I have been thinking re-signing Romeo Okwara is a no brainer unless we are crazy cash strapped. To me Kenny Golladay is a MUCH more important player than Romeo for example.
But just how important is Romeo overall How good is he? ESP. versus what we might be able to get in a different free agent.
Romeo is 26 in June and has been pretty healthy here in his three years in Detroit. He was a hell of a FA find by Quinn. Romeo is 6’4" and 260+ range and he is just starting to find his groover I think. But he isn’t a game breaker. He cannot take over games. Solid? Hell yes. Do I want him back? Hell yes. Worth what it might take to re-sign him? That I am not so sure about.
Esp. as I look around at other guys that might be free agents. I have to admit I am intrigued by the idea of Solomon Thomas as a true 3/4 DE here IF we are looking to go in that direction. A change of scene and a value deal for Thomas might be a great idea for us AND Solomon as he can play many DL positions. He should be a lot cheaper than Romeo.
I have discussed Sheldon Rankins before. Seems like too much of an injury risk but we are weak at DT.
All in all I like the Devil I Know in Romeo Okwara and he is a solid DE. I want him back. But he isn’t a guy I break the bank for. He is unlikely to be a top ten guy at his position. I love the message sent when we re-sign our own good players back. I think Okwara should be re-signed for around $10 million/season and if the deal is around there that seems like a solid investment. Past that though it might be wise to say nope, get value and look around at other players.
I really think we need Okwara back as I think he is just finding his groove now. Yes there are other guys out there who represent value and at some point if Okwara wants huge $ we need to let him walk while looking at guys like Solomon Thomas or other players like this.
The thing that impressed me about Okwara was 10 sacks and 61 total pressures on a terrible defense and team. Imagine he got to pass rush with leads? We had the most predictable defense I’ve ever seen in my life. With better coaching and scheme, Okwara could be even better, he’s still only like 25 years old.
His younger brother has some elite quickness off the edge and is a better overall prospect than Romeo was.
This is what occurs to me too. When we have a defensive system that actually looks like it is trying to win, What can Okwara do? …Flowers? Entire defensive backfield? Impossible to gage what we have.
LBs are preeetttyyyy bad.
Hope we pimp out the O this year.
I want to treat the DT position 2nd only to QB. Let’s get the right one, not best available now…the right one long term. I would build role players around him.
Oh chosen one, please reveal yourself! Come aboard, my angry brother! You create havoc here and I will gladly help you to deal with your anger…AFTER you retire.
Don’t know whether that was worse or seeing Quinn carry the baseball bat around during the draft. Wannabes. They, Patricia moreso, tried to be the smartest guys in the room and instead made themselves look like fools.
I do think he brings $8-$12 mil a season. I think he tests FA and gets more than we are willing to pay him to be honest.
I wouldn’t pay him $10 mil a year unless it had an easy out in it. He’s streaky … consistency is a real concern.
The current trend in the NFL is to let these high paid pass rushers go. Teams aren’t resigning them like they used too. They seem to be putting more money in the back end of the defense.
Last year alone guys like Donte Fowler, Mario Addison, Jordan Phillips, Shaq Lawson, Jadevon Clowney, Carl Nassib, Emmanuel Ogbah, Vic Beasley and more all switched teams.
Already this year JJ Watt has switched teams. It’s the growing trend to not resign costly edge guys.
Why do you think that is?
I think it’s because most of them are streaky and never live up to their contracts. Like our very own Flowers.
That ir right Air and it is why I am starting to understand that Kenny Golladay is a MUCH more valuable player in real football than Okwara despite Okwara’s excellent season.
I am starting to see it this way:
Okwara was really good in 2020. The defense was STILL a train wreck. Kenny missed a bunch of games and despite having Stafford and Marvin Jones the offense was 20th in scoring. I ain’t lettin’ Kenny walk.
But Okwara? I ant him back but he is easier to replace if necessary. I would target $10 millionish/season and see where we are. I would be happier with $8 million/season but I get that might not be possible. But it MIGHT be as there will be a flood of free agents this season.
I mention Solomon Thomas as he seems like a perfect 3/4 DE who can set an edge. He hasn’t been successful in a 4/3 rotation as an under 3 tech DT but he might be really good at setting an edge, rushing from the edge and moving inside when necessary. He is coming off a torn ACL and that sucks for him but between mixed results in San Fran and our well-regarded coaching staff he might be willing to come on board for a really reasonable deal if the defense suits him.
I can see a situation where we can re-sign Jarrad Davis AND add a guy like Solomon Thomas for roughly what Okwara gets and we might be better off for a move like that if necessary.
This is a buyers market in 2021 and if we can get a fair deal with Okwara I want him to stay. Past that there are a LOT of ways to fill this position and one can find value out there.
I am not letting Golladay walk and I have a fixed price for Okwara. If he wants to leave I have 4-8 guys targeted that can set an edge and pressure a QB. Solomon Thomas and Trey Hendrickson at the top of my list.
It’s not like Okwara is seeing double coverages. He’s not. So having a better player next to him won’t change how teams block him.
Last year QB’s had all day to throw and they took their time, felt comfortable, and was able to pick apart our crappy D. A lot of those sacks came due to the coverage being solid and the QB had no where to go. Meaning Okwara had plenty of time to get there in one on one match ups.
With a better DL, opposing QB’s will be forced to make quicker decisions, and get rid of the ball quicker. Offensive coordinators will draw up faster strike plays. This reduces a guy like Okwara’s sack numbers.
Okwara will get paid like a double digit sack guy but I don’t really feel like he’s a double digit sack guy. I honestly think he will average around 5-7 sacks a year over his career.
Id let him walk to be honest and out that money into getting better WR’s and DB’s.
I love the guy as a rotational end but no way in hell I’m paying him that much. Remember guys the year before he was invisible and had one sack. He’s a solid player but I think a healthy Bryant and his brother can do about the same.
He had 10 sacks which ranked him 10th amount all pass rushers. But…
Okwara had just 10 QB Hurries This ranked him 42nd in the NFL.
A guy with 10 sacks should have way more than 10 QB hurries. This tells you that he really wasn’t getting after the QB as well as his sack totals might suggest.
He did have 31 QB pressures which isn’t too bad. That put him around 27th in the NFL.
So is he really a top 10 pass rusher like his sack total suggests? … I don’t think so.
I like Okwara and I think he’s a good player but anything north of 7-8 mil is too much and I think he brings closer to 10+ mil in free agency. I’d let him walk and look towards the draft.
Perfectly stated. I don’t mind him as a depth player, especially with his brother here and the Lions in transition. But, he’s not part of a long-term solution. If he were on a competent defense, we’re looking at the 3rd or 4th best DE.
They note 61 total pressures in 2020, not 10 as you note. I don’t know what stats they are using (it looks like PFF) but I am inclined to say the # was more than 10 pressures/hurries or maybe there is a difference between a pressure and a hurry?
I want Okwara back but I am bracing for all outcomes. We can live past Romeo and even Golladay if necessary. I would like them both back though.
