2 Former Vikings Defenders Find New Teams
Josh Frey
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Monday was the first day of the NFL’s “legal tampering” period, and even late into the evening, teams were hard at work making acquisitions for their teams heading into the 2023 season. Two of these late-night signings involved former Vikings defenders Eric Kendricks and Dalvin Tomlinson finding new teams after their tenures in Minnesota. Here’s a quick breakdown of what we know so far.
Eric Kendricks Joins Chargers
Eric Kendricks was one of the first offseason moves for the Vikings as they cut him just over a week ago. This move saved Minnesota $9.5 million in salary cap space, and it certainly set the tone for the type of offseason that we are looking at with this Vikings team.
The former All-Pro linebacker has landed on his feet, though, and he announced via social media that he would be joining the Los Angeles Chargers. The deal is over two years and worth a grand total of $13.25 million, according to Ian Rapoport.
Dalvin Tomlinson Joins Browns
Dalvin Tomlinson entered free agency this offseason after two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings following signing with the team in the 2021 offseason. Over those two seasons, Tomlinson started all 29 games that he appeared in, and he recorded 81 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries.
2022 was the first time in Tomlinson’s career where he missed games due to injury, but he remains one of the most consistent defensive tackles in the entire NFL, recording nearly identical statlines year after year. As a result, Tomlinson earned himself a truly massive contract with the Cleveland Browns. It is a 4-year deal worth $57 million with $27.5 million guaranteed.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.