EAGAN — 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.