The Detroit Lions’ first week of free agency is in the books, and if there’s anything to take away from the NFL’s furious first few days of the new league year, it’s that the Lions are going to watch. very unlike last year. They may not be better. They may not be worse. But they are definitely going to be different.
Many players’ roles will completely change or evaporate in Detroit. Some have apparently benefited from Detroit’s moves, while others may be in trouble.
So here are four winners and two losers from the first week of the Lions Free Agency.
Winner: Kenny Golladay
Despite a degradable wide receiver market, Kenny paid Golladay. Despite a lot of laughter and rolling their eyes when a report appeared that Golladay wanted $ 18.5 million a year, he almost achieved it. Despite missing 11 games last year and having a slight clash with the Lions’ previous coaching staff, Golladay passed the New York Giants. strict interviews.
Eventually, Kenny Golladay proved the doubters wrong and got him a fat contract, probably his last chance before hitting 30. Good for him.
Winner: Logan Stenberg
The Lions’ release of Joe Dahl was a bit surprising. Combined with the admission of Oday Aboushi to the Chargers, the Lions will now miss their starter and their primary backup offline.
While Detroit is likely to add an offensive line depth in the near future, Stenberg, a fourth round of 2020, is a way open to step into the series and possibly start. Although Stenberg did not play a single offensive lightning last year, his style of play may very well match the hard football that head coach Dan Campbell is looking for.
Loser: Jared Goff
Take away the fact that Goff was sent away from a successful Los Angeles Rams team and ended up in a complete rebuild with one (whether he wants to admit it or not). Even if it was beyond comparison, it was not a good week for Goff.
First, the Lions failed to commit to Goff as their long-term full-back, merely saying he was expected to be the starter in 2021, but he conceded that if the right value was there, the quarterback would still on the table are with their first round pick.
And if it’s a one- or two-year audition for Goff, the Lions have not exactly set him up to succeed. While he has a decent offensive line and the running crew looks good, Detroit’s Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr. and Jamal Agnew walks. They just added Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman, and neither of them are planning to be a No. 1 receiver, and both pose significant risks. Of course, the Lions are probably not done with adding wide receivers during the off-season, but for now, Goff is not exactly looking at an arsenal of weapons.
That said, Goff did one big win over the weekend:
Winner: Nick Williams
Many – myself included – consider Nick Williams one of the easiest decisions for the Lions. With an inflated cap of $ 5.7 million in 2021 and only $ 1 million in potential stalemate, Williams, who raced a bit last year, had a problem.
But the Lions chose to cut Danny Shelton, and while it’s never a wise decision to read too much into vague social media posts, it seems the Lions may have given Williams the assurance that he’s at the team will remain:
Let’s see what these kneecaps taste like this year
– Nicholas Williams (@ NickWilliams_98) 16 March 2021
The Lions can appreciate his passion-chasing skills and believe they can draw more from him than the previous coaching staff.
Winner: The Okwaras
Romeo Okwara probably did not go anywhere else in Detroit, but he did exceptionally well for himself in the three-year, $ 39 million he closed with the Lions just before the free agency actually started. With the way the contract was drafted, he essentially guaranteed that he would be on the list for the next two years – probably for all three of his extensions.
But the real benefit here is not monetary. Romeo made it very clear how important it was to stay with his newly formed brother Julian in Detroit. Being able to play with your brother – and live with him – is invaluable, and it will probably be beneficial. Anyone who has had a brother or sister knows how much they can motivate, and a young player like Julian will no doubt benefit from the mentorship of someone like Romeo.
Loser: Kerryon Johnson
A few weeks ago, I raised the issue that Kerryon Johnson could possibly pursue the RB2 role after showing himself as a good fit last year. When Duce Staley told us how impressed he was with Johnson as a full back, it looked like Detroit was heading in that direction.
With the signing of Jamaal Williams, however, it is clear that Johnson will once again take a back seat in the backup. I do not take the Lions blame for the move because Johnson’s injury history and important knee problem make it difficult to rely on an important role. For Johnson, however, it could turn out to be another rough season of little and means many blocking assignments. This is definitely not what he expected when he was drafted in the second round three years ago.