, but they feel Phillips and Hicks are a good start to revamping into a 3-4 defense under new coordinator Ed Donatell.