Detroit Lions: Mike Daniels choice should spark fan excitement

The fact a Pro Bowl defensive tackle chose to play for the Detroit Lions over several other teams should spark fan excitement about future possibilities.

The morale surrounding the Detroit Lions was pretty low at the end of last season. Despite the hiring of first-time head coach Matt Patricia, a two-time Super Bowl-winning defensive coordinator from the New England Patriots, the Lions found themselves in the basement of the NFC North standings when 2018 concluded.

But the Lions rebounded this offseason, landing one of the top free-agent classes in the entire NFL. And now there is plenty of excitement surrounding this retooled roster as training camp gets underway.

That excitement might have hit a whole nother level this past week, as the Lions announced they had signed Pro Bowl defensive tackle Mike Daniels to a one-year deal worth $9.1 million. Daniels has been a stalwart of the Green Bay Packers’ defensive line for the past several years, having played seven straight seasons with the Pack.

But Daniels was suddenly cut by the Packers on Wednesday, saving the team $8.3 million in salary-cap space. Yet, the 30-year-old interior defender posted a Pro Bowl season two years ago, recording 49 tackles and 5.0 sacks in 2017.

As an unrestricted free agent, Daniels was a hot commodity on the open market this past week. He told ESPN.com that the reason he chose Detroit over 12 other NFL suitors was due in large part to Patricia.

"“[Patricia’s] just a genius. He really is. He understands the game of football. He knows what it takes. So to be able to play for a coach like that, it means everything. I’m really trying to be restrained right now because I’m so excited. If I could do a backflip right now, I’d do one, but I can’t. I’m really excited.”"

That’s certainly different. The Lions have, at times, been a wasteland when it comes to landing some of the bigger names in free agency. Yet, Daniels is a Pro Bowl player who wanted to come to the Motor City. And reportedly, he took less money to do so. According to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport, Daniels had four other more lucrative offers on the table but still chose Detroit.

Despite posting a 6-10 record in his first season as a head coach, Patricia’s reputation and pedigree alone is attracting more and more free agents to Motown. We saw that firsthand this offseason when the Lions were able to land top free-agent defensive end Trey Flowers. Others followed suit like top-tier slot corner Justin Coleman and promising tight end Jesse James.

The fact Mike Daniels choose the Detroit Lions should excited fans about the future. Not only do the Lions now possess a front line that includes a Pro Bowl defender in Daniels, and All-Pro in Damon Harrison and Trey Flowers, a two-time Super Bowl winner; but the presence of Matt Patricia will continue to attract big names to Detroit as long as the team continues to improve.