Vikings beef up defensive line signing Harrison Phillips

The Minnesota Vikings signed fan-favorite Bills defensive tackle Harrison Phillips to a three-year contract, adding another big body to the defensive front.

NFL fans never truly know if the players they sign in free agency will have a major impact on the field, but Vikings fans can feel confident that new free agent signing Harrison Phillips won’t let them down off-the-field.

On Monday, Minnesota signed Phillips after he spent the first four years of his career in Buffalo.

Phillips is coming in on a three-year deal worth $19.5 million, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

New Vikings DT Harrison Phillips was a fan favorite with the Bills

Phillips started 11 games for the Bulls over the last two years. The 2021 season was one of his best as he finished with 51 tackles, four tackles for loss and six QB hits. He also had a pass deflection.

Pro Football Focus graded him at 77.4 in 2021. His career-high was 83.2 in 2019.

So the DT was effective for the Bills, though he did have his opportunities limited by injuries at times.

However, the one thing no one has any doubts over is his character. He won over Bills fans with a top-notch work ethic and his commitment to bettering the community of Buffalo. He was nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award in 2021 and 2020.

His addition does raise questions for the Vikings, who have Michael Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson filling the DT and NT spots on the defensive line. Pierce is making $8.5 million and Tomlinson is on $5 million in 2022.

If Harrison is coming in to be a starter, that could indicate either Pierce or Tomlinson isn’t part of the team’s plans for the coming season. According to Ben Goessling of the Minnesota Star-Tribune, the Vikings would save $6.2 million by releasing Pierce before June 1.

Otherwise, Minnesota will be paying quite a bit for Harrison as a rotation player.