3 ways the Minnesota Vikings can sign Jadeveon Clowney

Could the Minnesota Vikings sign free-agent pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney?

It’s a longshot, but it is possible. The Minnesota Vikings have three options heading into the 2020 season at the EDGE position opposite Danielle Hunter.

First, there is the most realistic and probable avenue. 26-year-old defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo is currently the odds-on favorite to be the other Vikings starting EDGE rusher this season.

Odenigbo forced his hand in 2019 to see some opportunistic playing time, and he made the most of it. The second-year player from Northwestern swim-moved his way to seven sacks last season.

Upon initial glance, this feat seems mundane. It’s not. Odenigbo notched the sacks while playing just 34 percent of Minnesota’s defensive snaps. Because of this promising ascensional trend, Odenigbo will probably be the team’s Week 1 starting defensive end this year.

Next, the Vikings could pull out the last-minute sentimental stops to re-sign Everson Griffen. This does not figure to be easy as Griffen made it quite clear he was moving on in a rather emotional social media tribute a few months ago.

However, Minnesota still has a little spending money left this year. If Griffen was frustrated by his free-agent options, the team would welcome him home open arms, or so we think.

The final, least-sexy, alternative is to make the position one that is a version of musical chairs. The Vikings could employ a strategy that featured both Odenigbo and free-agent signee Anthony Zettel.

The soon-to-be 28-year-old defensive lineman has been on five teams in just four years. Zettel is starting the journeyman path a lot sooner and with more stops than most journeymen at this juncture of his career though.

Alas, we arrive at the Jadeveon Clowney Sweepstakes.  Clowney is the big marquee name, defensively, left on the free-agent market. He’s a playmaker and quarterback terrorist.

Let’s explore three ways how Minnesota can potentially sign him this year.