Vikings still haven’t completely ruled out bringing back Everson Griffen

With the 2020 NFL Draft now a week behind us in the rear-view mirror, we’ve reached a point where we can potentially start looking at how the roster of the 2020 Minnesota Vikings will look when the start of the season comes around. There are currently 87 players on the Minnesota roster, and for the first time since before the 2010 NFL Draft defensive end Everson Griffen is not among them.

But, if you believe Rick Spielman, there’s still time for that to change.

Spielman was a guest of Mike Florio on the Pro Football Talk PM show on Saturday, and it certainly sounded like bringing Griffen back was a possibility.

“It is hard to say right now where everything is at and where we are at, [but] until things become more normalized I will never say never on a player,” Spielman said. “I know it will be very hard on a salary cap standpoint. I don’t want to get into the business side of it, but right now I know where our roster is.”

Spielman then added this caveat: “But your roster is never set.”

After a 2018 season that saw him deal with personal issues, Griffen had a nice year in 2019, and his performance allowed him to void the final three years of his contract and enter free agency for the first time in his career. Griffen signed extensions with the Vikings in both 2014 and 2017 and did not hit the open market.

We’re at a point now where most of the big money in free agency has already been spent, and there are still two premiere pass rushers left on the market. . .Griffen and former #1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney, who played for the Seattle Seahawks in 2019. The Seahawks are still reportedly interested in bringing back Clowney, but have reportedly been sending feelers out to Griffen’s camp as well.

Also, if you want something to potentially read into, after last weekend’s draft and free agent signing rush, only one number in the 90s is still available on the Vikings’ roster. That number? Why, #97, of course.

You know. . .just in case.

I’m not sure how good the odds are of a reunion between the Vikings and Everson Griffen is, quite frankly, but as we get closer to the start of Training Camp. . .or the end of Training Camp, even. . .if Griffen still hasn’t signed anywhere, you would have to think the chances of it happening would increase. Just one more thing to keep an eye on as we enter the long, dark tea time of the NFL offseason.