The long-awaited decision for former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen has chosen his new team ahead of the 2020 NFL season. That team? The Dallas Cowboys.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys are signing former Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen to help bolster their pass-rush. The terms of the deal are yet to be reported (check back for details).

With Jadeveon Clowney still remaining a free agent, Griffen had long waited for the market to play out before deciding on his next team. The Vikings still remained interested in bringing him back and the Seattle Seahawks were in the mix, but both came up empty.

The connection between Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy with Griffen isn’t direct but is that of familiarity. During his time leading the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy faced Griffen and the Vikings many times in NFC North matchups.

Griffen will now form an impressive pass-rush duo opposite of Demarcus Lawrence on the defensive line. Along on the front-seven features Gerald McCoy, Tyrone Crawford, and Alson Smith. There’s still a possibility Randy Gregory could enter the mix if reinstated by the NFL, too.

It’s an important acquisition for the Cowboys considering they won’t have to rely on Smith to play such a heavy role. That provides more stability when considering he hasn’t played in the NFL for a substantial period of time due to off-field issues.

During the 2019 season, Everson Griffen appeared in 15 games and recorded 41 combined tackles (11 for loss), 8.0 sacks, 2 QB hits, 2 pass breakups, and 1 interception. At 32-years-old, the four-time Pro Bowler still made a real impact.

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