08-20-2021, 10:14 PM
I think the Vikings have the only Dalvin's in the NFL?
Dalvin Tomlinson eager to ‘showcase my talents’ in Vikings debutDefensive tackle will team with Michael Pierce to give Vikings a new look in the middle
When free agency got underway last March, the Vikings’ top target was defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. They quickly wrapped him up with a two-year, $21 million contract. On Saturday night, Tomlinson will make his Minnesota debut in a preseason game against Indianapolis at U.S. Bank Stadium. He’s eager to show the fans he can live up to his status as the Vikings’ marquee free-agent addition after four years with the New York Giants.
“I want to show what I can bring to the table across the board in the run and pass game,” Tomlinson said. “I don’t know how many plays I’m going to play (on Saturday), but I’m just going to go out there and showcase my talents.”
With the Vikings resting starters, Tomlinson didn’t dress out for last Saturday’s 33-6 home loss to Denver in the preseason opener. So, he’ll be in pads for a game for the first time since Jan. 3, 2021, when he had a sack for the Giants in the regular-season finale against Dallas.
Will Tomlinson be nervous on Saturday? You’d better believe he will.
“I get butterflies before every game,” the McDonough, Ga., native said with a laugh. “That’s why I didn’t like wrestling that much in high school because you have to get butterflies five times a day before every match.”
But Tomlinson said the nervousness doesn’t last.
“After my first hit, I just feel like I’m at home,” he said.
Tomlinson will be lining up alongside 340-pound nose tackle Michael Pierce. Linebacker Eric Kendricks has dubbed them “meaty boys.”
During a 7-9 campaign in 2020, the Vikings offered little resistance in the interior defensive line, finishing the season with one of the NFL’s worst defenses. So, they released starting nose tackle Shamar Stephen and didn’t re-sign starting three-technique defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson when he became a free agent.
Stephen has been replaced by Pierce, who opted out of last season because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Johnson with Tomlinson. The two worked well together throughout spring drills and training camp.
“To have two really, really strong guys who can also not only do their job but help the defense in different ways is awesome,” Pierce said. “It gives us a lot of scheme versatility. We’re going to show a lot of different things that we haven’t done here in the past. … I think we’ll surprise some people. He’s a big guy but he’s athletic. …I think we’ll have a really, really good, beneficial teammate-ship and we’ll make a lot of plays.”
The Vikings are hoping to have the same type of success with Tomlinson as they did with the last defensive lineman they signed away from the Giants. That was nose tackle Linval Joseph, who was the first marquee free agent signed after Mike Zimmer took over as Vikings coach in 2014. After never making a Pro Bowl, Joseph played in two while with Minnesota from 2014-19.
So, does Tomlinson see himself a guy with Pro Bowl potential?
“I believe so,” he said. “I feel like all of us want to be Pro Bowl or go all-pro. I just want to be successful on this team, just help out the team and get to where we want to be at the end of the year.”
To get to the next level, Tomlinson, who is more highly regarded as a run stopper, likely will need to do better as a pass rusher. While starting all 64 games he played in his four NFL seasons, he had just eight sacks for the Giants. He did at least have 3½ in each of the past two years while playing nose tackle.
“He’s doing everything we asked, has been really good on the run game, has pushed the pocket in the passing game,” Zimmer said. “We’re still working on some of the things there for him, but once he continues to get better at that, then I think he’s a really good player.”
For now, Tomlinson is looking forward to his Vikings debut, and he’s happy the game is at home. Watching last Saturday’s game from the sideline, he liked what he saw of U.S. Bank Stadium.
“It’s crazy. It’s mind-blowing,” he said. “The way the stadium is built is unreal. It’s the nicest thing. I’m excited.”
https://www.twincities.com/2021/08/20/dt...ngs-debut/
Dalvin Tomlinson eager to ‘showcase my talents’ in Vikings debutDefensive tackle will team with Michael Pierce to give Vikings a new look in the middle
When free agency got underway last March, the Vikings’ top target was defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson. They quickly wrapped him up with a two-year, $21 million contract. On Saturday night, Tomlinson will make his Minnesota debut in a preseason game against Indianapolis at U.S. Bank Stadium. He’s eager to show the fans he can live up to his status as the Vikings’ marquee free-agent addition after four years with the New York Giants.
“I want to show what I can bring to the table across the board in the run and pass game,” Tomlinson said. “I don’t know how many plays I’m going to play (on Saturday), but I’m just going to go out there and showcase my talents.”
With the Vikings resting starters, Tomlinson didn’t dress out for last Saturday’s 33-6 home loss to Denver in the preseason opener. So, he’ll be in pads for a game for the first time since Jan. 3, 2021, when he had a sack for the Giants in the regular-season finale against Dallas.
Will Tomlinson be nervous on Saturday? You’d better believe he will.
“I get butterflies before every game,” the McDonough, Ga., native said with a laugh. “That’s why I didn’t like wrestling that much in high school because you have to get butterflies five times a day before every match.”
But Tomlinson said the nervousness doesn’t last.
“After my first hit, I just feel like I’m at home,” he said.
Tomlinson will be lining up alongside 340-pound nose tackle Michael Pierce. Linebacker Eric Kendricks has dubbed them “meaty boys.”
During a 7-9 campaign in 2020, the Vikings offered little resistance in the interior defensive line, finishing the season with one of the NFL’s worst defenses. So, they released starting nose tackle Shamar Stephen and didn’t re-sign starting three-technique defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson when he became a free agent.
Stephen has been replaced by Pierce, who opted out of last season because of the coronavirus pandemic, and Johnson with Tomlinson. The two worked well together throughout spring drills and training camp.
“To have two really, really strong guys who can also not only do their job but help the defense in different ways is awesome,” Pierce said. “It gives us a lot of scheme versatility. We’re going to show a lot of different things that we haven’t done here in the past. … I think we’ll surprise some people. He’s a big guy but he’s athletic. …I think we’ll have a really, really good, beneficial teammate-ship and we’ll make a lot of plays.”
The Vikings are hoping to have the same type of success with Tomlinson as they did with the last defensive lineman they signed away from the Giants. That was nose tackle Linval Joseph, who was the first marquee free agent signed after Mike Zimmer took over as Vikings coach in 2014. After never making a Pro Bowl, Joseph played in two while with Minnesota from 2014-19.
So, does Tomlinson see himself a guy with Pro Bowl potential?
“I believe so,” he said. “I feel like all of us want to be Pro Bowl or go all-pro. I just want to be successful on this team, just help out the team and get to where we want to be at the end of the year.”
To get to the next level, Tomlinson, who is more highly regarded as a run stopper, likely will need to do better as a pass rusher. While starting all 64 games he played in his four NFL seasons, he had just eight sacks for the Giants. He did at least have 3½ in each of the past two years while playing nose tackle.
“He’s doing everything we asked, has been really good on the run game, has pushed the pocket in the passing game,” Zimmer said. “We’re still working on some of the things there for him, but once he continues to get better at that, then I think he’s a really good player.”
For now, Tomlinson is looking forward to his Vikings debut, and he’s happy the game is at home. Watching last Saturday’s game from the sideline, he liked what he saw of U.S. Bank Stadium.
“It’s crazy. It’s mind-blowing,” he said. “The way the stadium is built is unreal. It’s the nicest thing. I’m excited.”
https://www.twincities.com/2021/08/20/dt...ngs-debut/
