7 best moves of the Minnesota Vikings’ 2018 offseason
By Adam Patrick
Signing Sheldon Richardson
Heading into the 2018, Minnesota was already home to one of the best defensive lines in the NFL thanks to the trio of Danielle Hunter, Everson Griffen, and Linval Joseph. With the addition of Richardson, the Vikings’ pass rush should be even more dangerous next season.
Coming off a year with the Seattle Seahawks in which he notched a total of 36 pressures, Minnesota’s newest defensive tackle joins a group of pass rushers that already excel at getting to the opposing team’s quarterback. Thanks to the talent around him, Richardson should also be able to get a ton of one-on-one matchups with the Vikings next season.
Although Minnesota got a good amount of production out of Tom Johnson for the past few years, the pairing of Richardson and Joseph should be better than any defensive tackle combination Minnesota has had since Mike Zimmer was hired in 2014.
The Vikings were only able to sign Richardson to a one-year deal, so his time in the Twin Cities may not last very long. But if he can help deliver a Super Bowl to Minnesota next season, not as many will mind if he chases the money in free agency and lands elsewhere in 2019.