Detroit Lions: Four free agents to replace Damon Harrison
By Bob Heyrman
DT Danny Shelton
As a member of the New England Patriots remarkable defense last season, Danny Shelton set the tone inside as a premier run stopper. General manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia love to go to the ole New England well, so why not do it again?
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Danny Shelton isn’t familiar with the Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia if that’s what you are thinking. He spent the last two seasons with the Patriots but the previous three with the Cleveland Browns. After Matt Patricia joined the Detroit Lions, Shelton landed in New England and enjoyed plenty of success.
Here’s a defensive tackle that gobbles up running backs inside. He only played 492 snaps last season, yet he made 56 tackles against the run, which ranked him fifth in the league in that category. He totaled 61 tackles on the season, as you can see he dominates inside. He only played 49% of the New England Patriot defensive snaps last year.
If the Detroit Lions were to sign Shelton, he’d immediately have a more significant role within the defense likely being asked to play upwards of 60% of the team’s snaps. He pulled a 71.6 overall grade according to PFF last season.
Shelton created 18 pressures, and accumulated 3 sacks and forced one fumble. Shelton is 6’2 and plays around a whopping 345 pounds. His stature makes him difficult to move off his spot. He thrives in leverage situations aiding him to control the between the tackle rushing attempts.
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Shelton is a player the Detroit Lions need to rank high on their list of wishful free agents.