The Detroit Lions had some trouble rushing the passer for much of the 2023 season until they strongly improved in the area in last few weeks and the playoffs. The team is expected to look for more help in free agency and the draft, but they also just found some help from another place. The Canadian Football League.
The Lions will sign CFL Defensive Player of the Year Mathieu Betts from the B.C. Lions to futures/reserve deal. Betts will have a very good shot to make the Lions 53-man roster at camp in August and then have some playing time in 2024. Betts is from Montreal, Quebec and attended Laval University there.
Betts is from Montreal, Quebec and attended Laval University there. He's a three time recipient of the J.P. Metras Trophy that's given tot he best defensive lineman in the country every year. He's also won the Lois and Doug Mitchell award for college athlete of the year.
The Chicago Bears took note and signed him as an undrafted free agent. He was cut at the end of camp and joined the Edmonton Eskimo's in the CFL that season.
He struggle a bit in his first couple years, but once he joined the B.C. Lions in 2022, he exploded. He had seven sacks in 2022 and then 18 in 2023. That 18 sacks earned him the CFL Defensive Player of the Year award and his first All-Star appearance.
We'll see in August how Betts does, but his size and speed should certainly help him out. This a very solid move by the Lions.
Update: Betts is signing a standard free agent deal and not a futures deal.
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