The Detroit Lions raised more than a few eyebrows yesterday when they inked former Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai to a massive five year, $50 million contract.
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The move comes as a bit of a surprise to many, considering that Halapoulivaati is now the fifth highest paid tackle in the NFL despite never having been a full time starter.
Let’s take a look at what some beat writers who have covered Halapoulivaati’s career so far have had to say about his decision to come to the Motor City:
Mike Kaye of NJ.com:
“First off, let me say that Big V can be a starter in the NFL. He is significantly more comfortable on the right side of the line than he is on the left, despite his success during the Super Bowl LII season.
That said, we’ve never really seen him be a full-time starter and so there is concern that the Eagles’ overall unit may have helped him keep his balance as a performer. Most didn’t consider him a potential starter until this season when he filled in very well for Lane Johnson down the stretch at right tackle.
He is a solid run blocker and can get out in space well for his size. His issue comes against power rushers who tend to bulldoze him at times.”
Turron Davenport, former managing editor of Eagles Wire:
“Vaitai entered the NFL and was thrown into the fire filling in for Lane Johnson as he served his suspension [in 2016]. Things got off to a rough start as Ryan Kerrigan posted two sacks for the Redskins in Vaitai’s first game.
Vaitai eventually settled in and became a top swing man for the Eagles. He filled in at left tackle for Jason Peters during the Eagles Super Bowl run. Vaitai played both left and right tackle in addition to filling in at guard over the last two seasons. It’s hard to envision him as a top-level starter in the NFL.”
Michael Kist, Bleeding Green:
“Big V was a key piece of the offensive line depth for the Eagles, providing swing tackle help with the ability to kick inside to guard. At tackle, he’s at best a spot starter, prone to quicksand games. Even when in good position initially, Vaitai struggles to sustain blocks both in the pass and run game due to poor balance/footwork.
His best projection is at guard, where he’s protected and shows solid pop at the point-of-attack. Asking him to hold up on an island without help is asking for trouble, especially against high-quality competition.”
They’ve given their thoughts, what are yours on Detroit’s latest massive investment?
– – Quotes via Jeff Risdon of USA Today Link – –
