Getty DeShon Elliott on the field for the Ravens in 2020.
The Detroit Lions made what many would deem as an unexpected addition on Wednesday, April 13, signing safety DeShon Elliott to a one-year contract.
Elliott had visited Detroit earlier in the day and elected to sign a deal with the team by the time that the sun set. That deal was quickly confirmed by the Lions the next morning. With the move, Detroit had officially added a player with some major thump to their secondary.
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After the news was revealed and made official, Elliott hopped on Twitter and made the news official himself with a pretty motivational tweet.
7era !! Letz Be Great @Lions !!!!
“7era!! Letz Be Great Lions!!!!,” Elliott tweeted.
The reference in the tweet for the number seven was in regards to the jersey Elliott is going to wear with the team. Previously, Elliott wore 32 in Baltimore, but it’s clear he thinks it is time for a change as he moves on in his career to the Lions.
In terms of message, though, Elliott is spot-on. It’s time for the Lions to be great, and great to see a player like Elliott taking that motivation into his next chapter right off the bat.
Elliott’s Career Stats & Highlights
In terms of his game, Elliott is a solid young player and when he has been healthy, he has packed a major punch on the field for Baltimore. After being a sixth-round pick of the Ravens in 2017, Elliott has put up 109 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 1 interception. He also has 7 passes defended and 2 forced fumbles to his credit when playing for Baltimore, sometimes in a starting role from 2020 to 2021.
Here’s a look at some of Elliott’s best work on the field:
Nicknamed “The Joker,” Elliott has become a fixture in the Ravens’ secondary when he has played and is a solid player who has youth on his side. If he can get the injury situation figured out and prove he is healthy, he could manage to become a potential free agent steal in this free agency class.
Why Elliott Represents Major Upgrade for Lions
This offseason, the Lions entered free agency with much fanfare. Many figured the team would elect to pursue a bigger name such as Marcus Williams of the New Orleans Saints. Recently, the team has been mentioned at having decent odds of signing Tyrann Mathieu. In spite of this, the Lions went smaller at the position, only electing to bring back incumbent free agent Tracy Walker. That was a solid move, but Walker could use some depth around him at the position as well as a potential running mate for 2022. Detroit’s secondary has some young pieces, and a player like Elliott gives them another intriguing piece to build around for the future.
Getting Elliott into the mix is interesting given he is a solid player with some solid tangibles and intangibles as a player. He was released this offseason in Baltimore, and the Ravens typically don’t give up on young, talented players. Elliott has suffered injuries in three of his first four seasons in the league, which could have led to Baltimore’s impatience with him as a player. In 2018, he broke his forearm. In 2019, a knee injury landed him on injured reserve. Late in November of 2021, a biceps and pectoral injury ended his season.
In spite of that, providing things have checked out health-wise, the Lions could get an intriguing player that has plenty of good football ahead of him and is very young. Elliott was anointed the Ravens’ starting safety in 2020 and played there through 2021. To that end, he may have the experience the Lions crave at the position.
It looks as if he is just as motivated to get going and be great in Detroit, which is great news for the team.