(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Minnesota Vikings are bolstering their secondary depth by bringing in a former Seattle Seahawks Pro Bowler and fan favorite.
According to Bleacher Report NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Minnesota Vikings are signing veteran cornerback Shaq Griffin to a one-year deal worth a maximum value of $6 million. Griffin split the 2023 campaign with the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers.
The 28-year-old Griffin had his best season for the Seahawks in 2019, when he recorded 13 pass breakups en route to his first career Pro Bowl nod. In four years with the Seahawks, Griffin recorded six interceptions and 48 pass defenses.
Aside from Seattle, Carolina and Houston, Griffin has also played for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2021 to 2022). In 89 career NFL games, the former Central Florida star has seven interceptions and 64 pass breakups. Simply put, that is rock-solid production that the Minnesota Vikings will greatly enjoy.
The Minnesota Vikings lost four-time Pro Bowl signal-caller Kirk Cousins to the Atlanta Falcons in free agency and replaced him with 2018 third overall pick Sam Darnold. In the early stages of free agency, the Vikings have focused on reshaping the defense.
Shaq Griffin Joins A Rebuilt Minnesota Vikings Defense
The Minnesota Vikings’ defense already looks significantly different on paper than the 2023 group that enjoyed a nice turnaround under new defensive coordinator Brian Flores.
Third-year GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah has bid farewell to longtime franchise star Danielle Hunter, linebacker Jordan Hicks and defensive end Marcus Davenport. His new pickups on defense include Griffin, veteran defensive end Jonathan Greenard, linebackers Andrew Van Ginkel, Blake Cashman and defensive tackle Jerry Tillery.
One year after finishing fifth-last in scoring defense (25.1 points allowed per game), the Minnesota Vikings improved to 13th by allowing only 21.3 per contest. With plenty of new faces on the way, there’s no telling how much this Minny defense could improve in 2024.
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