After the late-night signing of Dalvin Tomlinson on Monday night, the Vikings announced on Tuesday that they’ve released defensive tackle Shamar Stephen.
Stephen played his first four seasons in Minnesota before playing a year in Seattle then coming back to the Vikings in 2019. Despite an up and down career Stephen struggled to get going over the last two seasons.
Many reports have come out saying that Tomlinson will be taking over the three-technique spot next to Michael Pierce, who is returning in 2021 after opting out last season. The release of Stephen saves the Vikings approximately $3.7 million in cap space, giving them a little bit more wiggle room to address their offensive line and secondary in the second and third waves of free agency.
There are also reports circulating that the team is reworking the details of Adam Thielen’s contract to get more cap space. The Vikings still need to fill several holes, so I don’t expect these moves to be the last.
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