Strange Bedfellows: Seahawks Trade DE Lawrence Jackson to Detroit Lions

Out with the old and in with the new.  That didn’t take long.

Monday, August 16, 2010, the Detroit Lions released defensive end Jason Hunter, once believed to be in the hunt for a solid role as a back up on the 2010 defense, and this afternoon have announced a trade with the Seattle Seahawks that will bring defensive end Lawrence Jackson to the Detroit Lions for an undisclosed 2011 draft pick.

The Kaizen Magician is at it again, Lions fans, just like we knew he would be.

The surprise at this point would not be that the player added plays defense.  The surprise comes in that the new player plays defensive end, not linebacker, cornerback (that would be T.J. Rushing) or safety.

So how is it then that the 28th overall selection in the 2008 NFL Draft is not a good fit for the defense his former college coach is installing in Seattle?

Stranger yet is how Carroll keeps Big Mike Williams on the roster and trades away a first-round defensive talent.

I reckon the Seahawks are all set at defensive end.  After all, the Lions sent them Corey Redding and John Henderson, so everybody should be all good, right?

Thanks for sending one back our way, Pete.

The addition of left guard Rob Sims from Seattle, another Carroll castoff, seems to be an excellent fit on the Detroit Lions offensive line.

If that good fortune can transcend lines, chances are the Detroit Lions are in for another unexpected blessing courtesy of Saint Martin.

I was conversing with my friend, Jim “Cannusaylions” Radford, the other day regarding the type of player general manager Martin Mayhew might select to join the pride, and we discussed a “restricted free agent-type” of player, young, who would have the potential to contribute for many seasons to come.  Lawrence Jackson fits that mold.

Another author is more than likely to share with you both the breadth and depth of Jackson’s accolades spanning his high school and collegiate careers; it won’t be me.

The impressive thing about DE Lawrence Jackson is his lateral speed and athleticism at 6’4” and 271 pounds.  At the NFL Combine, he ran the 20-yard short shuttle in 4.4 seconds and performed in the 3-cone drill in 7.08 seconds.

At USC “LoJack” compiled 52 tackles for loss and 30.5 sacks in his four-year career during which he started 51 games.  Why Jackson has yet to flourish in the NFL is largely unknown to Lions fans, and if Gunther Cunningham and Kyle Vanden Bosh have anything to do with it, the mystery will remain a secret.

Perhaps the veteran leadership of Vanden Bosch and Corey Williams will serve to inspire Jackson in the same fashion it has Cliff Avril.

On Saturday night, we saw tremendous pressure being generated by the Detroit Lions defensive front four, and I have to believe Schwartz, Mayhew, and Cunningham want to keep that trend moving forward.  The addition of DE Lawrence Jackson has to be aimed toward that end, as injuries plague the defensive backfield.

Despite being in an uncapped year, Lawrence Jackson provides the Lions with a good value at defensive end with base salaries of $525,000 in 2010, $715,000 in 2011, and $915,000 in 2012 before he is scheduled for free agency in 2013.

My guess is that the addition of DE Lawrence Jackson means the jobs of Jared DeVries, Turk McBride, or Willie Young could all be in jeopardy.

What is important to note is that the Detroit Lions front office continues to find ways to churn the roster in mid-August.  Martin Mayhew is one of the hardest-working general managers in the National Football League, and I am darn proud to watch him at his craft.

Once considered the team’s worst liability, the retooled, renewed, and replenished Detroit Lions defensive line may now be optimistically viewed as one of the team’s greatest assets.

When is the last time you could say that, Lions fans?

Lawrence Jackson will celebrate his 25th birthday in late August, and I’m wishing him early returns as the newest member of the pride in Allen Park. 

Welcome to Detroit, LoJack!

HäMMëR