The Lions Just Suffered a Major Blow to their Chances in 2023
K. Joudry
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If you’ve been following the headlines, the news that the Lions are offseason kings shouldn’t surprise many. Dan Campbell found a way of getting his team to a respectable 9-8 record. Very few would have expected this outcome, especially following their lackluster beginning to the year.
As a result, it’s stunning to see the latest news for Detroit. According to the NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport, Jameson Williams is being suspended for 6 games due to violating the league’s gambling policy: “Sources: NFL suspended 5 players, including Lions WR Jameson Williams, for violations of NFL gambling policy. Lions’ CJ Moore & Quintez Cephus, plus Commanders’ Shaka Toney, are suspended indefinitely (at least 1 year).”
Almost immediately thereafter, we learned from Adam Schefter of ESPN that Detroit has decided to cut Quintez Cephus and C.J. Moore.
Honestly, folks, this is truly wild news. Most people will think of Calvin Ridley going through the same thing last year. That precedent, one would assume, would be a super strong deterrent from falling into the same mistake. Whether you agree with the harshness of the suspension or not, there’s no debating that the NFL has been clear about their intentions when it comes to this kind of sin. Gambling will be dealt with harshly.
Per Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, the NFL has concluded that the integrity of the games hasn’t been compromised: “The NFL already investigated the violations of the gambling policy by five players, including Lions WR Jameson Williams, and found no evidence that any inside information was used or any NFL game compromised. All violations occurred during the 2022 season.”
Jameson Williams really stands out for Vikings fans because he was drafted by Detroit 12th overall in 2022. How did the Lions get that pick? They convinced Minnesota to hop down from that spot all the way to the 32nd selection (there were several other picks involved).
Doing business with a division rival will always be controversial. Dropping 20 draft slots without getting at least a future 1st will further add to the controversy. Giving your opposition a potential star WR makes the situation even more wild.
Minnesota now won’t have to worry about Williams if they play in the early portion of 2023. Instead, they’d be able to overload their coverage to Amon-Ra St. Brown, a sensational playmaker who is among the NFL’s most underrated talents.
One final thought. Campbell has been a tremendous coach for Detroit. Seeing 4(!) of his players violate the league’s gambling policy all in a single season is completely unexpected. As far as I can tell, this is the trickiest situation he has had to face in his still-young head coaching career. Perhaps he’ll overcome it, but it’s a tough blow for the competitive, fiery coach.
Williams only had a single catch as a rookie. It went for a 41 yards and a TD. Of course, it happened against Minnesota. The hope in Michigan is that he’ll one day blossom into one of the league’s best receivers, but his career hasn’t gotten off to a great start.
He is 22.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this piece.
