The Vikings utilized Shamar Stephen as a nose tackle last season, but it would have been harder for him to win a starting spot with Minnesota in 2021.
So it makes sense that Stephen is moving on. The former Minnesota defensive tackle is signing with the Broncos in free agency, according to The Denver Post’s Ryan O’Halloran.
This offseason, the Vikings signed DT Dalvin Tomlinson in free agency. He’s presumably the starting three-technique defensive tackle with nose tackle Michael Pierce in the lineup. With Stephen on a costly contract and more of a depth option at this point, Minnesota released him this offseason.
Besides Tomlinson and Pierce, the Vikings currently have Armon Watts, James Lynch and Hercules Mata’afa as possibilities on the interior of the defensive line in 2021.
Stephen is headed to a 3-4 defensive scheme. He will most likely be the nose tackle, but he did play three-technique for the Vikings in 2019, so maybe he can be a run-stopping option at defensive end in certain situations.
