Defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson first had contact with the Vikings about returning for a second tour in Minnesota a couple of weeks ago, but nothing came together until this week because a return to the Browns was still a possibility.
Richardson was released by the Browns this offseason and there was talk of interest in coming back at a lower salary over the course of the offseason. Nothing came together, however, and Richardson was able to find another familiar place to play in Minnesota.
“You know, I started something there. Honestly, just couldn’t come to an agreement with what I wanted from Cleveland,” Richardson said, via the team’s website. “And me being cool with the organization here and knowing everything with what [head coach Mike Zimmer] and [co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson] bring to the table for me . . . they put me in position to make plays earlier in my career. It was a perfect fit.”
The Vikings have Michael Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson at defensive tackle, which may mean a different role than he played while starting 16 gams and playing nearly 70 percent of the defensive snaps during his 2018 stint with the team. Richardson sounds fine with that and the Vikings have more depth up front as they try for a big rebound from a poor defensive season.