Shaquem Griffin will have to wait a little longer to find a new home. The inspirational linebacker who lost one hand at the age of four recently received an invitation to Broncos minicamp as a tryout player.
Griffin spent the past few days in Denver, but the team will not be signing him at this time, Mike Klis of Denver 9 News tweets. Klis does note that Broncos “coaches/front office were impressed with his minicamp work,” so perhaps he could still be signed down the line.
We heard back in May that multiple teams had expressed interest in signing the twin brother of Jaguars cornerback Shaquill Griffin, but nothing materialized. Both Griffin brothers have played their entire pro careers up until now with the Seahawks. Shaquill landed a big deal from Jacksonville earlier this offseason.
Shaquem mostly played as a special teamer, or regular linebacker when on defense, with the Seahawks. But it was also reported earlier this offseason that he was looking to transition into a full-time pass-rusher.
Keep at it young man, you’ll find your spot. I really wouldn’t mind the 49ers taking a flyer on him.
He could battle it out with Dee Ford (if healthy), Ebukam, and Arden Key for time as a rotational edge rusher opposite of or backing up Bosa..
Bosa is definitely going to need to be eased back into the swing of things, and no one really knows what Ford might be able to give the 49ers this year, so with Ebukam and Key as the main backups, Griffin could fit in perfectly as a full-time edge and a ST ace.
Griffen isn’t big or strong enough to play with his hand in the dirt as a down lineman, so I do not see his landing in San Francisco as anything other than an off-ball linebacker. Since Griffon wants to transition into a pass rushing role, I doubt that will happen. Unfortunately he has struggled with his tackling as well, which limits his ability to take advantage of his exceptional speed.
Griffin needs to show that he can consistently beat linemen with multiple moves instead of purely relying on his athleticism as he did in college to become a full time pass rusher, but he might have a chance to contribute to a needy 3-4 team. Jacksonville, interestingly enough, just transitioned to a 3-4 for the first time in franchise history….
I wouldn’t mind Pittsburgh to take a flier on him, they have been on record saying they need more depth at OLB, he’s been good in a reserve role, and not to mention I have to think Steelers D would welcome him