Joe Douglas and the New York Jets claim interior offensive lineman Pat Elflein off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings.
The New York Jets claimed interior offensive lineman Pat Elflein off waivers from the Minnesota Vikings Monday afternoon.
We've claimed OL Pat Elflein.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) November 16, 2020
Elflein, 26, was drafted by the Vikings in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft. After initially playing center for the team over the first two seasons, Elflein shifted to guard. He played 14, 13 and 15 games over his first three seasons, respectively, prior to falling out of favor with the organization this season.
On Saturday, the Vikings cut the Ohio State product.
“We just felt like we had some better options,” coach Mike Zimmer said about the interior offensive lineman.
On Friday, a day prior to his release, Elflein was reinstated from injured reserve. A problem surfaced once it was realized he had not sufficiently recovered from the thumb surgery that’s kept him out of all but one game this season.
Elflein put forth a solid rookie campaign, but injuries ultimately caught up to the kid. He had surgeries on his shoulder and ankle prior to the 2018 season, one that wasn’t nearly as successful as his rookie year.
Jets’ backup interior offensive lineman James Andrews hasn’t been good when called upon. With rookie Cameron Clark still buried down the depth chart, perhaps Elflein might give Douglas’s squad something in the interior.
Elflein is a name that should be familiar to Jets fans. He was rumored to be a possible option for Mike Maccagnan in the 2017 NFL draft. Obviously, that never materialized.
