For the second time in three offseasons, the Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns are going to make a trade involving a defensive tackle. Although Shaun Rogers, who was sent to Cleveland by the Lions two years ago, is on the trading block, he is not on his way back to Detroit. Instead, as Chris Mortensen reports, the Lions are going to make a deal to add defensive tackle Corey Williams to the team.
If Williams lands with the Lions for a low draft pick, as sources say, he is expected to return to the role he played with his original team, the Green Bay Packers, which allowed him to play a more aggressive style which is commonly called a three technique. The Packers designated him as a franchise player in 2008 but traded him to the Browns for a second-round draft pick.
Williams could also be part of a revamped defensive front-four for the Lions and would free them up to select Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh over Oklahoma's Gerald McCoy if both defensive tackles are available at No. 2. Suh is considered by many NFL evaluators to be more versatile along the defensive front. The Lions also have not ruled out trading down a few slots to collect an extra draft pick and still land another impact player, either on defense or the offensive line.
Williams is scheduled to take a physical on Friday to finalize the Browns and Lions trade.
I'm very interested in what Chris Mortensen's definition of a low draft pick is, but since the Lions don't have a seventh-rounder we can already rule that out. If I had to guess I would say it is one of the team's fifth-round selections, but it'd be great if it was the sixth-rounder instead.
I will have more on this trade and more on Williams once the deal becomes official, but my initial reaction is that this is a good move. Adding Williams will greatly help the team's depth at defensive tackle, and if Ndamukong Suh is drafted in April as Mortensen mentioned, suddenly the Lions would have a very solid defensive line. That would especially be true if the Lions manage to land Kyle Vanden Bosch, who will be pursued by the team, as Mortensen mentioned later in the same article.