Why the Detroit Lions Should Keep Matthew Stafford
By Eric Ranes
Sammie Lee Hill – Unrestricted Free Agent, $4.7 million contract
Oct 19, 2014; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins tight end Logan Paulsen (82) carries the ball as Tennessee Titans nose tackle Sammie Lee Hill (94) tackles during the first quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
The team may need to replace the aging Haloti Ngata if he decides not to resign in the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. While the Lions could and likely will address the defensive line in the draft as well, the absence of Ngata leaves Gabe Wright and Caraun Reid in the middle, so a veteran presence is noticeably lacking in that case. Enter the former Lion Sammie Lee Hill.
Ranked the 94th overall “interior defender” by Pro Football Focus in his time in 2016, Hill is graded out merely as a rotational player. The Lions should have ample opportunity to add that with one of their nine or ten picks in the upcoming draft. As is the theme here, there is not much to be excited about with the money that theoretically could be freed from Stafford’s cap hit for 2016.
Next: Why keeping Stafford is the right move