Breaking news: The Lions’ $48 million addition was named the NFL Free Agency’s top signing.
In the Divisional Round of the NFC playoffs, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels of the Washington Commanders destroyed the Detroit Lions’ stellar season due to injury problems, especially in the secondary. Detroit made the wise financial decision to bring in cornerback D.J. Reed in an attempt to ensure that doesn’t happen again. Reed, a former member of the New York Jets, agreed to a three-year deal with the Lions that totaled $48 million.
ESPN’s Seth Walder praised the team’s decision as simply the finest free agency move to date, citing the contract’s value in relation to other top free agents at the position as well as the guy Detroit acquired and the deficiency he eliminates.
“[Reed] has been consistently good at a volatile position, allowing less than 1.1 yards per coverage snap (the average for an outside corner) in four consecutive seasons, per NFL Next Gen Stats,” Walder noted. Additionally, I believe he was a better cornerback than Carlton Davis III in this class of free agents. Reed only receives $16 million annually from the Lions, but Davis now receives $20 million from the Patriots. Therefore, the Lions were able to address a critical need with a superb player at a reasonable cost.
In November, Reed, an NFL veteran for seven years, will be 29.
