Minnesota Vikings To Try Everson Griffen At Outside Linebacker
by Christopher Gates on Aug 29, 2011 7:37 PM CDT
in Minnesota Vikings 2011 Season
Email
Print
Everson Griffen has certainly had an interesting six months, to say the least. He got the off-season underway by getting arrested in Los Angeles near the campus of his alma mater, the University of Southern California, and followed that up by planning an ill-advised Super Bowl party in Las Vegas (that Leslie Frazier eventually talked him out of throwing).
Now, with just one game left in the pre-season, the Minnesota Vikings are now asking last year's fourth-round draft choice to go on a slightly different adventure. . .a move to outside linebacker.
The 6'4", 273-pound Griffen found himself working with the linebackers on Monday afternoon at practice, and Coach Frazier said that Griffen would likely see some time at linebacker in Thursday's pre-season finale against the Houston Texans.
"He’s a tremendous athlete," Frazier said. "A guy that weighs 270 pounds, runs a 4.6 or 4.5 40; he’s just a tremendous athlete with good football intelligence. Has some playmaking abilities, so we want to utilize his athletic ability."
The Vikings have been hit with some injuries at the linebacker spot, which is another thing that could very well be driving this move. Jasper Brinkley is dealing with a hip flexor injury, and injuries have also sidelined Heath Farwell, Kenny Onatolu, and rookie Ross Homan have all missed time with injuries this pre-season as well.
Not quite sure what to make of this, to be honest. . .obviously Griffen is a good enough athlete to make the transition to outside linebacker. I certainly wouldn't expect him to make a huge contribution right away or anything, but it's certainly something that could be highly beneficial to the Vikings in the long term.
27 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I guess one way to look at it is with of of the blitzs planned for this year, what's the difference where he lines up?
Seriously though, if he can pull off this switch, I’ll be impressed.
A reverse Chris Doleman who went from LB to DE.
I hope it works out – I didn’t realize he had that much speed.
Lots of speed
He outran police twice in one weekend last spring.
by rovibe on Aug 29, 2011 9:20 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Annnnnnnnnnnd
rec
This is like O. Henry and Alanis Morrisette had a baby and named it "this exact situation"--Sterling Archer
LB to DE is probably easier
How well is he supposed to learn how to play in coverage at this level? I had thought that he was going to be good, but seriously, how can anyone who loses the battle for the starting DE job to Brian Robison be any good?
There wasn't a battle for LDE it was given to BRob from the get go
Griffen has been Allen’s backup and that’s the DE spot where they want him at for the future. All preseason he has played RDE except for this coming Thursday.
This “switch” sounds like when Robison “switches” to DT on passing downs. A situational arrow in their quiver.
Mocking the Draft - Writer
MTD's Prospect Library - http://www.youtube.com/user/JoshMTD
this is what i was thinking
I get the felling that he’s going to get reps at OLB so that they can open up some exotic blitz packages with him at OLB. He’ll stay primarily at DE (if i had to guess) this just gives us a little more versatility in case lil henderson doesn’t turn out to be a good pass rusher. I’m all for trying to find ways to utilize players to the best of their abilities.
by SkolNick on Aug 29, 2011 8:59 PM CDT via iPhone app up reply actions
Yup, from the bit I read at the Star Tribune you're right on.
This is more of a chance for Everson to get some reps at a position that they plan on putting him in for certain special packages rather than a full position change. Here’s a link to the story. It’s mainly about Ponder getting the last preseason start but the stuff about Griffin is at the end.http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/blogs/128611503.html
by CanadianViking on Aug 29, 2011 10:20 PM CDT up reply actions
Cool, he'd end up blitzing a ton
They could line up with EJ and Greenway and move Everson all over the place. He could just be a blitzing fool, kind of like we’re playing a 4-2 with a floater LB that lines up anywhere, outside DE or OLB, or shoots the gap. Starts close to LOS on the outside and stunts inside. Or a guy lined up inside that backs off and spies the QB. Or he plays in the regular OLB spot, but he is locked up man 2 man on the RB. Just have him be a freak and run all over the field. THe OL for the other team would hate that. Just spit-balling here.
Skol!
this is a late and slightly desperate move, imo.
although, we are hurting at lb and we have a lot of good young talent on d-line, imo. it will be cool to watch on thursday. i wonder if brinkley’s injury is pretty serious, and i am now curious who we might sign and who we might cut after the next roster reuction.
warcraft, you are my guitar hero !!!
