Getty Nick Williams celebrates a sack against the Lions.
The Detroit Lions have continued to try and remake their defense, and have agreed to a deal with a player who could give them a good chance at doing just that.
Late Monday night, the Lions reportedly reached an agreement with Nick Williams, a defensive lineman formally of the Chicago Bears. The Williams news was first reported by NFL insider Adam Caplan. According to Caplan, the Lions are also giving Williams $10 million dollars for 2 seasons to join the team.
Detroit needed help up front, and adding a player with some versatility to the mix like Williams will certainly help matters. He can press the pocket and work the line, and obviously, the Lions have scouted him a ton, so they know what they will be getting.
Nick Williams Statistics
Williams has bounced around the NFL a bit. He started his career as a seventh round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2013, and by 2014, had joined the Kansas City Chiefs. After spending a few seasons there, Williams departed for the Miami Dolphins, and spent a season there before signing with the Chicago Bears in 2018. While with Chicago, Williams
Known for his ability to be a pass rush disruptor, Williams might not offer the Lions much against the run, but he can get after the pocket as his 6 sacks in 2019 prove. After putting up minuscule stats everywhere else, Williams came into his own with the Bears last season, setting career highs in every category. The hope is with more starting time, the 30 year old can continue to play a big role and come into his own in the league with Detroit.
Next season, the expectation would be for Williams to play a bigger role in Detroit and build upon his solid stats from 2019.
Lions Biggest 2020 Free Agency Need is Defense
In order to get back into the playoffs and turn themselves around, the Lions are going to need an infusion of talent, especially on defense. Detroit did not pressure the quarterback meaningfully in 2019, and struggled stopping the pass as well, something that has been painfully obvious for weeks and that is a glaring problem given what the team has done in the last few offseason periods. Part of the problem has been injury, but beyond Trey Flowers and Da’Shawn Hand, the Lions simply don’t have any young building blocks they can count on right now. The team has to find some form of consistency in the trenches, and that is why it’s a major need for them moving forward.
In free agency, the Lions will undoubtably have to look at the defensive line and the backfield for potential upgrades, with another eye at linebacker. Having some extra money could help the team make some key additions there, and patch some of their other depth holes on the offensive side.
Williams coming to the Motor City at least fills a major need for a pass rusher and a gritty player on defense. The trenches need a complete renovation, and this is at the very least a good start.
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