While Lawrence might be too expensive for the Raiders coming off a career year, there is a chance that the Silver and Black could poach one of the few standouts from the 2013 NFL Draft’s first-round in Detroit Lions defensive end Ezekiel Ansah. Why would the Lions let him walk after five years?
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No, it doesn’t seem likely, but that doesn’t mean the Raiders should pursue the Pro Bowl pass rusher from BYU. Keep in mind that the Lions will be undergoing a few changes to their coaching staff. Former head coach Jim Caldwell was fired. New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia is expected to be his replacement. Former Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin shockingly left town to replace Paul Guenther as the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator.
Could Ansah get lost in the shuffle in Detroit this offseason? Well, it’s not like the Lions are one of the most well-run organizations in professional football. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh skipped town for the Miami Dolphins for his second contract. If that happened, Ansah could be playing elsewhere in 2018, especially with Austin leaving the organization.
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Again like with Lawrence, we could see Ansah as a pass-rushing redundancy with Irvin and Mack already on the Raiders. As with Lawrence again, Ansah had more sacks than Irvin and Mack in 2017. With 44.0 sacks in five years out of BYU, yes, Ansah is absolutely worth a top-dollar contract in his first unrestricted free agency. He’s going to get paid one way or another.