Five undrafted players that might join Terrell Williams in the Detroit Lions
These free agents may follow Terrell Williams, who is expected to take over as defensive line coach of the Detroit Lions from Tennessee.
The Detroit Lions will retain both of their coordinators for another season, even though both Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson have drawn a lot of attention to becoming head coaches. Although it hasn’t been officially stated yet, Terrell Williams will take over as the defensive line coach for the Lions.
Williams oversaw one of the teams competing in the Senior Bowl last week. That explains why there was a delay in making an official announcement about his arrival to the Lions staff, as he was preoccupied with other matters at the time of the news.
Williams has coached the defensive line for the Tennessee Titans for the previous six seasons; this past season, he was promoted to assistant head coach. In the previous preseason, he also led the Titans in a pregame. Since 2012, he has been employed by the NFL, first with the Miami Dolphins from 2015 to 2017 and the Oakland Raiders from 2012 to 2014, before joining the Titans. In his first year in Miami, he worked alongside Dan Campbell, the head coach of the Lions.
Williams strikes me as the kind of coach that athletes want to work for, and over his tenure in Tennessee, he undoubtedly left an imprint on many men.
With an extra nod to the culture Campbell has created, some of the players who are scheduled to become free agents might wish to follow him to Detroit.
These five pending free agents have the potential to join Williams after he leaves the Titans for the Lions.
Five undrafted players that might join Terrell Williams in the Detroit Lions
A former All-Pro cornerback expected to sign a huge free agent contract with the Detroit Lions
A former All-Pro cornerback expected to sign a huge free agent contract with the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes got to work remodeling a secondary that required upgrading during the previous offseason.
Within the first week of free agency, Cameron Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson were signed. In the second round of the draft, Brian Branch was selected.
Moseley experienced some setbacks in recovering from an ACL tear, and two snaps into his Lions debut, he tore another ACL. In Week 2, Gardner-Johnson sustained a torn pectoral muscle.
In his debut season as a lion, Sutton did not make much of an impression, and he was a complete liability much too frequently.
When it comes right down to it, Sutton isn’t the best cornerback. Holmes needs to make finding someone who is a priority this offseason. Furthermore, with 58.6 million, the sixth-most cap space in the league at the moment (per Over The Cap), money won’t be a barrier to pursuing one in free agency.
The Lions are expected to make a significant move in free agency to acquire a top cornerback.
According to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin, 2024 free agents from playoff teams that were eliminated before the Super Bowl will land in these positions.
Naturally, he has the Lions acquiring Stephan Gilmore, the highly sought-after No. 1 cornerback.
The veteran cover player made a comeback to the Pro Bowl in 2023, but Dallas would want to use top bucks in other areas now that he has Deron Bland and Trenton Diggs in tow. Detroit, meanwhile, is in dire need right now and has money to spend.Team projected: Lions.
Gilmore, who joined the Cowboys in the summer after being acquired from the Indianapolis Colts, finished the season with 68 total tackles, two interceptions, and 13 pass breakups. On 95 targets, he gave up an 82.7 passer rating and a 55.8% completion percentage. He was ranked No. 31 among eligible cornerbacks by Pro Football Focus.
After being moved by the Colts to the Cowboys during the most recent offseason and going from the Patriots to the Panthers in 2021, Gilmore has been a well-traveled player in recent years. In 2024, he will be joining his fifth squad in as many seasons.
In Dallas’ regular-season finale, Gilmore dislocated his right shoulder. However, he has already undergone surgery; thus, this should not affect his availability for the start of the following season in the slightest.
Gilmore’s age is one of his main issues. As of September 19, he will be 34 years old. He is currently 33 years old. However, he remains superior to all the cornerbacks the Lions currently have, and should the price be right, they should be keeping an eye on him as he approaches free agency.
Given that Gilmore is unlikely to sign a large multi-year contract this summer, Spotrac now projects a one-year, $11.1 million deal for him.
That is undoubtedly within the Lions’ comfort zone and allows for the addition of a second cornerback in the draft as a long-term solution.
A look at the 2024 free agents for the Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions will enter their offseason in March, coinciding with free agency. Last Monday, the team added 12 players on reserve or future contracts to begin the offseason. Let’s now examine the Lions’ 2024 free agents, arranged according to their designations: UFA (Unrestricted Free Agent), RFA (Restricted Free Agent), and ERFA (Exclusive Rights Free Agent).
Let’s start with an explanation of those titles.
Unrestricted free agents (UFAs) are athletes whose contracts have ended after four or more seasons of service. He is free to sign with any team, as he is unrestricted.
RFA: In other sports, a restricted free agent is exactly what it sounds like. After a player accrues three seasons, their original team may make a tender offer, and that team may then match an offer sheet from a different team.
The draft pick compensation for not matching an offer sheet is determined by the tender level (first round, second round, or original round). A tender for a right of first refusal is not subject to draft pick compensation.
A player with fewer than three accrued seasons with an expired contract is an exclusive rights free agent, or ERFA. The athlete is not allowed to negotiate with other teams if his original team gives him a one-year deal at the league minimum (based on his credited seasons).
