The Lions built last off-season on one year “prove it” deals to see what types of players this team needed to be successful. This season, many of those players stood out and showed they have earned a second contract. Let’s count down the top five most important for the Lions to re-sign.
One- Jamaal Williams, Lions Running back
Jamaal Williams has been nothing but a positive investment since the Lions signed him in Brad Holmes’ first off-season. Jamaal has been one of the best locker room leaders in the league on top of being the most interactive with the fans and overall making players and fans believe in their ability. His first season wasn’t spectacular as he split carries with D’Andre Swift and only rushed for 600 yards but this season when Swift was hurt, he stepped up big time rushing for over 1,000 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns. Jamaal Williams, since joining the team, has shown everything the Lions asked of him and they need to prioritize re-signing him.
Two- DeShon Elliot, Lions Safety
DeShon Elliot started off a little bit rocky while he was still getting healthy from the previous season, but once he was he was unstoppable. Elliot was all over the field making plays and stopping big plays from happening. He put up a combined 95 tackles this season along with two forced turnovers. His efforts in the secondary were one of the big reasons for the Lions’ defensive turnaround in the second half of the year. He and kerby Joseph showed they can be a great safety duo for years to come, and getting Tracy Walker back in the rotation of the three would make them almost unstoppable.
Three- D.J. Chark, Lions Wide Receiver
Chark did everything he was asked of by the Lions at an exceptionally high rate, even with missing a few weeks this season. The Lions signed Chark to be a tall, fast, and reliable target for Goff so he’d have someone to throw to outside of Amon-Ra St. Brown. Chark may have missed some time this season, but when he came back his connection with Goff was unmatchable as a deep-threat target. Chark was sixth in the league in yards per reception and put up 500 yards in only 11 games this year, with these stats he will be a perfect wide receiver three to go alongside St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Four- John Cominsky, Lions Defensive Lineman
While most people probably didn’t realize it, Cominsky was one of the most important players on the Lions’ defense this season. When he was out the Lions’ pass rush was exponentially worse and even if the counting stats don’t show it, he may have been a top-three pass rusher on the Lions’ team. Cominsky put up four sacks and one forced fumble on the year even while playing most of the year with a cast on his hand. Cominsky is one of the best leaders on the team and one of the most underrated players on the entire team, he has earned a spot in Detroit for years to come.
Five- Isaiah Buggs, Lions Defensive Tackle
Buggs was one of the best interior defensive linemen on the Lions this year, but it went relatively unnoticed. Buggs and Alim McNeil are what made Detroit’s run defense so good down the stretch and they are the perfect players to help build toward having a championship-caliber team. If Detroit brings Buggs back and adds a good pass-rushing interior lineman, their defensive line will be set for the future and the team will be one step closer to being ready to compete.
