Lions fans got to revisit one of the franchise’s worst decisions in recent memory in Week 17. The trip to Seattle brought the fresh reminder that the Lions “QuinnTricia” regime really gave away Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs for almost nothing back in the 2019 season.
Diggs has made the Pro Bowl in both seasons with Seattle. He’s picked off 13 passes in 37 games for the Seahawks. Since he left, Lions safeties have totaled just two interceptions (both by Duron Harmon in 2020).
Trading away Diggs after five injury-limited games in 2019 was a colossal blunder from former Lions head coach Matt Patricia, who did not believe Diggs was useful or coachable. But the personable Diggs doesn’t hold it against the current Lions regime. He made that clear after his Seahawks blew out the Lions on Sunday.
Cameras caught Diggs catching up with several former Lions teammates and being nothing but positive. He even offered rookie RT Penei Sewell some interesting advice, captured via the NFL’s “mic’d up” campaign.
“Keep ballin’ boy,” Diggs told an appreciative Penei Sewell. “Like I told you, embrace the city (Detroit), They gonna love you. I promise you. I love that place.”
It’s clear Diggs would be open to a return, and the Lions are in desperate need of safety help — especially one with playmaking skills like Diggs. He will be a free agent once his contract voids after the 2021 season ends.
What would it take to bring Diggs back?
Diggs is playing out a three-year, $18.6 million extension he signed with the Lions in 2018. He turns 29 later in January but has remained largely healthy in his career outside of the hamstring issue that dogged him in his final games in Detroit. Seattle’s medical staff drained blood from the injury and it proved quite successful.
He will be one of the top free agent safeties on the market in 2022, along with Marcus Williams, Marcus Maye, Terrell Edmunds, Tyrann Mathieu and former Lions running mate Tracy Walker.
Over The Cap projects his value at between $9 million and $10 million per season. In 2021, Logan Ryan of the Giants ranks 13th in average annual salary amongst safeties at $10 million. It’s the range where players like Adrian Amos, Jordan Poyer, John Johnson and Micah Hyde have all signed recent free agent deals. At his age and current playing level, Diggs can probably command slightly above that figure, though the strong class of safeties all looking for paydays could also lower the overall market.
Bringing Diggs back to Detroit would likely cost the Lions something near a 3-year, $31.5 million deal with at least $18 million guaranteed. That’s very similar but slightly less than the deal Johnson signed with the Cleveland Browns last offseason. Paying out that much for Diggs would make re-signing Walker difficult but not untenable — and perhaps necessary. The Lions currently project to have just over $36 million in cap room for 2022, though that figure can change quickly with some anticipated moves.
Detroit is in desperate need at safety with Walker, Dean Marlowe and C.J. Moore (restricted) all hitting free agency this offseason. That leaves Will Harris, Brady Breeze and Jalen Elliott on the team at a position that is critical in coordinator Aaron Glenn’s defense.
By the way, the Lions drafted RB Jason Huntley with the pick acquired from Seattle. He didn’t even make the Lions as a rookie and has played exactly 31 snaps in two years with the Eagles, none in 2021.