The two-week window for NFL teams to use their transition or franchise tags began on Tuesday, February 20. The tags allow teams to keep a pending free agent from hitting the open market. Not since 2012 have the Detroit Lions exercised this privilege when they tagged defensive end Cliff Avril. However, they may just decide to use it this year on another DE: Ziggy Ansah.
An up and down season
Ansah had a strange season in which, while he impressed, was not very good at the same time. While he disappeared for stretches due to injury, he still managed to record 12 sacks, however. Just seven players in the entire NFL recorded more sacks, and their names are among the best defensive linemen in the league: Joey Bosa, Ryan Kerrigan, Cam Jordan, Everson Griffen, DeMarcus Lawrence, Calais Campbell, and Chandler Jones. Many of Ansah’s sacks came in spurts and when playing against second-string linemen. He had three games with three sacks but also three with one or no tackles. He missed the last two games of the season with a back injury.
Making a difference
Just how much difference the player can make to the team’s chances of making the playoffs and beyond next season depends largely on what the Lions do this offseason. After going 9-7 and finishing second in the NFC North, the team has the no.20 pick in this April’s draft. The latest mock from Bleacher Report sees them taking LB Tremaine Edmunds, more of a run stuffer than a pass rusher like Ansah. They’re going to need to add talent from free agency, too, as the Lions are currently at 41.00 to win Super Bowl L111 with Mad Bookie through Champion Bets. The odds could be considered attractive by Lions fans whose team only just missed the playoffs, and especially when you throw in the $200 matched bonus for new account holders. The Lions will have to keep their best players, however, such as Ansah, to have any chance of qualifying for the postseason and for fans to get a nice little reward on the side.
To franchise or not to franchise?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIqC9K4kfG8
Ansah has in the past demonstrated an ability to be considered among the NFL’s best pass rushers. He recorded 14.5 sacks in 2015 before he had a lackluster year in 2016, due to a high ankle sprain. His injury background is a significant concern for the Lions, but then there’s no question that their defense is better when he’s playing. The last time the team let a top pass rusher leave, it didn’t work out well for them (Ndamukong Suh in 2015). It might just be in the Lions’ interest to franchise the player. When healthy, Ansah’s a very good football player and good pass rushers don’t grow on trees. There’s certainly a lack of pass rushing talent on the Lions’ roster right now and there’s no guarantee that they’d get their hands on a stud defensive lineman in the draft. As he’ll be 29 years old this season and with his injury history, it doesn’t make much sense to sign him to a long-term deal that could eat up a large chunk of the cap.
