Getty Everson Griffen before a Vikings game.
The Detroit Lions traded for Everson Griffen, and if his own words are any indication, the team is going to be cashing in very shortly on the field.
While Griffen won’t play this weekend due to COVID protocols, it’s clear the team’s newest pass rusher is fired up to prove he can get the job done as soon as he is clear to play and ready to go. As he said on Twitter following the move, he’s excited to go to Detroit, and the Lions are getting a “motherf***ing dog ready to eat.”
Our journey continues to the great city of Detroit. To the Detroit fans, y’all are getting a motherf*ckin dog ready to eat.@Lions Thank you for blessing my family with another opportunity to bEGreat. I can’t f*ckin wait. See y’all tomorrow.
That type of motivation is something that the Lions and their fans will absolutely love. Detroit needs some extra defensive juice, especially up front. If Griffen is motivated as he says he is, the team figures to get a player charged up and ready to make a difference.
Interestingly enough, Griffen’s first game comes against his former team the Minnesota Vikings.
Lions, Cowboys Differ About Everson Griffen
Detroit made the deal for Griffen in part thanks to the need for pass rush, while the Cowboys may have been eager to dump him thinking he had lost a step and perhaps realizing he was frustrated with his own play. That was according to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, who explained some of the semantics of the deal on Tuesday night after it took place.
Here’s why the Everson Griffen trade made sense for the #Cowboys and the #Lions, who get a motivated pass rusher at a bargain cost. @nflnetwork @NFLTotalAccess
Pelissero said:
“Frankly the Cowboys thought Griffen had lost a step and that he was starting to get frustrated with that… Detroit thinks they are getting a really motivated guy who knows this division. He is still a good player. It’s pass rush at a low cost. They want to have a rotation of rushers after only getting 8 sacks through the first 6 games.”
In Detroit, the pressure’s off Griffen a bit considering the Lions have Romeo Okwara, Trey Flowers and others to rush the passer up front too. They would like Griffen to add his own punch, but he certainly doesn’t have to play all snaps and can instead slot in however Matt Patricia and company might want.
To that end, his return to the NFC North might be huge for Detroit, as they are getting a player who can play their type of role in order to help a needy spot on the defense.
Everson Griffen Stats
Griffen, to this point in his career entering the 2020 season, has been one of the most dynamic players up front in the league with 355 tackles and 74.5 career sacks. He’s 32 years old, but has proven himself as a dynamic defender capable of wreaking havoc. Griffen’s sack total of 8 from 2019 would have been the highest on the entire Lions defense itself.
This season with the Dallas Cowboys, Griffen hadn’t done much in a big way with just 2.5 sacks and 20 combined tackles, but he played for a team in Dallas that was struggling badly on the field. There’s no reason to think he couldn’t turn things around in a big way in a division he’s comfortable with.
More than these stats, Griffen has always been a thorn in Detroit’s side. In his career, he has consistently exposed the Lions’ offensive line to the tune of 16 career sacks, the most of any team he has ever played in the league. If the Lions can’t beat Griffen, they may as well try to add him in order to get more production up front and prevent their own quarterback from getting hammered in the process.
Clearly, the Lions are getting a player who is fired up and motivated to make something happen in his next stop.
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