Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman completely reconditioned the team’s defense this offseason, notably adding names like Patrick Peterson, Dalvin Tomlinson, Sheldon Richardson, and Bashaud Breeland. In 2020, head coach Mike Zimmer’s squad embarked on an uncharacteristic nosedive that ended with the Vikings ranking fourth-worst in the NFL per points allowed. Zimmer is loudly a defense-first coach, so the departure from the norm was rather outlandish.
It won’t happen again, though – not if Spielman and Zimmer can help it. While the organization has noticeably pivoted to emphasis on offense with Kirk Cousins’ 2018 acquisition, the substantial investment in Dalvin Cook, and the 2nd-Round draft pick of Irv Smith Jr.