The Detroit Lions know how important inking Tyliek Williams to his rookie deal was. They’ve seen what the Cincinnati Bengals have done with their litany of contracts – Shemar Stewart the most recent and relevant – and wanted no such problems.
The two wides agreed on a four-year deal worth $16.5 million, including $8.6 million guaranteed. The Lions have some serious needs on the defensive line so making sure Williams was part of the roster. It seems they learned from how the Bengals have seemingly botched every contract negotiation they’ve had to address this offseason.
Not even counting Trey Hendrickson, the fact that the Bengals haven’t signed their first round pick yet is alarming. The Lions didn’t want the narrative about the team centered around signing a player. They also know they are thin at defensive tackle so there was no need to play around with making it official.