Dallas Cowboys trade Everson Griffen to Lions, begin selling parts
The Cowboys have traded Everson Griffen back to the NFC North, sending him to the Lions.
The Dallas Cowboys signed defensive end Everson Griffen this offseason but, after only seven games with the franchise, the former Vikings is heading back to the NFC North. As the NFL trade deadline approaches, Griffen has been sent to the Detroit Lions.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Detroit Lions have agreed to give up a conditional sixth-round pick in 2021 in exchange for the Cowboys pass rusher.
After signing with Dallas back in August, Griffen recorded 2.5 sacks in seven games. Now he joins a Lions team that is in the bottom half of the league in terms of sacks. Though Detroit plays Indianapolis this week, Griffen won’t be able to play due to the league’s COVID protocols.
Instead, Griffen will make his Motor City debut against, as somehow often seems to be the case, his former team in the Minnesota Vikings.
This is a good move for Detroit but a questionable move for Dallas
Given how the Cowboys have played this season with a 2-5 record, it’s odd that they would trade a four-time Pro Bowler at a position which has been thin lately for the team. Though DeMarcus Lawrence is still on the roster and Randy Gregory is set to return, it’s never a bad idea to have as many pass rushers as possible.
With Dallas set to take on Philadelphia on Sunday night, the pass rush will have an extra amount of pressure bestowed upon them despite facing a beleaguered offensive line. The NFC East title is up for grabs, though it may not mean much come December and January when the playoffs start. Having said that, given the Cowboys injury situation, perhaps they are beginning to sell parts and start fresh in 2021.
As for the Lions, they get a boost in their pass rush and given the expectations from the front office to the coaching staff, this type of move had to be done. Matt Patricia gets another player that can either start or be included in the rotation.
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Griffen’s debut against Minnesota will be anticipated and given his history, we can expect a good game out of him, something that Dallas won’t benefit from this season.