4 Qs with Acme Packing Company: Mike Daniels will ‘absolutely feast’ as a rotational player

The Lions made a big splash out of nowhere on Friday when they signed Pro Bowl defensive tackle and former Green Bay Packer Mike Daniels to a one-year contract.

This is a move that will continue to endear Lions fans to general manager Bob Quinn and makes the Lions defensive line—once a major weakness—one that could be one if the most feared defensive front in the league.

So with this, we find another opportunity to learn a little more about a new player from the guys that used to cover them. But more importantly, I get to rass my evil twin from Green Bay, Matt Matonich of Acme Packing Company.

I sent over four questions to him and this was his initial response.

1. I dunno.

2. Everything

3. Nothing

4. A DUMB ONE BECAUSE YOU’RE DUMB THIS WHOLE SPORT IS DUMB BAHHHH

After I promised him I’ll be his friend till the end, he gave me the real answers. Here’s what he had to say.

Q: Why did the Packers let Daniels go?

A: “There are a veritable cavalcade of reasons why Daniels was let go, but it honestly doesn’t make any sense. The Packers just extended sneaky-good lineman Dean Lowry for what most fans think is an obscene amount of money. Daniels was entering the last year of his contract and the team has a history of not giving players a third contract. Mike is also on the wrong side of 30 and coming off of a injury-shortened season. Add in the fact that the team mostly saw him as a rotational third down kind of player and that he was due about a $10mil cap hit. All that sort of turns into a decent set of reasons to cutting him but I STILL. DON’T. LIKE. IT.”

Q: What are his strengths?

A: “Mike is the kind of player that the term “high motor” was invented for. There’s no quit in him. His “small” stature at 6-foot-0 is something that he, himself, will tell you is actually an advantage. He gets lower on o-linemen than just about any interior defender I’ve ever witnessed. Even so, he’s got the mass to keep from being blown out in the run game and the quickness to get shifty on a pass rushing down. His locker room presence also can’t be overstated. I’d check out the film breakdown he did with Brian Baldinger about how he made a touchdown saving tackle vs. the Falcons.

His game against the Seahawks in 2017 is also a masterpiece of defensive line play. Watch the whole thing. It’s bananas.”

Q: What are his weaknesses?

A: “As I already stated: he’s over 30, he’s coming off an injury, and he’s “a little small”. His stature can make him a hindrance against longer offensive linemen. In the Falcons breakdown I mentioned before, the guard gets a reach block on him and he has to recover. He doesn’t always recover.”

Q: What kind of impact can we expect from Mike in Detroit?

A: “I think he’ll be a great addition to your already stout line. As a rotational player, he’d absolutely feast. If he has to be a 3-down player, he can still be a big help. What most people are also glossing over is how great the Lions social media team is. Every time a microphone is put in front of him, Mike creates must-see TV. Having him around a team that’s embraced social media just means we’re going to get WAY more Mike Daniels in our lives. That’s at least something I can fondly look forward to.”