Has Rick Spielman’s free agency start boosted his contract hopes?

The Everson Griffen saga

Veteran defensive end Everson Griffen opted out of his deal just prior to the free agency period. It appeared a formality he would return to the Minnesota Vikings on a restructured deal.

However, with the defensive end saying an emotional goodbye to the Vikings’ fanbase on Instagram, it appears this plan has backfired. Griffen did Minnesota a favor by forgoing the money on his deal to give them some more cap space. But it appears his patience has finally run out and he will now find a new challenge elsewhere.

This is nothing short of a disaster for the Vikings. They were counting on another two or three years of good production from Griffen, who was still playing at a high level in 2019. H leaves some big shoes to fill and this is probably the only situation that Rick Spielman has handled poorly during the free agency period so far.

Losing such an influential member of the locker room during a period of significant change is a massive blow. Griffen overcame mental health problems to re-emerge as a force to be reckoned with. His relationship with fellow defensive end Danielle Hunter has also contributed significantly towards his rise to prominence.

With Griffen moving on to pastures new, defensive end now becomes a position of need for the Vikings. This could have been avoided with swifter negotiations for the player. But with so little money available to spend the writing was on the wall long before he decided to opt-out.