Everson Griffen moving to LB; back to DE?

calipurple · Joined: 16 Feb 2011 Posts: 233

"@TomPelissero: Everson Griffen is down to 263 pounds, has been told by #Vikings coaches he'll be at linebacker when camp begins. http://t.co/BN93zN4a"

https://twitter.com/tompelissero/status/222391559319076865
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Frank Costello · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 2:27 pm Post subject:

Very welcomed surprise. Operation get Griffin on the field more is a go!
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The Gnat · Joined: 23 Feb 2005 Posts: 39225 Location: Minneapolis

Yeah, I like this move, I wonder if it means they maybe think Erin Henderson will need to be the ILB.
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vikingsrule · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 2:29 pm Post subject:

Great news. However, which LB spot? I cant see him playing MLB. If he is an OLB, that would mean Greenway or Henderson would have to move to MLB. I want Erin Henderson at MLB, so Griffen at WLB would be an excellent move. Another couple of months before the start of the regular season, Griffen should be able to slim down to around 255 pounds, which would be ideal.

CriminalMind · Joined: 25 Aug 2011 Posts: 8623 Location: Toronto, CA

Griffin - Erin - Greenway

Been hoping for this. Guy is too talented to not be on the feild.
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Yfz01 · Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 9274

CriminalMind · Joined: 25 Aug 2011 Posts: 8623 Location: Toronto, CA

Freakout · Joined: 05 Mar 2007 Posts: 4213

Oh I hope the coaches are smart enough to start him at WLB and move Erin inside.

Jasper needs to actually prove he can stay healthy as a backup / special teams guy before given a starting position.

vikingsrule · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 2:54 pm Post subject:

Speed isnt so much a concern for a bigger body like Griffen, its more lateral agility and hips, in terms of having the athleticism to cover. If he can get down to 255, I think he would have enough size to be a pass rushing specialist (see most 3-4 OLBs) and be decent enough in coverage. Basically, Griffen needs to take the shape of a 3-4 OLB. Being closer to 260 vs 270 is ideal.

JMac79 · Joined: 10 Jan 2006 Posts: 2545 Location: St. Anthony, MN

This could make the defensive front 7 pretty interesting; they could play him much like the Giants use Mathias Kiwanuka - base 4-3 OLB, but moving down to DE in pass rush formations, with Robison sliding into the DT spot. Additionally, it could allow the team to experiment a bit with some 3-4 looks as well.

As others have noted, the concern I would have is his lateral agility and his instincts/reaction at LB. He's a heck of an athlete, but if he can't corral a ballcarrier in space he's not going to fare well. We'll just have to see how he fares in that regard...
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vikingsrule · Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2012 3:17 pm Post subject:

Captain Viking · Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Posts: 2627

Whatever gets him on the field more... I'm ok with.. guy is a beast athlete..

LostRoadStone · Joined: 06 Jul 2012 Posts: 1001

Awesome move, and it's about time. When you have a 280 pound defensive end as a gunner on punt coverage, that is just rare athletecism and we need to get our best athletes on the field.

I'd put him at MLB, with his size he'd be a huge asset to the run defense, and he's shown that he has the ability to drop back into coverage with a fair amount of ease. He may not be able to call the defense at this point, but Greenway could easily take over those duties, just as Ben Leber did when Brinkley replaced E.J. as a rookie.
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vike daddy · Joined: 12 Mar 2005 Posts: 82917

good to see some creative approaches at least being tried.
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Everson Griffen: “We can be special. But it’s up to us.”

rpmwr19 · Joined: 23 Dec 2006 Posts: 35760 Location: Stillwater, MN

Seems like Everson has grown up and is taking this very seriously now and just wants to get out on the field. He's been working out with Larry Fitzgerald. I couldn't be happier.
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