6 free-agent defensive ends the Vikings could sign in 2020
By Dean Jones
The Minnesota Vikings may be in the market for a defensive end in free agency this year with the uncertainty surrounding the future of Everson Griffen.
There is a great deal uncertainty around the short-term future of Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen. This could mean the organization will explore other alternatives once free agency opens in March.
Griffen’s outstanding year hit all the necessary clauses for him to be able to opt out of his current deal. His standout play included eight sacks, 41 combined tackles, and an interception.
This led to the influential figure foregoing the eight-figure salary he was set to earn in 2020. This decision also avoided Griffen’s probable release given Minnesota’s current salary cap constraints, which would have cost the team just $800,000 in dead money to let him go.
The former USC product is not getting any younger and the Vikings will need to find his long-term replacement sooner rather than later. They might already have it with Ifeadi Odenigbo and Stephen Weatherly showing glimpses of promise in rotational roles last season.
Weatherly is also an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so he may not be back next year. This leaves Minnesota becoming too reliant on star defensive end Danielle Hunter and that could have an adverse effect on his production in 2020.
Some significant decisions are going to be made in the coming weeks that will shape the future of the franchise and this includes what they do with their group of defensive ends. Let’s check out six possible free-agent defensive ends the Vikings might target this offseason.