All Lions Mailbag: Chances Everybody Is Wrong about Jarrad Davis
With NFL free agency right around the corner, the Detroit Lions and general manager Brad Holmes have some work to do. Whether it be re-signing some of their own, cutting ties with current players or searching the open market, there will be plenty of changes made in the near future. Draft season never ends, either.
So, there are many questions regarding both topics. Let's get to it.
*questions edited for clarity
1.) Do you see the Lions taking Justin Fields, if available at pick No. 7, or is it more likely they trade back for more picks? -- @kylewhe78544816
Answer: I think if Fields is there, the Lions would have to strongly consider taking him. He would more than likely be the best value of any of the remaining players.
Fields has all the physical tools, and is a very accurate passer. However, he doesn’t come without some concerns.
To me, the offense he is in inflates his stats. He doesn’t have the quickest release, and can struggle under pressure. Those are flaws that could be coached up, although it'd be easier said than done.
Knowing that the rebuilding Lions will have Jared Goff’s contract on the books for at least two years, I’m in no rush to take a quarterback.
In a perfect world, I would want the Lions to build a team first, then draft a quarterback to maximize that rookie quarterback's contract.
There are plenty of teams who likely want to trade up and grab Fields, if he is still there at the Lions’ pick.
At this point, the Lions need to continue to add as much draft capital as possible. The return the Lions could get would likely be too good to pass up, in my opinion. That’s the route I would take at this time.
2.) Do you think cornerback is a priority with Desmond Trufant getting cut and potentially Justin Coleman? Do you think one will be chosen in the first three rounds? -- @jtalvesteffer
A: I’m all for the Lions drafting the best player available in the upcoming draft. Holmes can’t be picky with a team void of top-end talent.
Of all the positions, though, outside cornerback is likely the least of the Lions’ concerns. Having two young talents such as Amani Oruwariye and Jeff Okudah would give me pause for spending another high draft pick on a corner.
You can never have enough cover-men in the NFL, but I would like to see what the Lions' young corner duo can do in the new scheme before heavily investing another pick at the position. Maybe in the second or third round, if the value is there, the Lions could take another corner. I wouldn’t rule it out in the first round, either, if the Lions were to trade down.
Still, the only way I see it happening is if the corner available is head and shoulders above another position of need.
3.) Does absorbing Jared Goff’s contract really negate the value of a first-round pick? -- @grant_gibbo
A: When the trade first happened, I assumed that extra first-rounder was to take on Goff’s contract. After seeing the Carson Wentz trade and hearing what the Lions’ brass said regarding Goff, I don’t think that was the case.
Goff still has trade value if the Lions want to move on from him, and who knows what his value will be in a couple of years.
From a Lions standpoint, taking on Goff’s contract while rebuilding makes the “extra” first-round pick well worth it, in my opinion.
Mark J. Rebilas, USA TODAY Sports
4.) When a player’s deal gets restructured, does it almost feel like a guarantee that the individual will be on the roster next season? -- @FriedrichsJk
A: More often than not, a restructuring guarantees the player being on the roster, because it creates more dead cap down the road while lightening the load right now. In essence, it makes the player more difficult to cut or trade in the future.
For example, with Jamie Collins, he will almost assuredly be on the roster in 2021 and even likely in 2022. For the 2022 season, Collins will cost $13.9 million in cap space -- which is not cheap for an aging player. And, he will will carry $8.7 million of dead cap if the Lions wanted to move on from him. That’s not out of the question, if the Lions parted ways after the 2021 season.
In saying all of this, considering the unusual lowering of the cap in 2021 due to the COVD-19 pandemic, anything is possible.
The big restructuring question revolves around Goff, though.
As it stands right now, the Lions are only on the hook for two seasons of the remaining four years on Goff’s deal. If the Lions were to restructure Goff’s contract to create cap space this season, it adds more dead cap at a later date because of the proration of the bonus over the life of the contract.
A Goff restructure could indicate they are committed more long term, depending on how much is transferred into the guaranteed signing bonus.
5.) Do we believe Jarrad Davis is decent and that Matt Patricia just didn’t scheme for him/coach him better? He has the athleticism to be great. So, do we extend him? -- @joe_p3
A: Let me start off by saying that I don’t think Davis is a great linebacker. However, I don’t think Patricia’s defensive philosophy did him any favors, either.
Davis’ best attribute is his athleticism, and that strength was diminished in Patricia’s gap control scheme. Even before Patricia arrived, Davis had his fair share of struggles. Despite all that, Davis fits the profile of the type of players the Lions should be looking for in free agency -- a young talent who might just need a change of scenery to get the best out of him. Technically, Detroit isn’t a change of scenery for Davis, but the new defensive scheme would be.
Make no mistake, Davis has his flaws. Hence, the reason he would come cheap.
All in all, if used properly in a watered-down, run-and-chase attack role, Davis can be much more serviceable than he has been the past couple of years.
6.) Do you think Romeo Okwara will be retained? Who are defensive guys you could see drafted realistically? Any free agents? -- @archambeaum3
A: I think Okwara will hit the open market. I also think the Lions will try to bring him back.
Even with that, I would bet that someone will be willing to give Okwara more money than the Lions. If there are any players that may give the Lions a hometown discount, it could be Okwara, though. Romeo’s little brother Julian is already on the team and that could be some added motivation for Romeo to stick around.
I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable giving Romeo a big contract based solely on last year. With the Lions already paying Trey Flowers handsomely, it would be tough to have so much of the cap allocated to decent but not great pass-rushers.
Romeo is a nice player who had an impressive 2021 season. At the same time, he is not someone who puts fear into opposing offensive tackles or someone that opponents have to scheme around.
Unfortunately, the upcoming draft really doesn’t have a true No. 1 EDGE rusher. Maybe after pro day measurements, someone like Kwity Paye or even Azeez Ojulari could sneak into the top 10. I actually wouldn’t hate either where the Lions are selecting, due to need and positional value. It just seems like there are better -- or safer -- players on the board, relative to position.
As far as free agents, since I don’t think the Lions are going to be big spenders, there are plenty of middling talents who could be brought aboard.
If the Lions were to go after a pricier option, Trey Hendrickson could be a logical option with his familiarity with the Lions' new coaching staff. Yet, I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
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3 Free-Agent Cornerbacks Lions Could Consider
Mock Draft Roundup: Do Lions Abandon Needs on Defense?
Jamie Collins Restructures His Contract with Detroit Lions
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