This is the first in a two-part series assessing the Detroit Lions’ position-by-position situation heading into free agency. Today, we’ll look at the defense. Teams can begin negotiating with free agents on March 14. The signing period opens March 16 at 4 p.m.
Edge defender
► Under contract: Romeo Okwara, Julian Okwara, Austin Bryant, Eric Banks
► Lions free agents: Charles Harris, Jessie Lemonier (ERFA), Rashod Berry
► Best available: Von Miller, Chandler Jones, Jadeveon Clowney, Randy Gregory, Hasaan Reddick, Emmanuel Ogbah
During the past decade, Detroit edge rushers have turned in three double-digit sack seasons. Two of those belong to Ziggy Ansah, with Romeo Okwara’s 10 sacks in 2020 accounting for the other.
The team’s last consistently great pass rusher was Robert Porcher, who from 1996 through 2001 posted five double-digit campaigns and earned Pro Bowl honors three times. And the last season the Lions had two players finish with 10 or more sacks was in 1983, the second year the stat was officially recorded, with Doug English and William Gay combining for 26.5.
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Sacks are the shiny stat, and an easy number to understand, but they’re not everything. Consistently pressuring the quarterback is just as, if not more valuable. And that’s truly where the Lions have lagged behind, ranking bottom five in the league in pressure rate each of the past three seasons.
All that to say a dominant addition would go a long way toward improving the entire defense, but finding that guy is no easy task.
Above-average edge rushers who make it to the market are costly. The Lions understand this well after agreeing to a five-year, $90 million contract with Flowers in 2019. With Miller and Jones on the wrong side of 30, no one is likely to see those figures this year, but the second-tier of Ogbah, Reddick and Landry could command in the ballpark of $15 million per season. That’s likely out of Detroit’s spending range given where the franchise is at in its rebuild.
What wouldn’t be surprising is seeing the Lions try to bring back Harris. Not only did he lead the team in sacks and pressures on a prove-it deal in 2021, he made a strong impression with his work ethic and coachability.
Given the disappointing production the previous four seasons, Harris is unlikely to break the bank. If the price tag hovers around $8 million per season, it would be worth keeping the marriage intact, with a plan to further bolster the depth chart with a premium piece via the draft.
More: Ranking the Lions’ impending unrestricted free agents
Defensive tackle
► Under contract: Michael Brockers, Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike, Jashon Cornell, John Penisini, Bruce Hector,
► Lions free agents: Nick Williams, Joel Heath
► Best available: Akiem Hicks, Calais Campbell, D.J. Jones, B.J. Hill, Folorunso Fatukasi
The Lions went all in on remaking the interior of its defensive line last season, trading for Brockers and selecting Onwuzurike and McNeill on the second day of the draft. But the early returns didn’t match the investment.
While there’s little doubt Brockers provided some valuable mentorship for his young teammates, the on-field production was a bust. Detroit was desperate for some interior pass rush, but after averaging more than 30 quarterback pressures the previous two seasons in Los Angeles, he affected the pocket just six times in his debut season with the Lions, including a single sack.
Similarly, Onwuzurike struggled to carry his ability to the next level, netting three pressures on nearly 200 pass-rush snaps. Of the three additions, only the 320-pound McNeill managed to regularly flash his potential.
With Williams’ deal expiring, and the Lions parting with the oft-injured Da’Shawn Hand late last season, there’s room for an addition, particularly someone who can collapse the pocket without sacrificing too much as a run-stopper.
The very top of the market offers a couple of aging veterans, stopgaps who carry inherent risk. Hicks has been exceptional when healthy, but the 32-year-old has missed 20 games the past three years. Campbell is even older. He’ll turn 36 before the start of the season, and while he’s still generating a healthy amount of pressure, the sack total has been in decline four straight seasons, bottoming out at 1.5 in 2021.
The next tier of talent is mostly run-stuffers, which doesn’t address Detroit’s primary deficiency. One name to watch is Sebastian Joseph-Day. Familiarity comes into play with this one, given general manager Brad Holmes was serving as the Rams college scouting director when the franchise drafted Joseph-Day in the sixth round in 2018. He’d wouldn’t be a solution per se, but more of a well-rounded complementary piece to the rotation.
Another reasonably priced option to watch is former first-rounder Sheldon Richardson. He’s a highly durable player who has never recorded fewer than 36 pressures during his career, while offering the versatility to play on the edges of the line.
