Pro Bowl CB opens up about joining the Vikings for the 2024 season

While the Minnesota Vikings did add some new pieces to their offense in free agency this offseason, their main objective when it has come to signing free agents this year has been to help improve the team on the defensive side of the ball.

Of the 17 veteran players the Vikings have signed this offseason, 10 of them make their living by lining up on defense. Of these 10 defensive free agents Minnesota signed this year, Pro Bowl cornerback Shaquill Griffin might be one of the more underrated members of the group.

Griffin is coming off an odd 2023 season that he spent as a member of both the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans. But he's still only 28-years-old, and the Vikings are hoping he can potentially rediscover the level of play that resulted in him earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2019.

Shaquill Griffin describes his opportunity with the Minnesota Vikings as a "perfect situation"

Griffin wasn't a player that too many people had in mind for Minnesota heading into free agency back in March. But the veteran cornerback recently said the following about why playing for the Vikings is the "perfect situation" for him.

"I feel like this was a perfect situation. Great opportunity to be here. Feel like I fit right in.

...I feel like I'm a very aggressive player, so I feel like the scheme [Minnesota is] trying to inhabit, going into this year, I feel like it fits perfect [with] the way I play."

In 13 games with the Panthers and Texans last season, Griffin accumulated 39 tackles, five pass breakups, and one interception. He also only allowed his coverage to catch 60.5 percent of their targets last year, and opposing quarterbacks had a passer rating of just 72.4 when throwing in his direction.

With Griffin now on the roster, Minnesota has a solid mix of veterans and young talent inside their cornerback room.

The Pro Bowl defender and Byron Murphy will be viewed as the leaders of the group, but some of the Vikings' younger corners, like Mekhi Blackmon, Akayleb Evans, and Khyree Jackson, could make a significant impact for the team during the 2024 season.

After Minnesota ranked 24th in the NFL in passing yards allowed in 2023, there is clearly plenty of work that needs to be done in the team's defensive backfield heading into next season. Will the addition of Griffin help the Vikings' pass defense get back on track in 2024, or will the team wind up wishing they pursued a different veteran cornerback in free agency this year?

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