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Minnesota Vikings won’t allow Green Bay Packers to interview assistant GM

By Collin Kottke

EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - SEPTEMBER 17: General Manager Rick Spielman of the Minnesota Vikings speaks to the media during a press conference on September 17, 2014 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The Vikings addressed their decision to put Adrian Peterson on the commissioner's exempt list until Peterson's child-abuse case has been resolved. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - SEPTEMBER 17: General Manager Rick Spielman of the Minnesota Vikings speaks to the media during a press conference on September 17, 2014 at Winter Park in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. The Vikings addressed their decision to put Adrian Peterson on the commissioner's exempt list until Peterson's child-abuse case has been resolved. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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The Minnesota Vikings aren’t letting their rival get any of what they have right now.

Right now is the season of interviews throughout the NFL. Teams that are out of the playoffs and that fired their head coach, general manager or both are flying around the country interviewing candidates for their newly opened positions. With the success of the Minnesota Vikings, a lot of teams are wanting, at the very least, to interview the pieces that have helped along the great team. The Vikings are not just letting anybody talk to anyone they want, though.

The mothership’s Adam Schefter reported that the Vikings have denied a request from the Green Bay Packers. ESPN reports that the Packers wanted to talk with assistant general manager George Paton about their now open GM spot, but the Vikings did not approve the meeting request.

Green Bay is looking for a new GM after it was announced that Ted Thompson is being moved to another role in the organization. That kind of move hasn’t been done much but the Minnesota Twins did do the same exact thing with Bill Smith after he was relieved of his GM duties in order to bring Terry Ryan back in to his old role. Smith was put in a position to overlook the revamping of the Twins’ Spring Training home in Hammond Stadium. Smith now works for Minor League Baseball.

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The Vikings denying the Packers is probably two-fold. One, it isn’t exactly a brilliant idea to let a division rival take away one of your best assets. That being said both offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur and defensive coordinator George Edwards have both already been interviewed by fellow NFC North teams looking for a new head coach. Two, is the fact that although Paton might not but a household name, he could be an integral part of what makes general manager Rick Spielman a great general manager. Paton has worked for the Vikings for 11 years.

It’s a fun little story that can help us not freak out about the Vikings being the favorite to get to the Super Bowl from the NFC. It’s always good to have a distraction tactic and it never hurts when that tactic also hampers your biggest rival.

Next: Ranking who the Vikings least want to see in the NFC playoffs

The Vikings have the weekend off, but will be watching closely to see who they will play the following weekend. Minnesota is scheduled to next play on January 14 at 3:40 Central from U.S. Bank Stadium.

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