Detroit Lions Free Agency: Why Detroit Shouldn't Throw Money at Nnamdi Asomugha

The NFL will eventually open for business in 2011, and assuming there are any fans left that they've not yet alienated, all will return to normal.

First order of business? The entire NFL media going into a tizzy about which of Nnamdi Asomugha's 32 suitors is most likely to sign him and why.

The Detroit Lions will be included in the conversation, but should they be?

A few weeks ago, I explored the question of whether signing Asomugha was a possibility for the Lions.

That was, of course, under the assumption that the Lions would actually want to sign him.

The answer to that seems like a no-brainer. Who wouldn't want the best cover cornerback in professional football? Moreover, why wouldn't a team like the Lions, whose greatest need is a talented cover corner, want the best cover corner in football?

Allow me to answer that question with another question. Who wants the highest-paid cornerback in football? Who wants to pick up the tab on a five-year contract for a 30-year-old corner when most corners are converting to safety by age 32? Who wants a $15 million a year safety?

Answer: a team built to win now. Right now. As in last year.

A team that made a playoff push last year and might just need one more piece.

A team whose window is closing, whose core is aging and who likely only has another year or two of contention before the whole thing collapses entirely.

A team desperate enough to blow that kind of cap space on one guy in the hopes that he is the missing ingredient needed to put the team over the top before the fire sale starts.

Chicago comes to mind, but I'll leave that aside for now.

The point is, Detroit is not that team. They don't need just one player to improve, they need about a dozen. Which is good, since that's about how many players they can bring in for the price of one Nnamdi Asomugha.

Are the Lions going to pull in the best players available with that kind of bargain shopping? Of course not. But if the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat taught us anything, it's that team play and cohesion trump individual talent. Even if it's a lot of individual talent.

The team that signs Asomugha is probably going to go to the playoffs. They probably went to the playoffs last year. They probably will not be champions.

Think about it: When was the last time a team that made a huge free-agency splash won the Super Bowl the same year?

The Jets (LaDainian Tomlinson)? No.

The Bears (Julius Peppers)? No.

The Redskins (Donovan McNabb, Albert Haynesworth)? Have you seen the issues in that organization?

Actually, let's talk about Haynesworth here. We'll use this as a teaching moment.

Of those who think Asomugha is a good idea for Detroit, who also thought Albert Haynesworth was a good idea for the Lions in his free-agent year (2009)?

Don't hide, it's okay. We all make mistakes.

But then, some of you again suggested that the Lions trade Ndamukong Suh for Haynesworth straight up last year after the draft.

If you're one of those and you're now calling for Asomugha to Detroit, it might be time to apply for an internship with Dan Snyder. Or at the very least, just some quiet reflection.

Now, granted, Asomugha is not Haynesworth. Asomugha has no history of being a total headcase and he never tried to stomp a man's face in with a cleat. Asomugha's eventual deterioration as a player will be due to physical factors, not mental laziness and entitlement.

But that doesn't make him right for Detroit. A new CBA is coming (eventually), and with it, a new salary cap. That salary cap will give Detroit two options.

One is to try paying Asomugha a lot of money.

The other is to spend the same money it would take to sign Asomugha, but instead sign (for instance) Keith Bulluck, a veteran backup interior lineman, some additional depth at receiver and a Chris Houston-like corner who can respectably hold down a starting job.

And this is all assuming Asomugha has any inclination of coming to Detroit. Generally speaking, there are three major factors that go into free-agency decisions: desirable location, Super Bowl shots and money.

Though the media makes the city look worse than it is, nobody comes to Detroit for the glamorous lifestyle. And Asomugha is from Louisiana, so it's not like he'd give them a hometown discount. So location is out.

Super Bowl chances? Maybe, if you're a fan.

There's no doubt the Lions are a trendy, up-and-coming playoff pick to many. But try to look at it as if you're a multi-million dollar free agent from a California team looking for the place that will give you the best chance of winning it all.

What you see in Detroit is a team that hasn't made the playoffs in over a decade and that just finished with a record one game worse than what they finished the year before they went 0-16. Not confidence-inspiring.

So that leaves money. And Detroit would have to offer a whole lot more money to make up for not satisfying the other two factors.

Alternatively, the Lions could just focus on the very good (rather than the elite), keep a balanced free-agent budget and make a living off other teams' castaways.

It's worked for them so far—why mortgage the future for one man now? Even if he is the best player available at the greatest position of need?