Interior defensive lineman D.J. Reader has signed a 2-year $27.25 million deal with $9 million guaranteed, and the Lions have moved one step closer to shoring up issues upfront and getting back into Super Bowl contention. This news comes from NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.
Not only is the big man headed to Detroit, but he appears to be fully healthy and ready to make an immediate impact and chase a ring with a team and coach that came surprisingly close last year, falling in a tough 31-34 tightly fought battle with the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
Christian McCaffrey ran the ball 20 times for 90 yards and two scores. He was torching teams all last year, especially in the playoffs, but it would have helped to keep him from pounding away at the Lions. In a game of inches, the presence of a guy like Reader might have slowed down San Francisco enough to pull off the win.
That said, it’ll be interesting to see how Cincinnati replaces him. It isn’t unfair to criticize Cincinnati for letting him go. He was mulling over his options, and the possibility of resigning him was there. Lord knows, guys like Aaron Donald and Chris Jones have played massive roles in Super Bowl runs. They are very different players, but the two have rings (Chris has two), and nowadays, you don’t see teams getting to the game in February who don’t have a star up front.
And while the Lions have come close, so has D.J. Don’t forget, he was only a few plays away from a Super Bowl win with Joe Burrow against the Rams in 2022. So, you’ve got a player who got to the big game and can impact it at a high level, leaving a team that isn’t quite on that level anymore and going to a team that can get him back. It all adds up.
As for replacing him, the Bengals have signed Sheldon Rankins to attempt to fill whatever void may be left at defensive tackle, and Vonn Bell, a safety, might also help to bolster the defense. But make no mistake—the Lions got a star.
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There’s not that much more to do to add to a unit that’s come so close. The Clemson Tiger is set to join a Lions defense ranked top three in the league in rushing yards allowed (88.8 rushing yards per game allowed, second-fewest in NFL) and yards per carry allowed (3.7, third-fewest in NFL) last season.
D.J. Reader recently faced a quad injury, but he has successfully recovered from it. As he prepares to join the Detroit Lions, fans look forward to seeing what he can do.
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