Anytime a player who represents a potential upgrade for the Detroit Lions could legitimately be available for a trade, it’s a discussion that needs to happen. Does the player make sense for the Lions and for the presumed asking price?
When the player is a starting cornerback and the Lions possess the NFL’s worst defense, it’s pretty hard to argue against the need for a player like William Jackson. The Washington Commanders cornerback wants out, and it seems like the feeling is mutual after Jackson was a healthy scratch in Thursday night’s win over the Chicago Bears.
Jackson was a big-ticket free agent signing back in 2021. The former Bengals first-round pick cashed in with Washington for $42 million over three seasons. Yet less than halfway through the contract, it’s been disastrous for both player and team. A move seems imminent.
The Lions were one of the top fits for Jackson on several breakdowns, including a thorough one from Doug Farrar at Touchdown Wire. As Farrar correctly notes,
The Lions were the presidents of the “Don’t Play Man if you Can’t Play Man” club during Matt Patricia’s unfortunate tenure, and that has sadly continued under defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn in Glenn’s second season in that role. Outside of Jeff Okudah, Detroit cornerbacks have been disastrous in man coverage, and that’s the main reason the Lions have given up 35 completions in 62 attempts for 521 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception.
Jackson is very much a man-coverage cornerback. He’s at his best in press-man coverage, getting his hands on the receiver within the five-yard limit and using his strength and speed to prevent clean releases. Alas, Jackson isn’t playing that style very often in Washington and isn’t doing well no matter what coverage he’s tried in 2022.
That’s Jackson pictured above on the business end of an Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown in Week 2. Other similar pictures exist from too many games for Commanders fans and coaches to tolerate. This was no confusing coverage, no wondering where his help was coming from for Jackson; St. Brown simply smoked him mano-a-mano.
Lions fans frustrated with Amani Oruwariye and his league-worst performance at CB through the first four weeks can empathize. As rough as Jackson has been in 2022, he’s still outshined Oruwariye. Jackson currently sits 69th of 76 in those same Pro Football Focus overall ratings through Week 5. The concept of presenting Jackson with a shot at redemption with a change of scenery is certainly appealing.
The price tag is a problem. Even a straight-up trade for Oruwariye doesn’t make much sense for Detroit. Why? Jackson’s exorbitant price tag. He’s under contract through next season, with a 2023 cap figure of over $15 million. Jackson would cost the Lions over $5 million for the rest of 2022 as well.
Jackson could very well prove he’s worth it, but there’s a very significant chance he becomes a wildly expensive disaster, a roll of the dice that craps out spectacularly. For a Lions team that is not in any way built to win now, bringing in such a risk just doesn’t make sense. If the Lions want Jackson in 2023 when the team expects to be more viably competitive, they’ll be able to sign him for pennies to his current dollar once Washington, or a team the Commanders sucker into his contract, release him and swallow the huge cap hit. Then–and only then–does acquiring Jackson make sense for Detroit.
