Ezekiel Ansah rumors: 5 best fits in NFL free agency
By Joe Schiller
Defensive end Ezekiel Ansah is an impending unrestricted free agent come March 14. Here are his five best fits in free agency.
From walking on to the BYU football team in 2010 to becoming an NFL Pro Bowler, it’s been quite the journey for Ezekiel “Ziggy” Ansah. The Detroit Lions bet on potential in the 2013 draft and the results have been everything they’ve hoped for and more.
In five seasons, Ansah has developed into one of the NFL’s premier pass rushers. In a contract year, he balled out in 2017 and finished the year with 12 sacks and 44 total tackles. The Lions have exhausted every option possible from Ansah’s rookie contract and he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent on March 14th.
Per Spotrac.com’s market value, Ansah is expected to garner $13+ million a year in free agency. That would make him one of the league’s top pass rushers. Now it’s time to see who’s going to throw money his way.
Here are five likely landing spots in free agency this offseason.
5. Detroit Lions
With a defensive-minded coach in Matt Patricia now at the helm, one of his first priorities should be retaining Ansah. Whether it’s the franchise tag or a long-term deal, the Lions must continue to bolster the pass rush. That means keeping Ansah at all means possible.
Ansah’s production has been sporadic in five seasons because of injuries but he’s shown enough to warrant a long-term contract. He’s finished with 12+ sacks two of the last three seasons. Forget that Ansah is already 28 years old, the Lions know the kind of production he brings to the table. Coming off a 2017 season where Ansah was able to stay healthy on the field, he was a disruptive force in the pass rush.
Anthony Zettel is a up-and-coming talent alongside Ansah and the two could make for a dynamic duo in Detroit. Just imagine the havoc they could create on the edge for years to come. That would certainly be beneficial against the likes of Aaron Rodgers and the rest of the NFC North quarterbacks.
The Lions are projected to have $44.7 million in cap space this offseason. That’s enough flexibility to keep Ansah around. Patricia never had a top pass-rusher during his time in New England but he’s got the opportunity to coach one of the best in the business next season.