Free-agent DT Sheldon Richardson visiting with the Minnesota Vikings
By Adam Carlson
The Minnesota Vikings are looking to bolster their defensive line and are hosting former Jets and Seahawks DT Sheldon Richardson for a visit with the team.
After making a big splash in free agency by agreeing to a deal with former Washington Redskins quarterback Kirk Cousins, the Minnesota Vikings are not even close to done in their efforts to improve the team.
With Tom Johnson a free agent and Sharrif Floyd‘s contract ending, the team is left with few options at defensive tackle. They still have Linval Joseph and Jaleel Johnson on their roster but are looking into options to bolster their front.
According to the Twin Cities Pioneer Press, former New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson is visiting with the Vikings on Thursday. Ben Goessling on Twitter says he will be visiting the new Twin Cities Orthopedics Performance Center in Eagan, Minnesota.
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Pro Football Rumors has shared a report saying Mike Garafolo is claiming that the Seattle Seahawks have an offer on the table for approximately $11 million but he is looking for closer to $15 million per year for his services starting during the 2018 NFL season.
Richardson does have a track record of success. In 5 seasons, he played in 73 games and started 70 of those. In those games, he totaled 169 tackles, 19 sacks, 7 passes defended, 6 forced fumbles, and 1 interception according to statistics on the Pro Football Reference website.
The defensive tackle would fill a big hole, but there is also the idea of spending a lot of money on a free agent defensive tackle when the team still has several needs to fill on their roster and not a lot of salary cap to go around.
Next: Realistic free-agent options for the Vikings' defense in 2018
There will be plenty more to talk about as Sheldon Richardson explores his options in free agency. However, the Minnesota Vikings bringing him in for a visit shows the team is at least serious about their interest in the defensive tackle.