Although I am not willing to fully weigh the Detroit Lions’ decision to re-sign Romeo Okwara until all the details of the contract are revealed, that did not stop other national experts from throwing their hat in the ring. The free agency’s notes and reviews are instantly discarded because we know it’s what you want. There is no deferred bonus at the free agency. Tell us that we are special right now.
Well, good news, impatient Lions fans, because the national discourse around Detroit’s decision to re-sign Okwara is almost universally positive. Given that the edge rusher market dried up almost immediately, with the Buccaneers rehiring Shaquil Barrett (four years, $ 72 million), the Cardinals rehiring Markus Golden (two years, $ 9 million) and Matt Judon getting paid by the Patriots (four years, $ 56 million), Lions were fortunate to strike a deal with Okwara before he tested the free agency. And while the exact figures are not yet fully known, it is clear that many felt that the basic figure of $ 13 million a year was completely reasonable.
This is about the range I was comfortable spending on. I thought someone would come to the table with 15,000 +. Good for both sides. https://t.co/Z3XJTtccE3
– Brett Whitefield (@BGWhitefield) March 15, 2021
The Draft Network called it a win-win for Lions and Okwara. Meanwhile, Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire gave the bid an A-.
“This is a solid move that allows Detroit to focus on other parts of the project and during the free agency,” wrote Schofield.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert praised the move even more, classifying the signature with an A. Specifically, he believed that Okwara may have achieved much more in the open market.
“Lions did well to convince Okwara to do this deal before he could test this theory,” said Seifert. “His average of $ 13 million is a big increase from the $ 3.2 million he won in 2020, but that doesn’t put him in the top 10 among the 4-3 defensive ends in the league.”
Of course, you can’t please everyone. PFF gave an “average” grade, suggesting that it was a most significant payment based on its estimates.
“Okwara’s business may come higher than our projection in the off-season (we had it in three years, $ 24.75 million) because its big game sample size is really just the last six games of 2020 , ”Brad Spielberger and Ben Linsey of PFF wrote. “Okwara ended the year with an absolute tear, and a full season with Trey Flowers and him off-limits could help turn Detroit’s defense around quickly. However, Lions still need to review their secondary so that Okwara and Flowers have time to return home. “
That said, his 2020 statistics were eye-popping and across Twitter after rehiring.
Lions bring back the Romeo Okwara pass rusher after a breakout season in which he generated a 13.4% pressure rate, high in his career (first season over 10%).
Okwara was especially effective on the 3rd downhill, where he led the NFL in pressures and pressure rate (min. 100 passes rushes). https://t.co/nu2vfS0mox pic.twitter.com/mAJWuRqrRi
– Next generation statistics (@NextGenStats) March 15, 2021