Everson Griffen Will Be "Situational" Pass Rusher for Vikings, Wonnum or Weatherly Will Start
The Vikings bringing back Everson Griffen on Monday raised the question of whether or not the four-time Pro Bowl defensive end would slide back into the starting defensive end spot he vacated after the 2019 season.
Mike Zimmer has made it clear: that won't be the case.
"He's a situational player," Zimmer said.
That decision makes sense. Griffen turns 34 in December and hasn't played any football since last fall, considering he's been a free agent this entire offseason until now. It would be unrealistic to expect him to come back and instantly become a full-time DE again.
The competition between veteran Stephen Weatherly and second-year player D.J. Wonnum for that starting spot opposite Danielle Hunter will continue.
"I think they both did well [on Saturday]," Zimmer said. "You know, they’re still battling and one of them will end up being the starter there, and we’ll use the other rotationally."
Weatherly seemed to have the better game against the Colts, with two pressures, two tackles, and a sterling 89.6 PFF grade on 31 snaps. Wonnum, who had the more productive training camp of the two, recorded one pressure and three tackles on 36 snaps against Indianapolis. It was a good bounce-back performance from both players after they struggled to make an impact against the Broncos.
Adding Griffen gives Zimmer, Andre Patterson, and the Vikings even more weaponry at their disposal for third downs. Their packages on obvious passing downs could feature Danielle Hunter, Griffen, Sheldon Richardson, and one of Weatherly, Wonnum, or Armon Watts, with Anthony Barr (assuming his injury isn't too serious), Eric Kendricks, and the secondary also involved as blitzers. With Zimmer's creative defensive mind, that's going to be a lot for offenses to handle. Michael Pierce and Dalvin Tomlinson will be out there on early downs stuffing the run and could theoretically mix in on passing downs as well.
The number of snaps Griffen plays will be a result of how effective he proves to be. If he gets back to form and looks close to his 2014-19 self, it'll be tough for the Vikings to keep him off the field in favor of Weatherly or Wonnum. However, the most likely scenario is that the rotation helps keep everyone fresh and Griffen remains in the situational role all year.
Despite having a decent 2020 season with the Cowboys and Lions — Griffen recorded 6.0 sacks and 33 pressures in 14 games — Zimmer thinks coming back to Minnesota will help him.
“Yeah, I mean we kind of watched him but when we weren’t studying him [last year]," Zimmer said. "But he had six sacks, you know, I think the way we rush would be more beneficial to him than the way he tried to do it last year. I think he probably recognizes that, as well."
It seems like Griffen is doing well off the field as well, which is important.
"We talked to him for quite a while the other day, I think it seems he’s in a good place," Zimmer said. "You know, hopefully he continues to do that, and if he does he can help us."
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