Shamar Stephen – DT
The past few days have presented a window of opportunity for Shamar Stephen. There was a possibility that the veteran defensive tackle could’ve been buried on the Vikings depth chart behind free-agent signing Michael Pierce and Jaleel Johnson. But the former has since opted out of the upcoming campaign due to health concerns.
Stephen is now one of the primary candidates to fill the void left by Pierce this season for Minnesota. And how well he performs will go a long way to determining just what sort of future he has with the Vikings in the long-term.
This is an area of the field that underwent significant change during the offseason for Minnesota. After the Vikings departed with Linval Joseph and Everson Griffen this year, the onus will now be on others to step up and make sure this once-formidable defense continues to be strong.
The former seventh-round pick will benefit tremendously from not having any preseason games. Stephen has some solid-looking film to back up claims of being the starting nose tackle in Pierce’s absence. And the last thing he needed was someone else catching the eye of Minnesota’s coaches during the preseason.
Stephen will count a little more than $5 million against the Vikings’ salary cap in 2020. The organization will be expecting some impressive production this season with this financial commitment. But the jury is still out as to whether or not he can make the most out of an unexpected chance.