Sheldon Richardson done with the Vikings, signing with the Browns

The talented defensive tackle is reportedly going to sign a three-year deal with the Cleveland Browns after just one season with the Minnesota Vikings.

Heading into the 2019 offseason, the Minnesota Vikings knew they were likely going to lose some pretty talented players to free agency. Anthony Barr and Sheldon Richardson were two of the Vikings’ most talented guys that were becoming free agents, but the hope was that the team could retain at least one of them for next season.

With the report that Barr is signing with the New York Jets coming out on Monday, some believed that Minnesota could now focus their attention on re-signing Richardson. However, it doesn’t appear like the defensive tackle will be returning to the Vikings for 2019 either.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday, Richardson is expected to sign a three-year deal to join the Cleveland Browns. His new contract will reportedly pay him up to $36 million according to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport.

During his one year with the Vikings, Richardson was a solid part of the team’s talented defensive line. He appeared in all 16 games last season, racking up a total of 49 tackles (six for a loss), 16 quarterback hits, and 4.5 sacks.

With Richardson leaving, Minnesota must now figure out who their other starting defensive tackle next to Linval Joseph will be in 2019.

The Vikings did reportedly reunite with Shamar Stephen on Monday. But are they satisfied with making him a starter or will Minnesota look to the draft to find a better replacement?

With the Vikings not having a ton of cap space this offseason, the loss of both Barr and Richardson was always considered a possibility. With it now a reality, Minnesota must figure out a way to make sure the impact of their departures is as low as possible.