Making sense of the Detroit Lions’ move to waive Anthony Zettel When the Detroit Lions decided to waive Anthony Zettel for waiver claim
Romeo Okwara
Ty Johnson Detroit Lions Jersey , it sent shockwaves down the fanbase. It wasn’t all that surprising that the Lions put in a claim for a defensive end, this is exactly
the time when a team like the Lions shouldbe searching for players that can help
them along the defensive line, and our good friend Brett Whitefield from Pro
Football Focus even predicted the Lions would make this move:But the decision to
cut Anthony Zettel seemed like a puzzling move, especially considering the young
edge rusher was second on the team with 6.5 sacks just last year as a 16-game
starter. So what went wrong? Why did the Lions make such a callous move when
their defensive line was already so lowly regarded? Let’s break down some
theories.Anthony Zettel wasn’t very goodMany point to Zettel’s sack total as
evidence he was an up-and-coming defender improving every day. While 6.5 sacks
is admittedly pretty good for a second-year, former sixth-round pick, anybody
who remembers the 2017 season will also remember how Zettel essentially
disappeared in the second half of the season. He had exactly 0.5 sacks in the
final seven games, and was definitely part of the reason why Lions fans were
clamoring all offseason for some pass rushing help. His overall Pro Football
Focus grade was okay (70.7) but his pass rushing grade was not (60.6). He was
also just not a very versatile guy. He’s not someone you’d want to drop in to
coverage, and we saw plenty of time he had trouble setting the edge—either
falling victim to rollouts or play-action.Back during Week 3 of the preseason,
head coach Matt Patricia said something very telling.Anthony Zettel could only
do one thing on this roster, and to be frank, he didn’t do it an extremely high
level. Anthony Zettel wasn’t a scheme fitBouncing off that last quote, it’s
clear that Patricia values versatility in his scheme. A defensive end isn’t just
expected to pass rush or run defend. He’s expected to be able to line up in the
middle of the line or occasionally drop back as an off-the-ball linebacker. The
more you can do to make the defense unpredictable, the better. Granted Zettel
has only had two years in this league and just an offseason under Patricia’s new
scheme, but it was very clear by the end of the preseason the Lions just did not
trust Zettel in multiple role, and it wasn’t for lack of trying. They got a long
look at him. Zettel actually started training camp as the starting right
defensive end while Ezekiel Ansah worked his way off the Physically Unable to
Perform list. They even gave Zettel an extended look in the preseason finale—he
had more snaps than any other defensive end. They tried him on the left end,
they tried him on the right end, they tried him in a three-tech, five-tech, and
just about everywhere else on the defensive line. They gave him a
shot
Ty Johnson Jersey 2019 , and they clearly didn’t like what they saw.Zettel’s replacement, on the other hand, has already flashed some versatility with the
Giants. Just watch this film breakdown of Okwara’s game where he shows both
pass-rushing abilities and looks comfortable as a coverage linebacker, too.
Da’Shawn Hand is going to get serious playing timeWhile we’re talking about
players with promising versatility, Lions fourth-round pick Da’Shawn Hand showed
it at every chance he got. Hand got plenty of time playing the interior, the
edge and just about anywhere else the Lions thought he may be helpful. Hand has
the added benefit of coming from Alabama, where they run a very similar scheme
to Patricia, and they even have a defensive line coach familiar with Hand’s
game. We had a sneaking suspicion that Hand was going to get a good chunk of
playing time when he was out there getting rotational snaps with the starters
halfway through training camp, but this move all but confirms the Lions’
confidence in the rookie. But why Zettel and not another position?This was the
most common complaint of the move and an understandable one. The Lions aren’t
very deep on the defensive line, while it seems like they have a surplus of guys
at wide receiver and offensive line, even though the talent there doesn’t seem
to warrant the high numbers. So why not add Okwara at the expense of a receiver
or offensive lineman. Let’s start with wide receivers, because both Brandon
Powell and Bradley Marquez were both a bit surprising to see on the initial
53-man roster. The fact that both remain on the roster is very telling. For
Powell, it means the Lions are definitely afraid of losing him to a waiver
claim. I don’t really see how Powell factors into the 2018 team—I wouldn’t be
surprised to see him inactive on game days—but the Lions clearly like his
potential beyond that. However, I think this says a lot more about Bradley
Marquez. Marquez made the team based on his special teams contributions, and the
fact that he’s still around after a bunch of additions and subtractions since
the 53-man roster was created, I think it’s safe to say that Marquez isn’t only
here to stay, but he’s very likely to be active on Sundays (or Mondays) as part
of the special teams units.Bob Quinn has always made special teams a priority,
so maybe this isn’t be as surprising as it seems. With the offensive line,
however
Ty Johnson Jersey Mens , it’s a little tougher to justify. Outside of their starting five, the Lions have Kenny Wiggins, Joe Dahl, Tyrell Crosby and newly-added
Andrew Donnal at their expense. Nine offensive linemen are a lot, especially
when you consider the Lions have another on their practice squad (Leo
Koloamatangi). But it’s hard to point to the expendable one among the group.
