Welcome Aboard: Vikings SS Michael Griffin
Austin Belisle
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The Minnesota Vikings were supposed to sign George Iloka in free agency. When general manager Rick Spielman had his shot at the Bengals’ star strong safety and passed, fans groaned. “But Harrison Smith needs a star player next to him,” they said. “We can’t survive another year with Andrew Sendejo back there,” they complained.
It was a surprising turn of events for the Vikings, who used the free agency period to shore up deficiencies along the offensive line and re-sign key veterans; one of those being Sendejo. The oft-criticized, muscle-bound safety has started 26 games for the Vikings since 2013 and returned on a four-year, $16 million contract this offseason.
He joined Antone Exum and Anthony Harris on the depth chart, leaving Smith without his long-sought-after partner in crime. Spielman simultaneously addressed the scarcity at the position and raised eyebrows by signing Michael Griffin, a nine-year veteran, off the street. Griffin, who’d spent his entire career with the Tennessee Titans, was released after the 2015 season and didn’t have a ‘home’ prior to March.
But Spielman took a chance, and now, the 31-year-old veteran has a real shot at starting opposite Smith this season. While he’s not the answer at the position, Griffin is a proven commodity with the specific skill set and experience to do two things for the Vikings: create competition at strong safety and open the playbook for the limitless Smith.
Image designed by Austin Belisle
As a first-round draft pick out of Texas in 2007, the former Longhorns star earned a reputation as the class’s best strong safety. When given the chance, Griffin was a productive player, and in 2006, was named an All-American first-team selection by the NFL Draft Report. Griffin’s senior season was his best statistically, as he led the team with a career-high 126 tackles and hauled in four interceptions.
Griffin started two full seasons in Texas, finishing his career with 368 total tackles, four sacks, seven fumble recoveries, and eight interceptions. He started his Longhorns career as a strong safety before coaches moved Griffin to free in 2005, allowing their best secondary defender the luxury to roam and make plays in the box. Griffin didn’t disappoint, earning second-team All-Big 12 Conference honors and leading the team with 124 tackles.
Like Sendejo for the Vikings today, Griffin was a vital special teams player in his time at Texas. He set a Big 12 Conference record and ranked second in NCAA Division I-A history with eight career blocked punts. In each of his first two seasons with the Longhorns, Griffin led Texas in special teams tackles; stats that likely jump out to special teams coach Mike Pfeiffer.
More than Griffin’s collegiate success, his productivity as a pro makes him a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Vikings. He’s proven to be key contributor each season since 2009, posting at least 96 tackles per year in that time. And, those numbers come despite multiple coaching changes and scheme adjustments.
Where will he play?
In 2012, Titans head coach Mike Munchak moved Griffin from free to strong safety, but that experiment lasted just one season. He finished the year with a paltry — by his standards — 82 tackles and one interception. The following season, he made the switch back to free safety, where he thrived as the centerfield defender and enjoyed a healthy statistical increase — 106 tackles, three sacks, two interceptions.
When defensive coordinator Ray Horton joined the Titans in 2014, he installed an aggressive 3-4 system, one that asked its safeties to act as mix-and-match pieces in a complex puzzle. “We really don’t put them at free and strong,” Titans secondary coach Louie Cioffi said of the safeties’ new roles. “There is so much multiplicity. They really have to be interchangeable.”
He continued: “But (Griffin) is someone who has the ability to match certain receivers and backs and tight ends in this league. So, his value back there is tremendous for us in that aspect.”
That value will serve the Vikings well, especially as they find new ways to unleash Harrison Smith’s talents as an all-around safety. Head coach Mike Zimmer touched on this point at the NFL Scouting Combine, expressing a desire to add another safety to the roster.
[quote_box_center]“If Harrison Smith was paired with a guy that had some other qualities, we could allow Harrison to be more of an impactful player,” Zimmer said. “I think Harrison could be more impactful if he had the right kind of person next to him.”[/quote_box_center]
According to ESPN’s Ben Goessling, Vikings defensive backs coach Jerry Gray had already reached out to Griffin at the time of Zimmer’s press conference. Gray was the defensive coordinator of the Titans from 2011-2013 and saw firsthand Griffin’s pedigree as a ball-hawking safety. He put the plan in motion to reunite with Griffin, convincing Spielman to pull the trigger.
“He’s played both strong and free [safety],” Spielman said. “He’s always been a very athletic safety. He’s had a couple Pro Bowl years. I know this staff likes to take guys like that, that maybe had a history, and kind of revamp their careers. He’s still young enough. Just watching tape on him, he still can move and has range on the back end.” The Vikings signed Griffin to a one-year, $2.5 million contract with $750,000 guaranteed. Their minimal investment set the stage for a fierce training camp battle, one that should bring the best out of the team’s multiple strong safeties.
Griffin’s value will come on the back end, where he’s made a living as a rangy safety with a nose for the football. Minnesota knows Smith can thrive anywhere on the field, but they’d like to play him closer to the line of scrimmage. With a trusted player like Griffin roaming the deep part of the field, Zimmer can do just that — send Smith on blitzes off the edge, line him up at linebacker depth, and disguise coverages. But at 31 years old, the Vikings have to wonder if Griffin can still be that missing piece.
