The Vikings brought in Linval Joseph in 2014. He went on to not only become a sufficient run-stopper, but he was also pretty good at getting pressure for a nose tackle.
The Athletic tabbed Joseph as the Vikings’ best free agency acquisition of the past decade. Here’s what Chad Graff of the outlet wrote:
“Joseph arrived in Minnesota after four years with the New York Giants and quickly transformed the interior of the team’s defensive line. He was a stout presence up the middle. Joseph took on multiple blockers, helped free up the team’s pass rushers, and he was excellent against the run. He arrived on a very reasonable five-year contract with only $12.5 million guaranteed and played in 88 games with the Vikings while reaching two Pro Bowls.”
Joseph was a tough void for Minnesota to fill. He signed with the Chargers in the 2020 offseason. The Vikings signed Michael Pierce in free agency that year, but Pierce opted out of the 2020 season. That led to the team struggling to stop the run for much of this past season. Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson could very well change that in 2021, though.
