The Minnesota Vikings have bolstered their defensive line by signing former Jets and Seahawks defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson in free agency.
The Minnesota Vikings have made another massive move in free agency, landing the top remaining defensive tackle available to help improve a defensive line with a lot of talent already included.
The news came from ESPN’s Adam Schefter who shared that former New York Jets and Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson will be joining the Vikings on a contract that will have him in Minnesota for one season.
Check out the tweet from Adam Schefter reporting the transaction from his official Twitter account.
Former Seahawks’ and Jets’ DT Sheldon Richardson reached agreement on a one-year deal with the Minnesota Vikings, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2018
Here is the confirmation of the signing of Sheldon Richardson from the official Twitter account of the Minnesota Vikings:
https://twitter.com/Vikings/status/974738238458998785
The signing of Sheldon Richardson is a big one that automatically improves the defensive front of the Vikings. He will be plugged in next to Linval Joseph and Everson Griffen to help stop the run and create pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
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Richardson was the Defensive Rookie of the Year for the 2013 NFL season and made the Pro Bowl in 2014. He has accumulated 19 sacks in his 73 games played and added 6 forced fumbles and 7 pass defenses with one interception in his five years.
While his statistics may not jump off the page, effective defensive tackles don’t always accumulate a great number of sacks or tackles. Instead, their play can redirect opposing offenses and cause pressures that result in poor decisions or turnovers.
Thanks to his arrival in Minnesota, the team can fill a hole left by the departure of Tom Johnson and Sharrif Floyd in free agency and the franchise can focus on the future of the position while allowing time for Jaleel Johnson to continue developing as a player.
Next: Realistic free-agent options for the Vikings’ defense
Congratulations to Sheldon Richardson on joining the Minnesota Vikings where he can hopefully help a stout defensive unit continue to strike fear into the hearts of opposing offenses during the 2018 NFL season.
Update: According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Richardson’s deal with the Vikings is just for one year and it will pay him at least $8 million in 2018.