The Tape
Griffin isn’t a perfect player. He was Pro Football Focus’s 77th-ranked safety in 2015 and finished the year ranked 69th in coverage. The hope, as it was with Terence Newman, is that Zimmer can reform Griffin’s game and get the most out of the veteran safety.
The examples above, all from 2015, focus on Griffin’s strengths as a middle-of-the-field defender. Although he can play in the box and has shown a willingness against the run, Griffin likely won’t see much time there in Minnesota. Zimmer’s aforementioned comments point to Griffin — or whoever earns the starting job — spending most of their time as the deep defender. Fortunately for the Vikings, that area of the field remains Griffin’s speciality, even if he’s lost a step and a few inches on his vertical jump.
The first video is a perfect example of what Griffin can bring to the Vikings. Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr throws the ball to tight end Clive Walford on a wheel route. Walford releases off the line of scrimmage and breaks upfield when he hits the sideline. It’s the perfect play against Cover-2, as the route exposes a hole in between the flat coverage and the safety in the deep half. Carr sees this, wedging a ball between the zones. Griffin can’t break on the football quickly enough, but still manages to ‘lay the wood’ on Walford.
If there’s something Griffin does better than Sendejo, it’s tackling in space. Often, Sendejo breaks down to wrap up a defender and…misses. Time and time again, he goes for the big hit, throwing his shoulder into the ballcarrier and bouncing off because he doesn’t bring his arms through the tackle. While Griffin is guilty of the same transgressions, the film also shows a player who understands his limitations. Griffin will attack a ballcarrier’s legs, launching his body at the ground and using his arms to latch onto the player’s ankles or feet. It’s a rudimentary style, but one that works for Griffin at this point in his career.
Against the Dolphins (Example No. 2), Griffin finds himself in the perfect position for an interception. More luck than savvy play, Griffin hauls in a deflected pass and begins the long journey upfield. He’s a natural ballcarrier — by safety standards — with the vision to pick a hole and return the interception for a chunk gain. Unlike Sendejo, who has just two career interceptions, Griffin has 25 and returned them for a total of 328 yards (13.2 yards/return). Whether he puts himself in position or ends up there by good fortune, Griffin has the hands and awareness to make a play on the football.
The third example highlights Griffin in his comfort zone. He starts as the lone safety and immediately reads the eyes of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. Indianapolis runs a ‘Levels’ concept underneath, with the No. 1 and No. 3 receivers breaking inside and underneath. The No. 2 receiver, tight end Coby Fleener, runs a vertical route to beat what Luck thought was man coverage. But the Titans are in a zone look, putting three defenders in the vicinity of Fleener. Luck disregards this, chucking a ball up and nearly completing the pass. Griffin, who diagnosed the throw from the start, commits early and comes over the top to break up the play. It’s an easy decision for Griffin, who identified the lone deep threat and made his move before Luck even threw the football.
Griffin’s ball skills can also be hit-and-miss, as identified in examples No. 4 and 5. In the first of the two, he trails Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski down the sideline. Griffin isn’t the deep safety in this situation, but he’s responsible for the streaking Gronkowski. Tom Brady recognizes the mismatch and tries to fit a ball in between Griffin and the safety breaking over the top. He nearly completes the pass, but Griffin pokes the ball out of Gronkowski’s hands at the last second. It’s a savvy play from a veteran out of position; a play you wouldn’t expect from someone like Sendejo. The next example, though, is reminiscent of Sendejo’s play against the Raiders in 2015. Sendejo gave up two long passes down the field, both times while in perfect position to break up the play. But he mistimed his jumps and misjudged the ball, allowing the Raiders to move down the field with ease. Griffin gets caught in a similar bind against the Jaguars, sticking to his man but failing to elevate at the catch point. Blame it on age or a lack of effort, but Griffin isn’t going to win every jump ball battle, especially at this point of his career.
The Outlook
Right now, Sendejo is a poor man’s Griffin. Although he’s not being paid like such, he’s a younger, more versatile player who can line up on defense and as one of the Vikings’ key special teams contributors. With the way things are shaping up, the race to start at strong safety appears to be a two-man battle, though Anthony Harris has a chance to push for playing time this season. Zimmer commented on the competition last week, highlighting each of the potential starters.
[quote_box_center]“Yeah. Well it’s still a work in progress. We’re trying to look at all the different guys. You know (Michael) Griffin is still learning. I like some of the things that ( Jayron) Kearse is doing. You know (Antone) Exum (Jr.) is athletic. Anthony Harris very seldom makes mistakes and (Andrew) Sendejo is solid like he usually is. So, we just have to keep going. One thing I try not to do especially in OTAs where we’re not in pads is try to jump to some kind of conclusion of who should be the starter. I’ll kind of let that play out in camp.”[/quote_box_center]
Minicamp begins today for the Vikings, and Griffin will continue to use his limited time to learn Zimmer’s complex system. It’s a work in progress for the veteran, but the hope is that his dwindling play is enough to free up Harrison Smith this season, bring out the best in Minnesota’s young safeties in training camp, and mend the bridge before the Vikings find their guy next season.
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