5 Detroit Lions free agents who won’t be back in 2022

2. DT Nick Williams

In the final year of his contract, Williams was a potential trade candidate for the Lions approaching October’s deadline. But he of course ultimately stayed put, and after that his game-to-game snap rates hovered around 50 percent as the Lions have continued to turn to younger players Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill.

Williams left the Week 13 game against Minnesota with an injury, but was able to return. Still, it seems he was less than full strength as he only played 21 snaps. How the snaps would have been allocated without him being banged up can’t be known, but Williams also hasn’t made a particular impact on the stat sheet this season.

Williams will turn 32 around a month before free agency starts (Feb. 21). He’s not a fit for the Lions’ general youth movement right now, and he certainly isn’t part of the plan for 2022 unless he comes back at a remarkably cheap rate on a one-year deal.

Not that he will land a big contract elsewhere, but Williams may have no interest in coming back to Detroit unless they overpay a bit or go to a two-year deal. They won’t do either, so he’s as good as gone come March.