Vikings Rivals Land Another Top Defender in Free Agency
Josh Frey
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The Detroit Lions have sneakily made a number of very strong moves in free agency this offseason, and on Sunday evening, the Vikings rivals were at it once again. ESPN‘s Adam Schefter announced that former Philadelphia Eagles defensive back Chauncey Gardner-Johnson would be heading to Detroit.
After spending his first three NFL seasons with the New Orleans Saints, Gardner-Johnson was traded to Philadelphia ahead of the 2022 season, and with the Eagles, he tied for the NFL-lead with six interceptions despite playing just 12 games. He also recorded 67 tackles, 5 TFLs, a sack, and 8 passes defended.
Overall, during his first four seasons after being a fourth-round pick in the 2019 Draft, Gardner-Johnson has put together 228 tackles, 20 TFLs, 4 sacks, 36 passes defended, 11 interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
This is just the latest addition to improve a Lions defense that tied with the Vikings for the third-most points allowed during the season. Earlier this week, the Lions also signed CB Cam Sutton from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Between the additions of Gardner-Johnson and Sutton, along with the growth of Kerby Joseph and Jeff Okudah, the Lions defense looks like a group that is on the up-and-up.
They may be the favorites to win the NFC North at this point, especially if their offense remains as productive as it was during 2022. Last season, the Lions may have struggled defensively, but they ranked among the top five in the league in points scored and total yards. There is still a lot of offseason ahead of us, but the Lions look like a scary team right now.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.