All Lions

Detroit Lions Sign Former Eagles OL Halapoulivaati Vaitai

Deal is reportedly worth $50 million over five years

John Maakaron

Detroit has made its first big splash in free agency, acquiring former Eagles offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai, per NFL insider Adam Caplan.

The deal is reportedly worth $50 million over five years.

He played college football at TCU. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Eagles.

Vaitai has earned a reputation for his versatility, after showing he could be productive playing several positions on Philadelphia's offensive line.

At 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, Vaitai has only started four games the past two seasons. His primary role in 2019 was as a backup.

Last season, Vaitai played 477 snaps -- with most of his snaps coming at right tackle. 

He earned grades of 62.1 in pass-blocking and 75.4 in run-blocking, per Pro Football Focus.

His pass-blocking ranked 77th, and he graded out as the 22nd-best offensive tackle in the NFL.

It is expected that Vaitai will replace the recently released Rick Wagner, who largely struggled in his three seasons with the Lions.

The contract agreement becomes official Wednesday at 4 p.m. EST -- which coincides with the start of the new league year.

Published
John Maakaron
JOHN MAAKARON

John Maakaron has covered Detroit Sports since 2013. Brings a vast array of experience covering the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, Michigan Wolverines, Michigan State Spartans, Detroit Mercy Titans, and Oakland University Golden Grizzlies. John brings a wealth of sports broadcast experience. In 2013, John had the vision to establish the Detroit Sports Podcast Network. Has recorded over 3000 podcasts analyzing Detroit Sports. In 2019, Sports Illustrated Media Group, a historical sports media outlet, partnered with Detroit Sports Podcast to provide daily Lions content for their growing and expanding digital media outlet. Our Lions content can also be read in the newspaper at The Oakland  Passionate about Detroit Sports and it is reflected in his coverage of the local teams!

Home/News