A week ago, defensive lineman Dean Lowry was lost for the season by the Minnesota Vikings, but there is still a strong free agent alternative to take his place.
On November 20, Lowry went into injured reserve (IR) due to a pectoral tear. On Monday, November 27, Matt Ioannidis, a former defensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers, was proposed by The Bleacher Report NFL Staff to replace Lowry on the D-line during Minnesota’s closing games.
The Vikings are thin on the interior defensive line after placing Dean Lowry on injured reserve [last] week, according to BR. Given that Ioannidis is a skilled run defender, he is most likely their best choice to replace Lowry. With 25.5 career sacks, he might also contribute to their interior pass rush improvement.
Ioannidis has played seven years in the NFL but has yet to see a snap in 2023.
He played for the Carolina Panthers last season on a one-year, $6 million contract. Ioannidis started all 13 games in which he appeared and was a solid performer, particularly as a pass-rusher, according to advanced metrics calculated by Pro Football Focus (PFF). He finished the year with 37 tackles, including 5 tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble, per Pro Football Reference.
Ioannidis played his first six NFL seasons as a member of the Washington Commanders after that franchise selected him in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. The Commanders signed him to a three-year, $22 million contract in April 2019, after which he went on to post a career-high of 8.5 sacks.
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