Detroit Lions get help for pass rush, trade conditional draft pick for DE Everson Griffen

Buoyed by back-to-back wins that have them in the wildcard hunt, the Detroit Lions are turning to an old nemesis to bolster their pass rush.

The Lions traded a conditional 2021 draft pick that could be as high as a fifth-rounder to the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday for defensive end Everson Griffen.

Griffen was one of the NFL's most feared pass rushers in his prime, logging 74.5 sacks - including 16 against the Lions - in 10 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. He had 2.5 sacks in seven games with the Cowboys this year.

Griffen will not be eligible to play this weekend when the Lions (3-3) host the Indianapolis Colts due to the NFL's COVID-19 protocols.

Newly-acquired players must pass five consecutive COVID tests, each 24 hours apart, before they are allowed to take part in team activities. Griffen's first game with the Lions could come against his old team, the Vikings, Nov. 8.

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"Our journey continues to the great city of Detroit," Griffen tweeted late Tuesday night. "To the Detroit fans, y’all are getting a (bleeping) dog ready to eat. @Lions Thank you for blessing my family with another opportunity to bEGreat. I can’t (bleeping) wait. See y’all tomorrow."

Griffen, 32, played as a rotational defensive end for the Cowboys this season and should have a similar role for a Lions team that has struggled to get consistent pressure on opposing quarterbacks for most of Matt Patricia's two-plus seasons as head coach.

The Lions have just eight sacks in six games this season, but have done a better job with their pass rush in recent weeks.

Romeo Okwara has a team-high four sacks and has forced fumbles each of the last two games, and the Lions have used an assortment of zone blitzes to scheme up pressure.

Okwara and starting right end Trey Flowers play on most passing downs, but the Lions lost backup defensive end Julian Okwara to a knee injury in their Oct. 18 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Danny Shelton, Nick Williams and John Penisini have emerged as the Lions' favorite defensive line pairing on run downs.

Last year, Patricia praised as Griffen as part of a pass rush tandem that was "as good as anybody in the league," along with his ex-Vikings teammate Danielle Hunter.

"He’s long, he’s a little bit stouter, a little bit thicker," Patricia said of Griffen. "Does a good job with the power off of the edge. Really some of those in the passing game, some of the softer sets that he gets, he’s able to kind of push those guys back into the middle of the pocket and create a lot of stress and tension for the quarterback."

The Lions clawed their way into the wildcard hunt after a 1-3 starting, blowing out the Jaguars and mounting a late-game comeback to beat the Atlanta Falcons last week. They play just one team with an above-.500 record — the Colts — between now and the end of November.

For Lions general manager Bob Quinn, Tuesday's trade marks the fifth deadline deal he's made in five seasons in Detroit. The trade deadline is Nov. 3, but some around the NFL are pressing to finalize deals this week because of the onboarding rules.

Last year, the Lions traded safety Quandre Diggs and a seventh-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for a fifth-round choice. They used the pick on running back Jason Huntley, who they waived in September.

In 2018, the Lions acquired defensive tackle Damon Harrison from the New York Giants for a fifth-round pick, then traded Golden Tate to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-rounder a week later.

And in 2016, Quinn traded linebacker Kyle Van Noy and a seventh-round pick to the New England Patriots for a sixth-rounder.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions trade draft pick to Dallas Cowboys for Everson Griffen