Pros and Cons of Lions Signing A'Shawn Robinson

Read more on the pros and cons of the Lions signing defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson.

The Lions went into this offseason needing help all along the defensive side of the ball. 

A season ago, Detroit allowed a league-worst 6,670 yards, including the third-most passing yards in the league (4,179). 

As a result, Detroit general manager Brad Holmes made it a top priority to upgrade the team's secondary. He did a commendable job of it, too, adding defensive backs Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

The Lions didn't just have issues stopping opposing teams' passing attacks in 2022, though. Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn's unit also struggled to limit the opposition's ground game.

In fact, the Lions permitted the fourth-most rushing yards a season ago (2,491).

So, next up for Holmes should be upgrading the team's subpar rush defense, and one way in which he could do just that is by adding to the interior of Detroit's defensive line.

Enter former Lions defensive lineman A'Shawn Robinson, who is currently an unrestricted free agent. 

The 6-foot-4, 330-pounder was drafted by former Lions general manager Bob Quinn in the second round of the 2016 draft, and proceeded to spend four seasons in Detroit. 

He departed the Motor City as a free agent in 2020, and inked a contract with the L.A. Rams. He played in 35 games with the Rams (primarily as a starter his final two seasons), and won a Super Bowl with the organization during the 2021 campaign. 

As a member of the Lions, he suited up for 58 games (made 37 starts), and accumulated a total of 172 tackles, including 16 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hits and five sacks. 

Robinson has only suited up for a full season's worth of games once (2017). However, when the Alabama product does play, he's proven to be an effective run-stopper.

Just this past season, he produced a respectable run-stop win rate of 39.5 percent and a Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 68.7. 

Robinson would provide immediate assistance to Detroit's run-stuffing efforts. He'll also be just 28 years old this upcoming season, and has the potential to be signed to a very affordable contract.

According to Spotrac, he's likely to receive a multi-year contract that's in the neighborhood of $8 million a season (three years, $24 million). 

The only notable detractor with Robinson is the fact that he's been injury prone throughout his career. For example, his 2022 campaign ended prematurely due to a torn meniscus.

However, if Holmes can look past that and get the veteran lineman at a reasonable cost (such as for the financial terms above), Robinson would be a more than worthwhile investment for a Lions team in dire need of help along the interior of the defensive line.