Vikings coach Brad Childress acted alone, so now he stands alone in the Randy Moss fallout.
Childress, who has contractual authority to shape the 53-man roster as he sees fit, did just that in unilaterally deciding Monday to waive Randy Moss, much to the chagrin of ownership.
He did not consult with owner Zygi Wilf or team President Mark Wilf, who returned to their commercial real estate business in New Jersey following Sunday's game at New England.
Nor did he consult with anyone outside football operations, which rankled the Wilfs, according to a person familiar with the situation.
"They were not happy with the decision but more so the process," said the source, who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity. "These guys are lawyers. They're process people. Part of the confusion is that there is no clear conformity within the organizational structure. And that's flawed."
Accountability in the Moss affair rests with football operations, but the power lines are blurred. Vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman lacks a general manager's title and authority. His responsibilities generally start and stop with the draft. Rod Brzezinski, vice president of football operations, has the primary duty of managing the salary cap.
That leaves Childress totally in charge of personnel and making the decisions about which players to acquire and which to jettison, with virtually no accountability to management or the public.
"The structure we operate under is flawed, and when you have a flawed structure you get the kind of Keystone Kops atmosphere that's out there now," the source said.
Childress is signed through the 2012 season, and there is no buyout clause in his contract. If he is fired, the Vikings would owe the balance on his deal, which is valued at between $4 million and $5 million per season.
Ownership isn't the only Vikings branch with qualms about Childress.
According to three people close to the situation, Childress has issues in his locker room because of his rigid ways of running a franchise. That might explain the departure of Moss, who is not one for controlling after outstaying his welcome at four different stops during his 13-year career.