They probably still want to see what they have in Donnal, and they aren’t going
to get rid of fifth-round pick Crosby. Wiggins and Dahl didn’t have great
preseasons, but their position versatility and experience working with the
first-team offensive line are valuable right now, especially since we don’t know
the current status of starting right guard T.J. Lang, who didn’t play a single
snap in the preseason. Overall, cutting Zettel is still a surprising move, but
it’s one we should probably get used to. The defensive front seven is definitely
in rebuild mode, and it wasn’t really any good to begin with. Nothing should
make that clearer than this eye-popping stat from MLive’s Kyle Meinke: Do they
spend another high pick on the OL? Free agency splash? Tyrell Crosby
time?"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Detroit Lions NewsDetroit Lions
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RecapsBreaking NewsIntroducing the 2019 Detroit Lions Draft Class! ?Detroit
Lions AnalysisNFL Open ThreadsSaturday open thread: With T.J. Lang gone, what do
the Lions do at right guard?New,79commentsDo they spend another high pick on the
OL? Free agency splash? Tyrell Crosby time? ESTShareTweetShareShareSaturday open
thread: With T.J. Lang gone, what do the Lions do at right guard?Mark
Konezny-USA TODAY SportsFriday’s decision to release T.J. Lang likely made
financial sense for the Detroit Lions, but it leaves the team with a significant
hole on their roster. Despite a clear focus on the getting together his
offensive line, general manager Bob Quinn finds himself with a pretty
significant need at right guard... again.While Detroit does have Kenny Wiggins,
who helped finish out the season after Lang was placed on injured reserve, the
team would be best served to keep him as an injury replacement. So how can the
Lions address this glaring need? Or rather
Youth Ty Johnson Jersey , how should the Lions address this need? Today’s Question of the Day is:Should the Lions get a starting right guard in free agency, the
draft, or do they already have one?My answer: Some believe Tyrell Crosby should
get a fair shot at the job, but I just don’t see it. First off, to expect a
fifth-round pick like Crosby to just jump in there and start playing at an NFL
level at a position he’s never played is just asking for trouble. If this team
is seriously committed to becoming a team devoted to the running game, having
Crosby start at right guard in 2019 is immediately putting themselves at a
disadvantage. Secondly, the team pretty stubbornly kept Crosby as a tackle all
of last year. He’s already behind in development if the plan is to move him to
guard. Unfortunately, the free agent market isn’t all that impressive either. A
lot of the best players available (Mike Iupati, Andy Levitre) have the exact
same concerns as Lang: injuries and age. Could the Lions go all-in on a guy like
Rodger Saffold? I suppose so, but it will, once again, cost them some serious
free agency investment. As for the draft, while it’s not a very top-heavy class,
there are some potential options on Day 2. Both Wisconsin guards Beau
Benzschawel and Michael Deiter would be nice fits in Detroit.So, ultimately, I
think the NFL Draft is likely the best way to go. However, the Lions will need
to have a backup plan. Expect them to add competition in free agency, but not
with one of the best guards available. Your turn.
