Vikings sign underrated defender away from NFC North rival
The Minnesota Vikings signed an underrated player away from an NFC North rival on Friday
The Minnesota Vikings made a move on Friday that won't generate headlines, but it could be one of the better signings of the offseason.
Minnesota is reportedly signing defensive lineman Dean Lowry to a free-agent deal.
Lowry spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Green Bay Packers after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft.
The former Northwestern standout has 15.5 sacks in seven seasons and he's never reached a Pro Bowl.
Lowry has also missed just three games in his seven-year career. His durability, however, isn't what makes him underrated (though it's certainly a big positive).
The former Packers defender is particularly adept at stopping the run.
Sports Illustrated's "Pack Central" recently pointed out that Lowry had more Pro Football Focus run stops than former Pro Bowler Kenny Clark in 2022, despite playing 63 fewer "run-defending snaps".
(Here's how a PFF run stop is defined, via Pack Central: "It measures impact tackles, and it mirrors Green Bay’s win/loss grading system. A tackle on first-and-10 that holds the play to 3 or fewer yards, a tackle on second down that holds the play to less than half the remaining yardage, or a tackle on third down that prevents a first down is a run stop/win".)
Lowry probably won't be featured on any Sportscenter highlights. And he likely won't hear his name discussed on NFL Network. But he's a solid addition to Minnesota's roster that will do a lot of the little things that don't show up in the box score. You know, the type of role players that are necessary to win a Super Bowl.
