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After a quiet Monday, it was a whirlwind of a Tuesday for the NFL and specifically the Detroit Lions. The free agency period will begin at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, but so much has already happened. Here’s a quick recap for the Lions.
Lions free agents re-signed:
- DE Ezekiel Ansah (franchise tag still unsigned)
- DE Kerry Hyder
- CB Nevin Lawson
- S Tavon Wilson
- LS Don Muhlbach
Lions free agents lost:
- Haloit Ngata (likely)
Free agent deals agreed to:
- LB Devon Kennard (3-year, $18.75 million)
- LB Christian Jones (2-year, $7.75 million)
Free agents missed out on:
- CB Richard Sherman (3-year, $39 million with 49ers)
- CB Malcolm Butler (5-year, $61 million to Titans)
- TE Trey Burton (4-year, $32 million to Bears)
- RB Jonathan Stewart (Giants)
So taking all of that into mind so far, today’s Question of the Day is:
What grade do you give the Lions for their moves during the legal tampering period?
My answer: I’d give it a C.
I’m very optimistic on both linebackers that have agreed to terms with the Lions. Kennard has the opportunity to be an excellent, versatile weapon for a Matt Patricia-led defense. Christian Jones strikes me as depth and special teams value that is better than Paul Worrilow. Though Kennard’s deal is a little pricey, if he can be a full-time starter, that could end up being a bit of a bargain. It’s admittedly a small risk, but getting the most out of linebackers has literally been Patricia’s job for a decade, and he’s good at it.
However, the cornerback situation was a little disheartening. I personally didn’t want the Lions to pay big money for Richard Sherman nor Malcolm Butler, but if the reports are true, the Lions were very serious about acquiring both corners. I think they made the right choice by not overpaying for either, but it’s just a shame they couldn’t get one or the other on a more team-friendly deal.
And the Lions quickly scrambled back to Nevin Lawson, who I am not exactly excited to see return in 2018, especially on a two-year, $9.2 million deal (with $1 million incentives).
So, overall, I don’t really have a strong feeling one way or the other with how Bob Quinn has done through two days of legal negotiations. There aren’t a lot of agreed-upon deals that I wish the Lions had pulled the trigger on, so I admire his patience. That being said, there hasn’t been much (yet) that has inspired a ton of confidence.
Your turn.
Poll
What grade would you give the Lions for their legal tampering performance?
This poll is closed
-
2%
A
-
35%
B
-
33%
C
-
23%
D
-
4%
F
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