What Contract Should Lions Offer Alex Anzalone?
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Since Dan Campbell took over as head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2021, there have been very few players that he has relied upon more for their leadership than linebacker Alex Anzalone.
Anzalone, a captain each of the past two seasons in the Motor City, first joined the Lions as a free-agent signing two offseasons ago. He inked a one-year deal with the Lions in March of 2021, after spending the first four years of his NFL career with the team that drafted him in 2017: the New Orleans Saints.
While in New Orleans, Anzalone first became acquainted with Campbell and present Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who were both assistants at the time under then-Saints head coach Sean Payton.
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It made the former Florida Gators linebacker a natural fit to join the Lions in Campbell's first season as a full-time NFL head coach.
During the '21 campaign, Anzalone embodied everything that Campbell was looking for. The 6-foot-3, 237-pounder played with the definition of a high motor, and displayed a knack for always ending up around the football. It was enough to warrant a second contract with Detroit, and Lions general manager Brad Holmes re-upped with the veteran linebacker on a one-year, $2.5 million deal last offseason.
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This past season, Anzalone didn't disappoint, putting together a career-best campaign while serving as the leader of a young linebackers room that featured rookie Malcolm Rodriguez and second-year pro Derrick Barnes.
The 28-year-old proceeded to suit up for and start in all 17 games, while amassing a career-high 125 total tackles, seven tackles for loss and seven quarterback hits. He also produced one-and-a-half sacks, his first ever fumble recovery, six passes defensed and an interception.
"He’s playing at a high level. He’s the quarterback of our defense. He’s versatile. He’s a really good athlete. He’s smart,” Campbell said of Anzalone, after the Lions' 20-17 victory against the N.Y. Jets in Week 15. “He knows exactly what (Aaron Glenn) is looking for. He knows the situations that come up. He gets everything in order. He’s another guy (who) is a big locker room guy. The guys love him, and they know he’d do anything for them. He’s playing at a high level, and (we're) glad we got him.”
I believe that the Campbell favorite is bound to receive a third contract from Holmes & Co. this offseason.
Using Over The Cap's "valuation" metric, you'll find that Anzalone far exceeded the value of his contract with his production on the field this past season.
According to Over The Cap, the above metric is "calculated using proprietary formulas to more accurately depict the value being provided by a player based on his on-field performance, relative to the current market for his position."
With that said, Over The Cap says he was worth approximately $10,707,000 for his performance in 2022.
I don't think Anzalone will get quite that from the Lions or another franchise on the open market. However, I do think he is going to cash in this offseason.
At this present juncture, I'm going to project that he re-signs with Detroit for two years, and gets $5.5 million per season as part of the deal. I think it'd be a fair deal for one of the leaders of the Lions' defense.
