The Detroit Lions finally added an edge rusher in free agency, signing former Carolina Panthers DE DJ Wonnum to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million, per Adam Schefter.
Still, as the Lions presumably look to add depth at the edge in subsequent waves of free agency, Cameron Jordan stands out as a good fit.
Lions head coach Dan Campbell was a New Orleans Saints' assistant coach for a chunk of Jordan's time there. In February, the veteran defensive end made it fairly clear he felt his time with the team that drafted him could be over.
"If you get a 10-sack season, if I was 26, I’d be asking for top dollar” Jordan told TMZ Sports. “Things I’ve never asked for is top dollar. All I’ve ever asked for is to be valued.”
To be fair, Jordan's 10.5 sacks last season are not fully backed by deeper data. It's very possible potential free agent suitors, including the Saints, see that and are coming in with offers that don't reflect where he and his camp see his value.
Spotrac has Jordan's projected market value at $6.8 million.
Cameron Jordan's most recent comments may push him off the Lions' free agency board
Jordan recently appeared on former teammate Terron Armstead's podcast, "The Set". He said he is still open to returning to the Saints for a 16th season, but he has a "set value" for his services and the team may have a different view of that value. So he's fine with continuing his career with another team if it comes to that.
“You see guys my age re-sign with a team because that’s the only team they’ve ever been with, and you’re like, ‘Hell yeah, we love that,’ but that’s to his situation,” Jordan said. “That may not be to my situation. As football players, we can only control what we can control. As much as I be like ‘Hell yeah, I want them to love me as much as I love them.’ Sometimes the business side of that makes you feel emotional. You gotta be able to take your emotions out of it. Of course, I’d love to be in New Orleans. At the same time, if the cents doesn’t make sense, we gotta find our own path. I know what I want to do, what I want to accomplish. If that doesn’t line up, then that’s fine as well.”
READ MORE: Lions avoid widely expected moves with their first wave of free agency signings
During that appearance with Armstead, per Nick Underhill of New Orleans.Football, Jordan also revealed there are three teams he's considering as options. The Lions would be an obvious one, with the tie to Campbell. The Chicago Bears seem to be another easy one, with former Saints' defensive coordinator and head coach Dennis Allen as the defensive coordinator there.
Jordan has nearly $147.5 million in career earnings right now. So it's difficult to think money would be the No. 1 thing that leads him to eliminating potential free agent suitors. But it does seem to be a significant thing for him, to the point he's not willing to give the Saints any kind of discount.
If Jordan is leaving emotions out of his free agency decision like he says he is, a past coaching tie won't matter to him any more than playing his entire career in a Saints' uniform seems to. So the Lions may not be a team he's considering right now, and if his price point is high enough they probably aren't interested anyway.