After a successful 2017 season, the Minnesota Vikings loaded up on their defensive line this year. Will it pay off in 2018?
If you haven’t turned on the 2018 NFC Championship Game to relive the debacle that it was for the Minnesota Vikings, I don’t think anybody here at The Viking Age would blame you. However, a deep look at that game would unveil something that would change how teams across the NFL would approach the offseason.
With a steady rotation of fresh defensive linemen, the Philadelphia Eagles were able to keep the pressure coming towards Vikings quarterback Case Keenum and the result was a 38-7 beatdown that eventually propelled the Eagles to the Super Bowl.
This past offseason, NFL teams were inspired enough by Philadelphia’s approach in the trenches that everybody loaded up on beef in the middle.
The Los Angeles Rams added Ndamakong Suh to put next to All-Pro Aaron Donald. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers added Jason Pierre-Paul to their defensive line and even the Vikings went out and got Sheldon Richardson.
To put things mildly, beef is in style when it comes to defense and Minnesota hopes that Richardson, along with some intriguing prospects, can give them the rotation needed to keep their defensive line fresh and a vital part of one of the best defenses in the league.