Vikings, Cedric Griffin Make a New Deal

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The Minnesota Vikings have had an uneventful offseason thus far, but the contract extension they gave cornerback Cedric Griffin yesterday was definitely one of the team’s highlights. Terms of the extension were not immediately disclosed. Last season, Ced ranked second on the team with 100 tackles plus he had 13 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one interception. He also had four solo tackles and had an INT in a playoff game against Philadelphia. He was more than grateful for the new deal:

“I’m definitely excited to get an extension done with the Vikings. I thank God for all I’ve been blessed with and thank my family for all the support they have given me to help me reach this point. I wanted to stay with the Vikings because I think we have an opportunity to continue building on what we have started there. I think the defense has gotten better every year and I just love the coaches there — Coach Childress, Coach Frazier and Joe Woods especially. I have a great respect for how Joe prepares us every week and love playing for him. There’s a real family atmosphere at the Vikings and a real feeling that people care about you.”

The Vikes do have a solid defense and Cedric is a big reason why. With veteran Antoine Winfield on the other side of the field, Minnesota has two excellent cover corners who also actually enjoy playing the run and hitting people. Neither Ced nor Antoine is very big, but they more than make up for their size with their tenacity. It’s not the size of the dog in the fight but the … You know how it goes. I think Cedric has learned a lot from playing with Antoine and the Vikings defense is better for having both on the field.

Check out my 2008 season interview with Cedric Griffin.

UPDATE: I’ve got the numbers on Ced’s contract extension — a little over $25 million over five years with $10 million guaranteed. (Source)

Source: Vikings.com, Photo: Newscom