For the earlier part of February, we'll be looking at some of the Lions free agents who's potential of coming back to Detroit seems up in the air right now. We'll be doing these as pros and cons pieces. So far we've covered Jonah Jackson and C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Today we cover Emmanuel Moseley.
Pros
Let's start this off by saying that I'm sure you didn't expect me to write this article. I didn't expect to write it either. I simply felt compelled to on Wednesday morning.
The reason I did is because it feels like Moseley is being written off as someone who's career is left for dead. It might very well be, but it feels like there's more to this story and that a possible redemption arc could be on it's way. If that's the case, that's one of the pros that you can get out of this.
The other one is that Moseley was a pretty solid corner before all of this happened. ACL injuries aren't a death knell anymore. There's a chance that he could return and be that same guy or at the very least, a guy that can help.
He was a phenomenal teammate through all of this. Despite the injury, Moseley didn't stray far from Detroit. He rehabbed in town in town and was part of the locker room and helped some of the youngers guys during the year. That's definitely a pro.
Speaking of rehab, there's a shot that Moseley could be ready by camp. He suffered the injury in October. That gives him about 10 months to be ready for August. He was back practicing after the last ACL injury after that same amount of time.
Cons
They're obvious. Two ACL injuries in a row is some real damage. Not just to the knees, but that's got to affect your mentals as well. Maybe it puts the player in a position where they fear doing some of the things they used to because they're worried about getting hurt again.
From a physical standpoint, two ACL injuries in a row is a lot to get over. One alone is a lot to get over. The big thing to worry about is overcompensation. That's what happened last time. You're much more likely to tear your other ACL than you are the one you just tore because your body is overcompensating.
If the Lions take the risk, how can they be assured that this won't happen again? If it doesn't happen again, can Moseley overcome this? I have no doubt that the will is strong, but will his body hold up? How much will this affect his play?
My Ruling
I'm going to go with what's probably a surprise here. I say bring him back. There's a number of ways the Lions can protect themselves here. It can be a short term deal with injury incentives included. They type of incentives that require staying healthy to get the max amount of the deal. If it works, you have a solid cornerback on the field. If it doesn't work, there's not much lost for trying.
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