EAGAN, Minn. — The Minnesota Vikings found a new offensive coordinator this winter, and they made one of the biggest splashes of the NFL offseason this week by giving quarterback Kirk Cousins a fully guaranteed $84 million contract.
There was one more pressing need: a new defensive tackle to play next to two-time Pro Bowl pick Linval Joseph.
Sheldon Richardson checked the last of those big boxes.
Richardson, the 13th pick in the 2013 draft out of Missouri by the New York Jets who was traded last year to the Seattle Seahawks, signed a one-year contract on Friday after visiting the team’s new training facility and deciding the Vikings gave him the best opportunity to chase a championship.
“They’re trying to win. Period. Point blank,” Richardson said at an introductory news conference, held in the same room roughly 24 hours after Cousins’, though with considerably less fanfare and fewer reporters.
He’s still filling an important role, given head coach Mike Zimmer’s desire for a stronger threat at that spot to both rush the passer and stand up to the run.
“Those guys can affect the quarterback as much as any position, along with our defensive ends, so it obviously takes some double-teams off our guys so they can continue to pressure the quarterback,” Zimmer said.
The deal includes an $8 million base salary and as much as $3 million available in incentives, NFL Media reported. A few hours after Richardson’s contract was finalized, the Vikings released wide receiver Jarius Wright to make more room under the salary cap.
Richardson played up to his first-round status by winning The Associated Press Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Then he recorded a career-high eight sacks and was picked for the Pro Bowl in 2014. He had some trouble off the field, though, serving a four-game suspension in 2015 for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy. He also was suspended for the 2016 opener for an arrest in for driving at high speeds and resisting arrest.
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