The 5 Best Moves The Detroit Lions Made During The Offseason
By Dan Jenkins
@DanTJenkins
The Detroit Lions are coming off an 11-5 season and an early playoff exit at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys (and perhaps the referees). The team did, however, make some moves during the summer to make sure the squad stays competitive in the NFC North Division.
The Lions' front office made many moves, but here's the ones that helped the team get better the most:
5. Signed DT Tyrunn Walker to a one-year, $1.75 million contract
The Lions signed Tyrunn Walker -- previously with the New Orleans Saints -- to help cushion the blow of losing both Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley from the defensive line.
Walker, 25, played in all 16 games for the Saints in 2014, primarily as a backup. The 6-foot-3, 294-pound defensive tackle out of the University of Tulsa recorded 2.5 sacks and 19 combined tackles last season.
Walker has started all three of the Lions' preseason games so far, totaling four tackles and one forced fumble. He is a cheap option who will most likely rotate into the Lions' defensive line and get a handful of starts.
4. Acquired DT Haloti Ngata from the Baltimore Ravens for draft picks
Acquiring Haloti Ngata from the Baltimore Ravens was Martin Mayhew's response to Suh leaving for the Miami Dolphins. Ngata and Walker have a combined cap hit in 2015 of $10.25 million, where Suh and Fairley's cap hit stands at $10.85 million.
Before you freak out, keep in mind that Suh's cap hit will jump to $28 million in 2016, when he turns 29-years-old.
The nine-year veteran spent his entire career in Baltimore before being traded in March. The 6-foot-4, 340-pound defensive tackle had two sacks and two interceptions in 12 games in 2014. The five-time Pro Bowler won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2013 and ranked 45th on the list of Top 100 Players in the NFL in 2014.
One concerning matter is Ngata's age and health -- he has yet to play a down in the preseason due to a hamstring injury. The strength of Detroit's defense in 2015 depends greatly on Ngata's health.
3. Re-signed K Matt Prater to a three-year, $9 million contract
The Lions' kicking game got off to a dismal start in 2014 -- Nate Freese and Alex Henery combined to make just 4-of-12 field goal attempts during the first five games of the season.
The Lions then signed Matt Prater as a free agent before a road game against the Minnesota Vikings, after Prater served a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy. Prater turned his luck around quickly in the Motor City.
Prater would go on to make 21-of-26 field goal attempts with the Lions, including a 48-yard game-winner to cap a 21-point comeback against the Atlanta Falcons in London.
2. Drafted RB Ameer Abdullah in the second round
Since 2001, the Lions have had only three players rush for 1,000 yards or more in a season -- James Stewart in 2002, Kevin Jones in 2004 and Reggie Bush in 2013.
Ameer Abdullah rushed for more than 1,100 yards three times while at Nebraska, cracking 1,600 yards in both his junior and senior years. It would be hard to imagine Abdullah stepping into the NFL as a rookie and rushing for 1,000 yards, but what he will do is bring stability to the Lions running game.
Paired with Joique Bell, the Lions will have a "Smash and Dash" combination that was envisioned while Reggie Bush was in Detroit.
Abdullah will also be relied on to catch the ball out of the backfield. He caught 20+ passed in each of his last three seasons at Nebraska for just under 700 yards.
1. Did NOT sign DT Ndamukong Suh to a six-year, $114 million contract
The Max Scherzer principle comes into play with this situation -- you don't overpay a player in the twilight of his prime to squeeze out two or three more good seasons.
Suh's contract will pay him the fifth-largest amount of guaranteed money of any contract in the NFL. Let's keep in mind that Suh is a defensive tackle -- not a quarterback, not a superstar wide receiver, not even the best defensive player in the league (ahem, J.J. Watt).
Suh is a great player -- a run-stopper and a disruptor on defense who commands a double-team -- but he's not a $114 million player. The Lions were smart to let him walk and replace him with affordable, serviceable players on the defensive line.
That money will be better off spent on a playmaker out on the end, like Ziggy Ansah...
What do you think? How would you re-order this list? Let us know by voting in the poll below.