Linebacker
► Under contract: Derrick Barnes, Josh Woods, Curtis Bolton, Tavante Beckett
► Lions free agents: Alex Anzalone, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Anthony Pittman (ERFA)
► Best available: Bobby Wagner, De’Vondre Campbell, Foyesade Oluokun, A.J. Johnson, Leighton Vander Esch, Josey Jewell
The Lions got a jump start of restocking the cupboards at linebacker, re-signing Woods last month. The special teams standout is more of a depth piece, but that’s still important given how little experienced talent the team has under contract.
Big picture, it really feels like the Lions are at a crossroads of the position, particularly after firing the assistant in charge of the group, Mark DeLeone, and shifting Kelvin Sheppard into the role.
Everything about the setup last season felt like a stopgap approach. Jamie Collins obviously didn’t last long, while Anzalone and Reeves-Maybin handled the bulk of the workload on one-year deals. Meanwhile, Barnes, the only clear long-term piece, battled through some developmental lumps and didn’t finish his debut season looking like he’s ready for a three-down role in 2022. Not that things are currently setting up for anything other than that.
The first order of business for the Lions is deciding whether to maintain some continuity by bringing back either Anzalone or Reeves-Maybin. Anzalone offered schematic familiarity and was producing well before a season-ending shoulder injury (a notable recurring issue), but he also had major issues with missed tackles.
Reeves-Maybin, on the other hand, was the more consistent player of the two, while offering premium special teams contributions, even though his time with those units was reduced as his defensive role grew.
If the Lions are looking to spend on upgrades, Campbell is a fascinating discussion. Long viewed as a strong, second-level tackler, he took his game to new heights during a one-year stint with the Packers in 2021, earning first-team All-Pro honors. He’s a bit older, turning 29 in July, but the signing would provide the secondary impact of hurting a division rival.
If that kind of move is too rich for Detroit’s blood, the Broncos have a trio intriguing options hitting the market and have already said they don’t anticipate having the resources to retain all three. From that group, Johnson and Jewell both finished last year with a torn pectoral muscle, which could keep their price tags affordable.
Defensive back
► Under contract: Jeff Okudah, Amani Oruwariye, Jerry Jacobs, Ifeatu Melifonwu, AJ Parker, Saivion Smith, Parnell Motley, Will Harris, Brady Breeze
► Lions free agents: Tracy Walker, Dean Marlowe, C.J. Moore, JuJu Hughes, Jalen Elliott (ERFA), Bobby Price (ERFA), Mark Gilbert (ERFA)
► Best available: J.C. Jackson, Carlton Davis, Stephon Gilmore, Darious Williams, Casey Hayward, Marcus Williams, Jessie Bates (franchised), Tyrann Mathieu, Quandre Diggs, Marcus Maye
While there’s plenty of uncertainty, in large part due to injuries, the Lions probably don’t need to invest much into the cornerback position via free agency.
Coming off the Achilles tear, Okudah needs to play as much as possible in 2022, not only for his development, but for the team to determine what they have in him post-injury. If he looks anything like the guy the Lions thought they were getting when they selected him No. 3 overall in the 2020 draft, it would make for a pretty strong starting pairing with Oruwariye, to go with promising young depth on the outside in Jacobs and Melifonwu.
The nickel role is a little more uncertain. Parker plays hard and is instinctive, but he had some struggles within the scheme last year and is hindered by his size. The Lions always could try the physical Jacobs on the inside or look to continue last year’s late-season experiment, having safety Will Harris stick in the slot.
There’s still room for a low-cost veteran corner, similar to what the Lions tried with Quinton Dunbar a year ago, but it would be a surprise for them to pursue a top-of-the-market option.
Now safety, that’s a different conversation.
Harris obviously remains in the fold, but no matter what the coaching staff tells you, he’s underwhelmed during his three-year career. Barring an unforeseen leap, he shouldn’t be starting.
Attempting to retain Walker makes all kinds of sense. He’s a solid performer who isn’t able to command top dollar because of his limited turnover production. Whether a deal gets done between the two sides or not, the team can also justify making a play at Williams, the top safety on the market.
Having spent his first four seasons working with Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in New Orleans, Williams is a plug-and-play fit in Detroit’s split-safety scheme. Plus, he’s a ballhawk, something the Lions have lacked at the position since Glover Quin’s retirement. In five seasons, the 25-year-old Williams has intercepted 15 passes and broken up 38.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers