Days after releasing their longtime starter, the Minnesota Vikings have reportedly reached an agreement with free-agent defensive tackle Michael Pierce.
Ever since Mike Zimmer was first hired to be the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 2014, the team hasn’t had to worry about who was going be their starting nose tackle. For the last six seasons, Linval Joseph has assumed this role, but now someone different will be clogging up holes for the Vikings defense in 2020.
After releasing Joseph last week, Minnesota is hoping they have found a suitable replacement for him in the starting lineup with free-agent defensive tackle Michael Pierce. The Vikings and Pierce have reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth $27 million according to the Houston Chronicle’s Aaron Wilson on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old defensive tackle has spent the last four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and in 2019 he was a starter for 14 games. At 6-feet, 340 pounds, he is a massive presence in the middle of the defensive line and someone who has proven to be very skilled at stopping the run.
Pierce apparently came into 2019 with Baltimore out of shape, but this is clearly something Minnesota is not worried about given how much money they are reportedly handing over to him.
Defending the pass has typically been a strength of the Vikings during Zimmer’s tenure while stopping the run has remained something they could improve. With the addition of Pierce, Minnesota’s run defense could get much better in 2020.
So in less than a week, the Vikings decided to move on from Joseph and replace him with a younger and cheaper Pierce. Minnesota is hoping this will pay off and they won’t be left regretting their choice to part ways with their longtime starting nose tackle.