Do you release Griffen?

Cutting Griffen to clear out $10M in space doesn't make a ton of sense to me. He clearly will needs to renegotiate his contract but they should be able to come to an amicable agreement. Everson is smart enough to realize his value here is more than on the open market and the Vikings likely have the most comfort over him as well.  

@"Geoff Nichols" said: Cutting Griffen to clear out $10M in space doesn't make a ton of sense to me. He clearly will needs to renegotiate his contract but they should be able to come to an amicable agreement. Everson is smart enough to realize his value here is more than on the open market and the Vikings likely have the most comfort over him as well.  

That's kind of where I am at. Restructure his deal. He has roots here. I know adjusting to his medications impacted his edge, he even said that. Hopefully he continues to improve on the health front and they can come to an agreement. 

From my view point, he hasn't been as effective since his plantar fasciitis last year. But he is still far better than anything we could draft to replace him. 

And he still has the athletic ability to be as good as he wants to be.
 
Trade bait?

 Maybe, but This guy is a team leader and beloved by his teammates and coaches.
If he takes a cut to stay with the Vikings, I suspect they will give him a nice bonus and another year or two of guarantees.
 
And I wouldn't be surprised to see him as one of the leaders in pressures and sacks once again.

Keep Griffen on a restructured deal, and cut Rudolph. 

What would Bill B. do?

He’d trade him. I’m not sure what his value is after his medical issues but he’s a top notch player when healthy. 

Of course you try and restructure him.  After that you attempt to trade him and only then would cutting him come into discussion. 

And the same goes for Rudolph.

 :s  some peoples solutions lack rational thought.

I think its a possibility....you move Hunter over to his spot and he'll be even better. Weatherly is more than ready to start at Hunter's LDE spot and you move forward. I like Griffen a bunch and I'd prefer a restructure (likely the most probable outcome) but to say it definitely won't happen isn't accurate, either. 

Hard to say. 

Yup, like him as part of the rotation for 19 in a re-structured deal. Something tells me the continuity of MN is probably good for him too.

I'd rather let go of him too soon than hold on to him to long...restructure would be my first choice...

@"StickyBun" said: I think its a possibility....you move Hunter over to his spot and he'll be even better. Weatherly is more than ready to start at Hunter's LDE spot and you move forward. I like Griffen a bunch and I'd prefer a restructure (likely the most probable outcome) but to say it definitely won't happen isn't accurate, either. 

Hard to say. 

I agree,  IMO Hunter at RDE and Weatherly at LDE and a rotation with EG is our best look,  we also have some younger guys that could take EGs snaps if he doesnt want to play ball,  I think we will definitely want him in the locker room for his leadership skills,  but I will be honest that I wont miss him jumping offsides on 3rd and short situations.... 

Cut? No
Restructure? Absolutely

Give both he and Rudy a deal to be Vikings for the rest of their careeer but restructure for a smaller cap impact in 2019. 

His role will be diminished by the activity of Weatherly and potentially a 3/4th round draft pick.  I would love to see him stay in Purple for the next two years but at a lower cost

I don't know, last year was a bad year for him. He did nothing in the second halves of both 2016 and 2017 season. I sometimes think the Vikings are too nostalgic for their own good.

The question is will he accept a restructure?
I think they can cover the end spots with Weatherly and Jalyn Holmes (some).
Plus, they Aruna coming back and really like Odenigbo..
If they hang onto Griffen then they have Hunter, Griffen, Bower, Weatherly, Aruna, and Odenigbo.  It could be that Aruna and Odenigbo are released.
If Josh Allen or Montez Sweat or Clelin Ferrell or Rashaan Gary are there at #18 it would be tough to pass.
I think they should trade him early while he still may have some value rather than redoing his deal and watching him slowly decline.  Maybe they can to Griffen and a 7th for another team's 5th?

Restructure his contract to benefit the team and then cut him just before the season starts. Isn't that what Spielman does with our defensive leaders

This years defense looked like a cheap imposter of 2017's at times.  I believe the loss of on field leadership may have played a substantial role with the step back.  Old man Newman was still around, but hanging out on the sidelines, unable to make last minute tweaks to positions as he did between the lines.  B-Rob no longer present, reading offenses, making adjustments to the D line.  Griffen was battling demons and obviously not himself.  That's a LOT of experience and on field leadership that's missing.  How many missed adjustments were there without them?  How many steps were guys out of position lining up without them?  How much slower were we in diagnosing blocking schemes or play calls without them there.  At the Pro level, success is almost as much mental as it is physical.  I think, as fans, we undervalue those traits far too much and get sucked into believing that a super freak athlete can make up for it.  For those reasons, I really don't want to release Griffen.  (As long as he's keeping his demon's under control)  I don't think losing his leadership and experience is a step forward.  I fear it would be another step back.     

@"Geoff Nichols" said: Cutting Griffen to clear out $10M in space doesn't make a ton of sense to me. He clearly will needs to renegotiate his contract but they should be able to come to an amicable agreement. Everson is smart enough to realize his value here is more than on the open market and the Vikings likely have the most comfort over him as well.  

Really? Few athletes ever seem to acknowledge they are aging, diminishing in value, or are no longer worth the salary they expect. Maybe Everson is one of those few, but I wouldn't assume that. A lot of people are proposing a trade. He's aging, he had a bad year, he made embarrassing off-field headlines,  his salary is an issue leading to speculation the Vikings might cut him, and his mental health creates a risk his career could end at any moment. What is any other team going to give for him? We're 2 years too late to trade him.

It was clear that even after he came back, Griffen was not himself last season. That's completely understandable, but it may be time to reduce his role, especially with Weatherly playing so well. With that in mind, restructuring his deal makes sense for the Vikings and arguably more guaranteed money could make sense for Griffen with his health being uncertain. I do agree with Guru that Griffen has a support network in Minnesota and I think it's a positive that the team and fans did not abandon him after his issues. Ideally, they wouldn't need to renegotiate his deal, but the Vikings are in a tough cap situation, so Griffen's cap number and situation makes him a natural target to restructure. Hopefully, next season will be better for him, but I do feel that Weatherly has earned some snaps, especially on running downs where he's proven to be a very disciplined player.

The team showed Griff loyalty last year,  as it has done in the past.  its time he does the same...which I think he will.

I would like to see a restructure on a one year, prove it type deal. If he refuses he gets traded or cut. If he agrees and returns to form, he gets paid. If not, thanks for the memories.
I don't see a robust market out there for him in free agency.