Does anyone think this might signal a shift to the 3-4 D in a season or 2? Christian Ballard seems to be a good candidate for a penetrating 3-4 end. Am I just making stuff up?
To do that..
It would pretty much mean, good bye #69….
by hickenizgriz on Aug 29, 2011 10:14 PM CDT up reply actions
I think
they would still be too thin at LB to make that happen, and it would also require converting DL players to new techniques they might not have any experience in.
My guess is they want to see if Griffen’s speed makes him more well suited as a LB in blitz packages than sitting on the bench as a backup DE?
They want to run a package where Jared Allen is putting his ears back on teh QB and Everson Griff is doing the same right behind him.
Think about it for a second…
Childress gone, TJack gone, new stadium on the way: it's like that Christmas when Santa brought prostitutes!
I don't think so
As I said above, I think this is just something to try for the preseason to maybe have some fun blitz packages for him on passing downs rather than a full position switch. Don’t forget, the main people on defense (Frazier, Pagac, and Singletary) are all very dedicated 4-3 guys. Frazier and Singletary are wearing rings, Frazier multiple ring, due to a version of the 4-3. A switch to a 3-4 would be very strange for them. We don’t have the personnel to do so and our best players are 4-3 people who wouldn’t work in the 3-4. Greenway, K. Williams, and Jared Allen would all be wasted in the 3-4. Everson Griffen is also on the big side to be a dedicated OLB in a 3-4. I really don’t see it happening.
It’d be weird to see them change fronts. In many ways, aside from the late-Denny/Tice era, the playmaking front four is the franchise’s signature feature.
Beyond that, the dome’s a fast surface, and 4-3 fronts (compared to 3-4’s) tend to use faster, smaller DLs and LBs. Also, the pendulum’s swung enough to 3-4 teams that it might now be easier to find 4-3 front personnel than the alternative.
yeah I'm with you on that last part
I think 3-4 players are going to start become serious commodities while small DE’s will get cheaper in the draft at least.
Childress gone, TJack gone, new stadium on the way: it's like that Christmas when Santa brought prostitutes!
I've heard it on every level of football
You do whatever necessary to have the best 11 guys on the field at all times. They believe Griffen is one of those 11 guys at certain times on defense and if that means sliding Griffen in at Linebacker is a way of doing so then so be it. Doesn’t seem to be a desperate move to me, because if they don’t try out this switch then Griffen will be watching from the bench behind Jared Allen.
If anything this move prevents from an emergency drastic move from happening in the middle of the season if one of our backers were to be out for a period of time. We’d have a guy that was capable and comforting enough to fill the role until a return. Having him start practicing at the end of the pre-season at linebacker would be better then starting him their in the middle of the season.
SKOL
Not sure about this. The way they play defense, there’s more positional value in a DE than LB. Of course, if they don’t like his potential at DE, then it’s maybe worth trying.
But yeah, I agree it’s likely this is mainly for potential blitz packages. At this point, it’s asking a lot for a guy to pick up a “pure” position change.
Don't read too deeply into this
This is most likely what they are saying it is, a simple test of emergency depth. It also gives them a look at what Griffen could do dropping back into routes if they want to run a zone dog blitz. It also gives the Vikings a warm body at LB during this last preseason game. Brinkley is seeing a hip specialist and I believe Homan, Dean, and Farwell are all nicked up, so they probably need the guy to play LB just to get through the game without using starters.
honestly if he has even so so coverage ability I woudl like to see him on passing down out there
Maybe shadow a safety over him, but mainly use him to make the QB sweat. He’s a pretty big boy and he’s got a load of speed if you have Jared Allen peeling he tackle back then that should open up Everson for some mayhem.
Childress gone, TJack gone, new stadium on the way: it's like that Christmas when Santa brought prostitutes!
A blitz package
ala the 46 4-3…I think you get your best pass rushers in a position to make a play on 2nd or 3rd down and long…Grif fits that bill with JA,Kwill,Ballard, and BR as the 4 down….
move a safety close to the line and the other plays center field.
Not sure how well this will work but like the idea of this type of mix and a more 46 4-3 type of D.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
Related FanPosts on Daily Norseman
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Shutdown Corner - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
- Former high-school star Brian Banks does serious time on trumped-up charge, now hopes for an NFL shot
- Former ‘idiot kicker’ Mike Vanderjagt in trouble after accosting junior-high heckler
- Adrian Peterson blows teammates away in footraces; appears to be on the mend
- UPDATE: Charlie Sheen didn’t buy Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl ring
- Alex Smith gets blown up by Jon Beason over Cam Newton comments
