REPORT: Everson Griffen to try out for the Minnesota Vikings
Josh Frey
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After hinting at a possible reunion throughout the offseason, it appears Everson Griffen is closer than ever to rejoining the Minnesota Vikings. The bridge between the two parties seemed to be permanently burned when Griffen made some, well, not so nice comments about QB Kirk Cousins. Apparently though, all can be forgiven in time. According to Darren Woodson and Chris Long of KSTP, the veteran DE will be trying out for the Vikings on Wednesday.
Griffen spent a decade in Minnesota after the franchise drafted him in the fourth round of the 2010 draft. Before departing for the Dallas Cowboys, he had totaled 74.5 sacks over 10 seasons for the Vikings, including a 13-sack season in 2017.
With a wide open battle at RDE, the Vikings are showing that they are more focused on winning this season than development. Second-year player D.J. Wonnum had a lackluster performance in the opening preseason game. There are still plenty of questions surrounding rookie Patrick Jones as well.
Stephen Weatherly is the veteran choice for now, but adding another player to the mix would force everyone to be at their absolute best. Even if he ultimately doesn’t have a massive impact on this current Vikings team, this should be viewed as a good thing.
Chance are though, Griffen would make an impact on this squad. He recorded six sacks in 2020 in split time with the Cowboys and Lions. This would have led the Vikings in 2020. Of course, Yannick Ngakoue actually led the team with five sacks in just six games. Of course, the Vikings are hopeful that with the return of Danielle Hunter, their presence in the pass rush will be much better. That said, Griffen can clearly be a contributor for this Vikings team if the tryout goes well.