Former Vikings DT Dalvin Tomlinson Signing Four-Year Deal With Browns

Former Vikings defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson is signing a four-year, $57 million deal with the Cleveland Browns, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapaport. It comes with $27.5 million in guarantees.

Last month, Tomlinson and the Vikings agreed to push back the void date in his contract to mid-March as they continued talks on a potential new deal. But in the end, his price tag was too high for Minnesota to realistically be in the mix. His contract with the Vikings will void, forcing them to eat $7.5 million in dead money this year. There were three void years added to the original two-year deal Tomlinson signed two years ago.

Tomlinson, 29, was drafted by the Giants out of Alabama in the second round in 2017. He spent the first four seasons of his career with New York, showing impressive durability by not missing a single game during that span. In 2021, he signed with the Vikings as their first splash in free agency that year. The goal was to pair Tomlinson with Michael Pierce and have a dominant, unmovable nose tackle duo in the middle of the defensive line.

It didn't exactly work out, but not because of anything Tomlinson did. He was as advertised, starting 16 games and making a major impact against the run with occasional moments of pass rush contribution. But Pierce missed half the season due to injury and the Vikings' defense struggled as a unit, with Mike Zimmer getting fired after the season.

Last offseason, the Vikings' new regime replaced Pierce with Harrison Phillips, again giving the team a standout DT tandem. Tomlinson had a great season, setting a career-high with 29 pressures and doing what he always does against the run. But even with a lot of on-paper talent, the Vikings' defense struggled mightily under first-year coordinator Ed Donatell, who was fired after the season.

Tomlinson would've been a nice piece to retain for new coordinator Brian Flores, but the cap-strapped Vikings couldn't afford the four-year, $57 million deal he's getting from Cleveland. It's a nice payday for Tomlinson and a big addition for a Browns team hoping to return to the playoffs after two disappointing seasons.

The Vikings still have Phillips, but they now have a hole next to him in the middle of their defensive line. Khyiris Tonga, who showed a lot of promise last year, is the top in-house candidate to step into the starting lineup, but the Vikings could still add a defensive tackle or two this offseason. Minnesota also has James Lynch, Ross Blacklock, and Esezi Otomewo on rookie contracts.

Thanks for reading. Make sure to bookmark this site and check back daily for the latest Vikings news and analysis all offseason long. Also, follow me on Twitter and feel free to ask me any questions on there.