Lions could go defense-heavy in free agency
Free agency begins on March 15 at 4 p.m. ET.
Positional needs: CB, DT, TE, DE, LB
The Lions have $14 million in cap space next season, however, with a little roster trimming (Michael Brockers, $10 million; Halapoulivaati Vaitai $6.5 million; Charles Harris $4 million) they could close in on $35 million in available funds.
Although Detroit hit on a few defensive draft picks last year—Aidan Hutchinson, Kerby Joseph, Malcolm Rodriguez, Justin Houston—the unit still needs some addressing after finishing last in the NFL in yards allowed per game (392.4) and 28th in scoring defense (25.1 points per game).
Cornerback is presumably at the top of the list. Despite allowing just two touchdowns and a completion percentage of 61.5, Jeff Okudah still has his doubters. And while Amani Oruwariye, Mike Hughes and Will Harris all had solid seasons, Detroit clearly needs a game-changing CB capable of covering Justin Jefferson, Christian Watson, or Darnell Mooney.
The Lions' front seven could also use some beefing up as they gave up the fourth-most rush yards per game (146.5) and had 69 missed tackles in run defense this year.
Patrick Peterson, CB, Minnesota Vikings
Peterson, who played the fourth-most coverage snaps in the NFL 741), had the 11th-best coverage grade of any cornerback this season, per Pro Football Focus. He proved he still has plenty left in the tank, allowing a completion percentage of 60 while surrendering just five touchdowns on 80 targets. Peterson also had 12 forced incompletions and nine pass breakups, and quarterbacks had a passer rating of 77.3 when targeting him.
With a projected market value of $6.4 million per year according to Spotrac, and uncertainty still surrounding Jeff Okudah as the team’s No. 1 cornerback, Peterson makes a ton of sense as a veteran shutdown CB to help mentor a young Detroit secondary.
Da’Ron Payne, DT, Washington Commanders
This would certainly be a swing-for-the-fences free-agent splash. Following a breakout season in which he totaled 11.5 sacks, 49 QB pressures, 27 QB hurries and 20 QB hits, Payne is sure to cash in with a projected market value north of $19 million per year.
Detroit only had four sacks this year from defensive tackles, and only two players — Aidan Hutchinson and John Cominsky — had 30 or more pressures last year.
Payne could help add a sacking threat in the middle of its defensive line and be a big-bodied gap filler in run defense (he had 33 tackles in run defense in 2022).
Azeez Al-Shaair, LB, San Francisco 49ers
Limited to just nine starts in 12 games this year, Al-Shaair had a disappointing 2022 with just 44 tackles and a fumble recovery. However, he’s just one year removed from a breakout 102-tackle season in which he registered nine tackles for loss, two sacks, two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble and an interception.
Al-Shaair proved in 2021 when Dre Greenlaw went down with an injury that he was capable of shouldering the responsibility of a starting linebacker. The 25-year-old made just $3.96 million in 2022 and considering he’s coming off an injury-plagued year, his asking price shouldn’t be much higher than that. A proven 100-tackle linebacker for around $4 million per year would be a home run for the Lions' defense.
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