11-30-2018, 03:03 PM
https://www.concordmonitor.com/On-prove-...e-21868606
On prove-it deal, Richardson giving Vikings plenty of value as Patriots loom
EAGAN, Minn. – The Minnesota Vikings had just secured their new
quarterback with the splash move of the NFL’s offseason. Coach Mike
Zimmer was busy working on addressing another area that needed an
upgrade.
The same day Kirk Cousins was introduced with his $84
million fully guaranteed contract, Zimmer was watching video of some of
the top defensive tackle prospects in the upcoming draft. Then the
solution literally walked into his office to greet him. Sheldon
Richardson was at team headquarters on a free agent visit, which the
Vikings didn’t let him leave without signing him to a one-year, $8
million deal.
As important as Cousins has been and will continue
to be, the value of adding Richardson can’t be overlooked. His presence
on the interior at the position next to the nose tackle commonly called
the “three technique” has provided a critical boost to the defense in
both stopping the run and rushing the quarterback.
“Sheldon’s done
a great job of coming in here and kind of fitting into our culture and
the way we do things,” Zimmer said, crediting Richardson as well as
defensive line coach Andre Patterson.
According to SportRadar,
Richardson is fourth among all NFL interior defensive linemen with 21
quarterback pressures, behind Aaron Donald (53), Fletcher Cox (26) and
Geno Atkins (25). Richardson had two sacks last week against Green Bay, a
bonus from a position where disruption in the backfield is the
priority.
The three technique is a less-heralded role on the team than
the premier edge pass rusher or the ball-hawking safety. But it’s
essential to Zimmer’s scheme to keep the linebackers free to roam from
side to side, limit the rushing yardage up the middle, and reduce double
teams on the defensive ends. The Vikings seek first-step and lateral
quickness from their three technique, which gets its name from a
long-ago-established numbering system for designating alignments by
defensive linemen.
“He does those things really well, but the
thing that kind of surprised me a little bit is the power that he has
with it,” Zimmer said. “The good three techniques I have been around
have all kind of had those qualities.”
Richardson, a first-round
draft pick by the New York Jets in 2013 out of Missouri, was the AP
Defensive Rookie of the Year before eventually falling out of favor and
being traded to Seattle. After one season with the Seahawks, Richardson
was widely considered the best available player at his position on the
market last spring. His decision to sign with a contending team on a
prove-it contract has set him up well for a much bigger payday.
“It’s
a blue-collar organization,” said Richardson, who turned 28 on
Thursday. “One of the main reasons why I like the organization is nobody
is a prized possession here. No politics. They don’t play their draft
picks sometimes. You can pay a guy a lot of money, but he won’t play if
he’s not up to par.”
The Vikings play at New England on Sunday,
with pressure on Tom Brady a must for slowing down the Patriots and
their prolific attack. The defense has been especially successful lately
at generating a rush from the front four without having to send an
extra blitzer or two from the linebackers or defensive backs.
“That’s
how we want it, too,” Richardson said. “We’re happy when they get it,
but it’s like, ‘Man, that could’ve been us.’ Usually when those guys get
sacks, we turn into offensive linemen basically.”
The Patriots
have plenty of experience defending him, of course, from the eight times
they faced the Jets over his first four seasons.
“He’s a great
player, and he was certainly a problem when he was in this division,”
coach Bill Belichick said, adding: “He’s strong. He’s hard to knock off
the ball. He’s smart. He reads blocking schemes well. He’s quick and
athletic and explosive on the pass rush, and he can run through guys and
he can run around them.”
On prove-it deal, Richardson giving Vikings plenty of value as Patriots loom
EAGAN, Minn. – The Minnesota Vikings had just secured their new
quarterback with the splash move of the NFL’s offseason. Coach Mike
Zimmer was busy working on addressing another area that needed an
upgrade.
The same day Kirk Cousins was introduced with his $84
million fully guaranteed contract, Zimmer was watching video of some of
the top defensive tackle prospects in the upcoming draft. Then the
solution literally walked into his office to greet him. Sheldon
Richardson was at team headquarters on a free agent visit, which the
Vikings didn’t let him leave without signing him to a one-year, $8
million deal.
As important as Cousins has been and will continue
to be, the value of adding Richardson can’t be overlooked. His presence
on the interior at the position next to the nose tackle commonly called
the “three technique” has provided a critical boost to the defense in
both stopping the run and rushing the quarterback.
“Sheldon’s done
a great job of coming in here and kind of fitting into our culture and
the way we do things,” Zimmer said, crediting Richardson as well as
defensive line coach Andre Patterson.
According to SportRadar,
Richardson is fourth among all NFL interior defensive linemen with 21
quarterback pressures, behind Aaron Donald (53), Fletcher Cox (26) and
Geno Atkins (25). Richardson had two sacks last week against Green Bay, a
bonus from a position where disruption in the backfield is the
priority.
The three technique is a less-heralded role on the team than
the premier edge pass rusher or the ball-hawking safety. But it’s
essential to Zimmer’s scheme to keep the linebackers free to roam from
side to side, limit the rushing yardage up the middle, and reduce double
teams on the defensive ends. The Vikings seek first-step and lateral
quickness from their three technique, which gets its name from a
long-ago-established numbering system for designating alignments by
defensive linemen.
“He does those things really well, but the
thing that kind of surprised me a little bit is the power that he has
with it,” Zimmer said. “The good three techniques I have been around
have all kind of had those qualities.”
Richardson, a first-round
draft pick by the New York Jets in 2013 out of Missouri, was the AP
Defensive Rookie of the Year before eventually falling out of favor and
being traded to Seattle. After one season with the Seahawks, Richardson
was widely considered the best available player at his position on the
market last spring. His decision to sign with a contending team on a
prove-it contract has set him up well for a much bigger payday.
“It’s
a blue-collar organization,” said Richardson, who turned 28 on
Thursday. “One of the main reasons why I like the organization is nobody
is a prized possession here. No politics. They don’t play their draft
picks sometimes. You can pay a guy a lot of money, but he won’t play if
he’s not up to par.”
The Vikings play at New England on Sunday,
with pressure on Tom Brady a must for slowing down the Patriots and
their prolific attack. The defense has been especially successful lately
at generating a rush from the front four without having to send an
extra blitzer or two from the linebackers or defensive backs.
“That’s
how we want it, too,” Richardson said. “We’re happy when they get it,
but it’s like, ‘Man, that could’ve been us.’ Usually when those guys get
sacks, we turn into offensive linemen basically.”
The Patriots
have plenty of experience defending him, of course, from the eight times
they faced the Jets over his first four seasons.
“He’s a great
player, and he was certainly a problem when he was in this division,”
coach Bill Belichick said, adding: “He’s strong. He’s hard to knock off
the ball. He’s smart. He reads blocking schemes well. He’s quick and
athletic and explosive on the pass rush, and he can run through guys and
he can run around them.”
