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The Minnesota Vikings lost defensive lineman Dean Lowry for the season a week ago but a quality option to replace him remains available via free agency.
Lowry suffered a pectoral tear and landed on injured reserve (IR) on November 20. The Bleacher Report NFL Staff on Monday, November 27, pitched former Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis as a fill-in for Lowry on the D-line for Minnesota’s stretch run.
“The Vikings placed Dean Lowry on injured reserve [last] week, leaving them thin on the interior defensive line,” BR wrote. “Ioannidis is probably their best option to replace Lowry, as [he] is a quality run defender. He could help improve their interior pass rush as well with 25.5 career sacks.”
Matt Ioannidis Produced Quality Campaign with Panthers in 2022
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GettyDefensive lineman Matt Ioannidis, formerly of the Carolina Panthers, sacks quarterback Daniel Jones on the New York Giants during an NFL game in 2022.
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.
Injury Has Ravaged Vikings’ Defensive Line Depth this Season
GettyDefensive lineman Dean Lowry of the Minnesota Vikings recovers a fumble during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers in October 2023.
The Vikings don’t necessarily need a starting-caliber lineman to take Lowry’s place, though Ioannidis has started 53 of the 86 games in which he has appeared since joining the NFL.
Minnesota signed Lowry away from the Green Bay Packers during last offseason, where he spent the first seven years of his career. He appeared in nine games for the Vikings prior to his season-ending injury, earning four starts.
Lowry played 237 defensive snaps (40% of those available to him) and 39 snaps on special teams. He performed well below-average against both the run and the pass before his injury, per PFF’s advanced analytics.
With James Lynch also on IR for the remainder of the year with an ACL tear, Minnesota needs to add depth at the position to complement Jonathan Bullard and Jaquelin Roy. The Vikings had just over $7.1 million in salary cap space to add to the roster as of Wednesday, per Over The Cap.
The Vikings (6-6) have entered their bye week and won’t play again until they travel for a road contest against the Las Vegas Raiders on December 10. After losing to the Chicago Bears at home on Monday Night Football, Minnesota has 58.5% chance to make the playoffs, per ESPN’s Football Power Index.
