For their first big move of free agency, the Detroit Lions elected not to go big with a player on the market, but bring back one of their own top studs in safety Tracy Walker.
Walker was a player who was a smart re-signing by the Lions given the fact that he has experience within Detroit’s scheme and has been a solid safety in the league with youth on his side. For that reason, Detroit’s move to bring him back has been celebrated, even if some think the team cannot be done after bringing him in the mix.
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After Walker’s addition was revealed, Pro Football Focus graded the move and referred to the re-signing as “average,” pointing out that while the team has been happy to bring back some of their own free agents, more additions should be on the horizon, specifically at safety. In fact, that is exactly what the site called for.
“The team could still stand to add some more quality depth at safety in the coming weeks,” PFF wrote in the piece.
That should be the expectation for the Lions, who have struggled a bit on the back end in recent years. They could need more than just Walker to get by, especially at safety. As a result, folks think the team needs to make some more calls in the days ahead and see what they can do to help at safety.
Safety Market Looks Deep for Lions
The Lions could find a way to make other additions at the safety spot to go along with Walker and provide more depth on the defensive back end. Free agents exist on the market such as Marcus Williams, Tyrann Mathieu, Marcus Maye and others. The Lions could also look at the position in the 2022 NFL draft, perhaps by selecting Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton. The safety class in the draft is also deep, with Daxton Hill, Jaquan Brisker, Lewis Cine and Jalen Pitre some of the top names available. In free agency, other players exist outside Williams including Jabrill Peppers, Marcus Maye, Rodney McLeod and plenty of others.
Obviously, the narrative is that the team will be done after signing Walker, but that isn’t likely to be the case. The team needs multiple big play players on the back end and as solid as Walker is, the team could still stand to get more out of another player they could pair with him.
Walker’s Stats & Highlights
There was no question the Lions should bring back Walker. In his Detroit career, Walker has been solid since being a third-round draft pick in 2018. His first season in the league, Walker managed to put up 21 tackles and 1 interception. From there, though, he has only taken on a bigger role and managed to play a more meaningful role for the team’s defense. In 2019, Walker bounced back and put up his best season to date, with 103 tackles and 1 interception. In 2021, Walker had another solid year with 108 tackles, 1 sack and 1 interception. As a whole, Walker has put up 318 tackles, 3 sacks and 3 interceptions. Here’s a look at some highlights:
Walker has come back to bring some of his toughness back to the mix, but another big move could be needed to make him as effective as possible. Do the Lions have something planned? Stay tuned on this front.
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