Detroit Lions are likely to make large-scale changes to the defensive side of the ball this off-season. The team finished last in allowed points, allowed yards and defensive DVOA, a metric of efficiency for Football Outsiders.
In a last-ditch effort to save the season – and keep their jobs – Lions have opted for a mid-season change to bolster their pass run. The Lions sent a conditional choice in the sixth round (could turn into a choice in the fifth round) for the defensive side Everson Griffen, who got off to a slow start in his first season with the Dallas Cowboys.
Obviously, Griffen alone was not enough to turn the defense, nor the team, in time to save anyone’s job. But let’s look back on its 2020 season to see if the trade was still worth it, and if Griffen could even be back next year.
Previous free agent profiles: Danny Amendola, Matt Prater, Jamal Agnew
Everson Griffen
Expectations towards 2020
After 10 years in Minnesota, Griffen entered the free agent market, but did not find a new team immediately. Instead, the teams took their time with Griffen, who had seen a clear decline in his game with the Vikings, although he managed 8.0 sacks in 2019.
Finally, the Cowboys were the team to give Griffen a chance, signing him a $ 6 million one-year contract in August.
At the time the Cowboys negotiated it with Detroit, it looked like expectations should be limited, but that didn’t stop Lions fans from getting excited about the exchange. At the time, Lions were 3-3 and in desperate need of a quick pass. Griffen for a chosen Day 3 draft seemed more than reasonable and as such, 92% of fans gave the bid an A or B.
Real role in 2020
2020 statistics: 7 games: 13 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 defended passes
Degree of PFF: 69.5
Griffen’s game was almost at the same level as he is a 33-year-old defender. He was able to bring a little more rushing passes to the team, ending the season with an 80.1 passing score, second only to Romeo Okwara on the team, and his 15 pressures were the third on the team, despite only seven games played. It also brought an unmistakable intensity to the practice, games and even press conferences.
However, it was always too much to ask for Griffen to come and solve all the problems of the Detroit pass. At his age, he wasn’t winning a cracker’s snap, and Detroit wasn’t having many third and long chances to allow him to put his ears back and pass quickly.
In the end, was it worth sending a choice for Day 3 in the hope that an elderly defender could help turn the season defensively? Probably not. Through no fault of his own, Griffen alone would never stop the ship from sinking. Although I suppose you can’t blame General Manager Bob Quinn and Coach Matt Patricia for trying.
Outlook for 2021
Contract status: Unrestricted free agent
If there is such a thing as a “bridgehead pitcher”, I suppose Griffen could be that, as Lions are looking for a longer-term option to put pressure on opposing defenders. There is a lot of talk about bringing back Romeo Okwara, who had an escape season in 2020, but he will come at a much higher price.
Of course, for a second season in Detroit to be possible, Griffen has to be interested in returning. But as soon as the season was over, Griffen made it clear in a series of social media posts that he was interested in playing with the Vikings again. It is not clear whether this feeling is mutual, but it is never a good sign of your chances of rehiring when the player is already looking for greener pastures.
A new subscription seems unlikely, but don’t expect Lions to receive any compensatory choice for Griffen. His contract is unlikely to be big enough, and last year he signed so late in the off-season that he didn’t count towards the Vikings’ compensatory choice equation.