The Vikings made a big splash early on in free agency when they agreed to terms with former Giants DT Dalvin Tomlinson.
How did the team get a deal worked out so quickly? Well, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, Minnesota got going right away.
“The Vikings had one priority to start free agency: Get Dalvin Tomlinson,” Fowler wrote. “Minnesota called Tomlinson’s agent, Pat Dye, right at noon eastern time on March 15, as the tampering period opened.”
Fowler’s report shines light on just how much Minnesota wanted to add another big-ticket defensive tackle to pair with DT Michael Pierce up front in 2021. The Vikings also wanted to work out a deal before the Giants could beat them to it. Here’s what else Fowler wrote:
“Knowing the New York Giants wanted to bring back Tomlinson but might be strapped for money after the Leonard Williams extension, the Vikings got aggressive to hammer out a deal before New York and other suitors could make something happen.”
So Minnesota made Tomlinson a huge priority and the team got what it wanted. We’ll have to see whether that leads to an improvement on the defense as a whole. The Vikings need that group to get better in order to have a bounce-back season.