The Minnesota Vikings were in a scary situation as the top four cornerbacks became unrestricted free agents in March. Byron Murphy Jr., who made his Pro Bowl debut after his strong 2024 campaign, was re-signed to a lucrative deal.
Vikings Need to Hurry If They Want the Reunion
Fellow corners Shaq Griffin, Stephon Gilmore, and Fabian Moreau all departed. However, they are still available, and if the Vikings want one of those experienced cornerbacks, they could just sign him.
At least for now. Griffin could soon find a new home and return to Seattle.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported this week: “Seahawks are in discussions with free-agent corner Shaquill Griffin on a potential reunion, sources told Brady Henderson and me. Seattle is looking for veteran corner help and has Griffin – who made a Pro Bowl as a Seahawk in 2019 – high on its list. No deal reached as of now.”
Shaq Griffin
Griffin was solid in his one year in the Twin Cities. His NFL journey started as a third-rounder for the Seahawks in 2017. Coming out of UCF, he joined the Seahawks at the tail end of their Legion of Boom run. Griffin quickly emerged as a starter in Pete Carroll’s secondary, starting 11 of the 15 games he appeared in in his rookie season.
He spent four years in Seattle, landing Pro Bowl honors in 2019. When free agency rolled around in 2021, Griffin was considered the top cornerback on the market. Therefore, the Jaguars signed him to a huge three-year contract.
After two years, Jacksonville said goodbye because injuries slowed him down, and he couldn’t match his excellent play from earlier in his career. Then, he had a stint with Houston and Carolina in 2023. The Texans inexplicably released him halfway through the year.
Last year, he played with the Vikings, appearing in all 17 games (three starts). Griffin made 41 tackles and logged a couple of interceptions on a total of 572 snaps on defense, which was exactly half of the team’s defensive plays. He was the third cornerback on the team behind Murphy Jr. and Gilmore.
PFF gave him a pretty average grade of 63.7. Of the 55 targets his way, he allowed 30 to be caught for 418 yards and a couple of touchdowns. Griffin allowed a passer rating of 76.2 when targeted, which was the best of the top four Vikings’ CBs.
Why It Makes Sense
The Vikings currently employ a bunch of cornerbacks, but only Murphy Jr. is experienced as a starter. Behind him, the Vikings added Isaiah Rodgers in free agency, who is just coming off a Super Bowl win as a rotational defender, and Mekhi Blackmon, a 2023 third-rounder, returns from a torn ACL.
Rodgers has never played more than 48% of the snaps in a season, and Blackmon registered 43% in his only season. The franchise has put a lot of trust in those two, but it is a serious cause for concern to expect not just one but two cornerbacks to play in way bigger roles than they ever have. Suddenly, they aren’t playing a combined 600 or 700 snaps anymore, but 1500.
Depth players Jeff Okudah has never gotten an average grade from PFF in his career, and Dwight McGlothern, despite showing flashes as an undrafted rookie, isn’t a reliable option either.
The Vikings know what they would get from Griffin, who will turn 30 in the summer: He is not flashy but dependable, and that’s exactly what the Vikings could use in a secondary with some uncertainty and projection.
Alternatives
If the Vikings miss out on Griffin or simply want to go in another direction, alternatives would be Asante Samuel Jr., who has been in Minnesota’s rumor mill for weeks, or veteran Rasul Douglas. An option for the slot would be Mike Hilton, a blitz specialist, who surely should intrigue Brian Flores.
As mentioned, Gilmore is also on the market. However, he will turn 35 in September, and it’s unclear how long his body can keep up with the fast NFL game.
Griffin, 29, remains one of those options until the Seahawks make a move. He has played in 106 career games.
