Trey Hendrickson 'Boom-or-Bust Option' for Lions' Defense

Could the Detroit Lions again look to the New Orleans Saints to help the defense?

The Detroit Lions are not expected to sign many of their own free agents when free agency officially kicks off March 17 at 4 p.m. EST. 

Defensive end Romeo Okwara is expected to test the market, and if a team offers him a hefty raise, Detroit's defense will be looking to replace a talented defender who had 10 sacks in 2020. 

The Athletic recently compiled a list of the top unrestricted free agents, and predicted where each would land. 

Sheil Kapadia writes, "Hendrickson presents a boom-or-bust option. He had 13.5 sacks and 25 quarterback hits with the Saints last season but had 6.5 sacks and 18 quarterback hits over his first three seasons. New Lions head coach Dan Campbell spent the past five years on the Saints’ staff. He should know better than most whether Hendrickson is a one-year wonder or an ascending player. The Lions need help pretty much everywhere on their roster. They can’t be picky about need and just need to identify young, talented players who fit their scheme."

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Many analysts have noted that he may not be as athletic as many others who play the same position, as his technique can at times fall off, causing him to struggle with getting the necessary push to be a dominant defensive end. 

Detroit could also look to the Rams by targeting Samson Ebukam, or the defense could stand pat in free agency and rely on the development of Austin Bryant and Julian Okwara while targeting defensive players in the upcoming NFL Draft. 

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