Lions Lowdown

The Lions needed linebackers and it appears they will officially sign free agents Christian Jones and Devon Kennard when NFL free agency opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday.

Peter Schrager of FOX Sports reports the Lions have agreed to a three-year deal worth $18.75 millions with Kennard who was a fifth-round pick of the Giants in 2014. He started 11 games for the Giants in 2017 when he had 41 tackles, four sacks and two pass defenses. Kennard played in 52 games in the past four seasons.

Jones, who can play inside or outside, will sign a two-year deal with Detroit, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Jones missed just one game since 2014 when he signed as an undrafted free agent with the Bears. He started 11 games in 2017 and played special teams. He finished 2017 with 90 tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.

Linebacker was a huge position of need with three Lions linebackers set for free agency — Tahir Whitehead, Paul Worrilow and Nick Bellore.

Also:

— Cornerback DeShawn Shead is visiting the Lions today (Tuesday) according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport. He will visit the 49ers on Wednesday. He has spent the last six seasons with the Seahawks. After playing in 47 games in three seasons (2014-16) he played in just two in 2017 after a long recovery from ACL surgery.

— Haloti Ngata appears headed to the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, according to Schefter. Ngata, 34, spent the last three seasons in Detroit. He played in just five games in 2017 due to injury.

— Veteran running backs Jonathan Stewart and DeMarco Murray visited the Lions this week according to multiple reports. Neither one would likely be the savior of the Lions running game which was the worst in the NFL in 2017 with an average of 76.3 yards per game. However, they could provide help. Expect the Lions to draft a running back in the early rounds. They are not going anywhere in 2018 without a vastly improved running game.

— The Lions announced on Tuesday morning that they re-signed safety Tavon Wilson. Rapoport reported it’s two years for $7 million. He had nine starts in 2017. With the new regime the former Patriot obviously figures into the plan.

With free agency “officially” starting on Wednesday at 4 p.m., it could get interesting for the Detroit Lions.

Same general manager in Bob Quinn, but a mostly new coaching staff with new head guy Matt Patricia.

Already some fan angst appeared when the Lions announced Tuesday morning they’ve re-signed safety Tavon Wilson. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported it’s two years for $7 million. Not exactly breaking the bank.

Already fans on my Twitter feed not happy. They want “some new faces” on defense not the same old, same old. They want Miles Killebrew to have a chance to develop.

Well, guess what? With free agency and the six draft picks, there will be new faces on defense.

Photo courtesy of Detroit Lions

Keep an open mind when it comes to defense under Patricia and new coordinator Paul Pasqualoni. While some pieces are in place, expect competition at others.

Wilson is a good signing. He started nine games in 2017. Late in the season Quandre Diggs was moved from nickel to safety. Patricia is familiar with him because Wilson was originally drafted by the Patriots. But that is not the reason, Patricia wants him on the roster. He wants Wilson because he thinks he can contribute to the defense.

Killebrew will most likely get a chance to prove himself after a season that started hot last year but didn’t end that way for Killebrew.

Who will start at safety this year? Maybe Wilson, maybe Diggs, maybe someone else not on the roster yet. Killebrew a long-shot. Wilson certainly capable to start but if not provides depth and the wisest NFL people will say that you can never have too many defensive backs. They get hurt.
Don’t get me started on the 4-3 or 3-4 front debate.

Hopefully Patricia quashed all of that talk, when he told reporters at the NFL Drafting Combine that defensive fronts are 90 percent sub packages. Patricia called the 3-4/4-3 issue “irrelevant.”

OK, let’s move on.

 

In a move that was expected, the Detroit Lions announced Tuesday that they have designated defensive end Ziggy Ansah as their franchise player.

Ansah finished 2017 with a dozen sacks  44 total tackles (39 solo), one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Six of those sacks occurred in the final two games. It was an improvement from the 2016 season when he had two sacks but not quite enough to match his best year when he had 14.5 sacks in 2015.

His 44 career sacks rank fifth all-time in Lions history.

Ansah, 28, was the Lions first-round draft pick (fifth overall) in 2013. It was seen as a risky pick. Ansah’s size and athleticism fit a first-round profile, but he didn’t play football until in college at Brigham Young. He was raw but proved to be a quick learner.

He will be paid $17.5 million for 2018 once he signs his tender, according to Ian Rapoport, NFL Network Insider. Ansah’s agent and the Lions have until July 16 to work out a longer deal.

Ansah’s career totals also include 73 games (71 starts), 207 total tackles (155 solo), 10 forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries.