Allen Park — Alex Anzalone was one of the first players the Detroit Lions targeted after hiring general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell in 2021. On Monday, two days before the veteran linebacker was set to hit the open market, the team kept him in the fold with a new contract.
A source familiar with the negotiations confirmed the deal first reported by the NFL Network. The three-year pact is worth up to $18.75 million.
Originally signed to a one-year deal, Anzalone was brought in because of his familiarity with the new defensive scheme the team was set to install, as well as his ability to lead on and off the field. And after having battled multiple injuries his first four seasons in New Orleans, he had that something-to-prove characteristic Holmes has coveted in the early stages of Detroit’s rebuild.
In 2021, Anzalone started 14 games and recorded a career-best 78 tackles before suffering a season-ending injury. But, he also struggled with missed tackles, a combination of playing in a read-and-react system for the first time in his career and overcompensating for younger teammates and a lack of overall chemistry that often caused others to be out of position.
Still, the Lions liked what they saw, re-upping with Anzalone for another year last offseason. And with a schematic tweak that allowed him to return to a more familiar attacking style, he thrived. Appearing in all 17 games, he blew out the previous season’s tackle total, racking up 125 stops, including seven for a loss. Additionally, he was effective as a blitzer, setting a new best with 21 quarterback pressures. He also held up well in coverage, holding opposing quarterbacks to a passer rating of 79.8 when targeted.
“Last year was the best I’ve ever seen him in all the years that we had him in New Orleans,” Lions coach Dan Campbell said last December. “That was the best that I’ve seen him play, and this year is even better. He’s playing at a high level, he’s the quarterback of our defense. He’s versatile, he’s a really good athlete, he’s smart, he knows exactly what (defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is) looking for. He knows the situations that come up.”
Beyond his own production, Lions coaches credited him with helping develop the team’s younger linebackers, namely Malcolm Rodriguez, who started 15 games as a rookie and tallied 87 tackles.
“Back probably after the third game, and everybody was praising Malcolm, I made the comment that Alex had a lot to do with how fast Malcolm is playing,” position coach Kelvin Sheppard said late last season. “Because a lot of times, that’s the guy who is getting the car started, so to speak. He’s getting everybody lined up, making sure guys are in the right position, making checks, going out of his way to make sure his teammates are in the right position on certain plays and checks we’ve had. And doing things he really doesn’t have to do, and he’s been doing this since day one. He was doing it last year, but this year, we’ve just gone to another level with that player.”
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers
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