How does Jameson Williams' suspension affect his future with the Lions?

It's been a minute since I did a Detroit Lions mailbag, but with so much in the news this week – the Lions beating the Vikings for first place in the NFC North, Jameson Williams' suspension and trade possibilities continued to simmer – it seemed like a good time to answer your questions. Here it goes (questions lightly edited for clarity and brevity):

Thank you, Dave, for managing these mailbags. From what you've heard, do you think the Lions will look to acquire a top edge rusher or trade for a rotational edge rusher? – @jamara23732

The topic on everyone's mind this week still seems to be what the Lions will do to replace Aidan Hutchinson.

First, let me say: Yes, I believe the Lions will make a trade for them on defense. Dan Campbell hinted at this on Tuesday when he said, “We just need a little bit more,” and he has suggested in multiple interviews that the Lions are more likely to get a rotation rusher than the bench for one of the bigs to blow up the league's name.

It's not that the Lions don't like Maxx Crosby (I can assure you that) or that they can't fit such a player into the salary cap (they can), but we don't even know if that caliber player is available through one Trade – The Las Vegas Raiders have shown no inclination to do business with Crosby so far – and if they do, there are longer-term contract issues that make such a trade unlikely.

A contract negotiator told me last week that Hutchinson will likely get a deal in the region of $40 million per season if the Lions extend his contract (the first time they've done so after the season). Crosby is making an average of $23.5 million per year under his current contract, which runs through 2026. He'll need a new contract soon if he goes anywhere (and probably even if he doesn't), and teams' purchasing power isn't infinite in their budgets.

I think Za'Darius Smith is a more likely player grade and would do a lot to improve the Lions' pass rush.

Hello Dave! I love the book. I hope sales far exceed your expectations. Huge W Sunday! So do you still think we'll win the best league in football without Hutch? – @SteveElsey2

Hutchinson's absence is a huge loss, as we saw in the Vikings' win, when the Lions struggled to generate pressure with their four-man pass rush most of the day. They created a rush with plenty of linebacker blitzes, and while that was effective in one game, I don't think it's sustainable for the season, especially against better quarterbacks.

The Lions won't come into the game at 16-1. They still have a few losses left and tough games ahead of them, including against the Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. But yeah, I still think they'll win the division.

The Lions may have the best roster in all of football and are one of the top three teams in the league alongside the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens. The NFC North is brutal. The Vikings, Packers and Chicago Bears all have legitimate playoff hopes. The Lions have the toughest remaining schedule in the division, but are also well-equipped to overcome the pitfalls.

I think 12 or 13 wins is likely and that should be enough to win a division where everyone competes.

What do you think is the most Brad would give up for an Edge? – @evanderjoseph

One final trading question for the day. Holmes doesn’t want to deviate from his draft-and-develop approach. He has made the Lions Super Bowl contenders and wants to keep them there in the coming years.

That being said, I don't think compensation for Holmes will be an issue in any industry. If he wanted a player like Crosby and had to give up, say, two first-round picks to get him, I think he would be willing to do that. There simply aren't many players who earn that much capital.

A reminder on the compensation front: The Lions don't have a third-round pick in this year's draft, so they may have to get creative with any package to get a pass rusher. Maybe a fourth-round pick in 2025 and a later-round pick in 2026 will get a deal done, but they used their third pick in 2025 to trade for Gio Manu, who still has at least a year left of his contribution is removed.

With this latest suspension, do you think the Lions are losing faith in Jameson for a future deal or do you still firmly believe in him? – @LionsPride8123

I don't yet know exactly what Williams did to violate the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances, but I think there's some nuance to this answer.

Williams is 23 years old and by all accounts has made great strides in his maturity on and off the field. He is well-liked by his teammates, he has worked hard on his game and is a unique weapon on offense that is in the midst of a breakout season.

But it's now undeniable that he was suspended twice in two seasons for violating NFL rules. No matter how outrageous the offense is, that has to give a team pause when it comes to giving them a big assignment. When his ban comes into effect this week, by the end of his commitment he will have missed 18 of the 42 games he has been in the squad for since being called up. Part of it was due to injury, part of it was due to his own fault.

The Lions could one day sign Williams to a long-term extension, but I suspect they will make that decision slowly. With Hutchinson, Kerby Joseph, Levi Onwuzurike and Derrick Barnes among the other homegrown players on or eligible for a new contract after this season, the Lions' best move is to option one up this spring fifth year at Williams to retain control through 2026 and reconsider the idea of an extension after next year.

What do you think of the Brady/Goff comparisons? – @Franey_sizemore

Is that really a thing?

Tom Brady is the best quarterback in NFL history. This isn't an insult to Jared Goff, but I don't think anyone should be comparing the two as quarterbacks right now.

GOFF FOR MVP? What Jared Goff needs to do to join Barry Sanders as the only Detroit Lions to win NFL MVP

Still, Goff is having an outstanding year. He joins Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen on the short list of league MVP candidates and has put together an impressive four-game stretch in which the Lions have more offensive touchdowns (18) than incompletions (16). Goff has excelled against the blitz this year, keeping turnovers to a minimum and managing to take advantage of what the defense gives him.

Brady experienced a similar epiphany during his career when he realized that finishing mattered and that not turning the ball over was crucial to winning. But I'll politely downplay the comparison of a quarterback to Brady until they have a similar ring count.

A third of the way through the season, who is your pick for team MVP? – @MrEd315

Let's end with this. I don't think there's any debate about the Lions' offensive or defensive MVPs through six games. Goff is an NFL MVP candidate and certainly the catalyst of this offense, and Hutchinson was the most important player on defense with his 7.5 sacks.

Looking forward, Goff plays too important a position to believe anyone will overtake him in a team MVP poll, although Jahmyr Gibbs was electrifying in the backcourt and Amon-Ra St. Brown last week in a high-risk game against the Vikings delivered. As for defense, I think Brian Branch will finish the season as MVP.

Branch is headed to the Pro Bowl. He's a stats geek who produces takeaways, stops the run and records it in coverage – and that only begins to describe his value. I wouldn't pass up Alim McNeill, Alex Anzalone or Kerby Joseph as defensive MVP candidates, but I wouldn't choose any of those players over Branch either.

Contact Dave Birkett at [email protected]. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

How does Jameson Williams' suspension affect his future with the Lions?

ByVanessa

Thank you, Dave, for managing these mailbags. From what you've heard, do you think the Lions will look to acquire a top edge rusher or trade for a rotational edge rusher? – @jamara23732

Hello Dave! I love the book. I hope sales far exceed your expectations. Huge W Sunday! So do you still think we'll win the best league in football without Hutch? – @SteveElsey2

What do you think is the most Brad would give up for an Edge? – @evanderjoseph

With this latest suspension, do you think the Lions are losing faith in Jameson for a future deal or do you still firmly believe in him? – @LionsPride8123

What do you think of the Brady/Goff comparisons? – @Franey_sizemore

A third of the way through the season, who is your pick for team MVP? – @MrEd315

By Vanessa

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