ALLEN
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Hand Jersey , Mich. (AP)The Detroit Lions bolstered their backup options
at quarterback and wide receiver.Detroit signed Matt Cassel on Monday, adding
depth behind Matthew Stafford. The Lions also re-signed restricted free agent TJ
Jones, giving Stafford another target in the passing game.Cassel played
sparingly the past two seasons in Tennessee and the Titans released him earlier
this year, making him an unrestricted free agent. The 13-year veteran also has
played for Dallas, Buffalo, Minnesota, Kansas City and New England.He started 15
games with the Patriots in 2008 when Lions general manager Bob Quinn and coach
Matt Patricia worked for the franchise. Cassel has started 81 games in his
career, completing 59 percent of his passes for 17,449 yards with 104 touchdowns
and 81 interceptions.Jake Rudock, drafted by Detroit in the sixth round two
years ago, and Cassel are expecting to compete to be Stafford¡¯s backup.Jones had
career highs with 30 receptions and 399 yards receiving last season and caught a
touchdown pass. Detroit drafted him in the sixth round in 2014. He has 45 career
receptions for 624 yards and two TDs.¡ª Sometimes you have to ask yourself: Is it
better to be really good at one thing, but poor in other important aspects of
your duties, or would you rather be at least okay in everything without any
stand-out traits? That's the question the Detroit Lions will have to ask
themselves when considering a pass rushing prospect like Florida's Jachai
Polite. Polite has a reputation as a dangerous pass rusher, but the general
consensus on his abilities in run defense or dropping into coverage are fairly
uniform and not positive. The Lions have scouted the University of Florida
probably note than any other school the past couple of seasons, so they've
likely got a pretty good read on Polite's abilities. Are those abilities a clean
fit for a Matt Patricia and Paul Pasqualoni defense?Jachai Polite, OLB,
FloridaHeight: 6020 (6
feet
Sylvester
Williams Jersey White , 2 inches) | Weight: 242 pounds2016 Stats: 6 Solo
Tackles, 11 Total, 2.0 Sacks, 1.5 TFL, 1 FF2017 Stats: 11 Solo Tackles, 22
Total, 2.0 Sacks, 3.5 TFL, 1 FF2018 Stats: 27 Solo Tackles, 45 Total, 11.0
Sacks, 8.5 TFL, 4 PD, 6 FFNOTE: Sacks removed from TFL totalsCurrent Draft
Projection: First RoundBackgroundSome notes from his team profile here.A
heavily-recruited, four-star recruit out of Florida, Polite¡¯s recruitment was
based largely on athletic potential over production. His final season saw him
notch only six solo tackles and 4.0 sacks, though his junior year was far more
productive with 13.0 sacks and 43 solo tackles. He was coached by Mainland¡¯s
Scott
Wilson
Ricky
Jean Francois Jersey , who also coached Jets first-round pick, 2015
All-Rookie, and 2016 Pro Bowl defensive end Leonard Williams as well as Falcons
starting safety Ricardo Allen.Strengths Polite makes his living off what appears
to be a top-tier athletic toolset along with a nose for the football that saw
him with the most forced fumbles in the NCAA last year (six). In 2018, Polite
became a serious playmaker for the Florida Gators, racking up 11.0 sacks, the
aforementioned fumbles, and an impressive four pass deflections. His ability to
burst off the line and create distance between himself and the man assigned to
block him was at times astounding, as he¡¯d get so far past his blocker that he
didn¡¯t even need to bend the edge to get to the quarterback; it was basically a
straight shot. Polite plays on both sides of the line, and while he¡¯s
significantly better standing up, he has the versatility to play with his hand
in the dirt if called upon. He appears to be fast and explosive, and while I
don¡¯t see elite bend in his toolset, I don¡¯t see poor bend either. (Note: this
is an update on my previous comments after watching more tape on him, as his
previous year¡¯s tape looked quite stiff in that area.)WeaknessesWhenever a
player comes in billed as an elite pass rusher, the cliche is that they¡¯re not
good in run defense. It happens every year with players like Polite, and often
it¡¯s far more complicated. Polite is not a great run defender. He posted a
respectable 8.5 TFL in 2018, but that wasn¡¯t really indicative of how he played
the run in general. When blockers got their hands on him, he rarely had the
length or strength to break free and his lack of counters shows up on virtually
every game you watch. His speed in pursuit is quite
impressive
http://www.lionslockerroom.com/authentic-jalen-reeves-maybin -jersey ,
but his understanding of what angles to take in pursuit is rudimentary at best
and often poor. I noted struggles with length in about a third of the games I
watched, which suggests either an actual lack of length or a lack of
understanding for how to use it effectively. While he can play both sides of the
line and is able to play with a hand in the dirt, he¡¯s not the movable chess
piece a play-caller like Matt Patricia prefers. Position Specific TraitsPass
RushClearly his specialty, Jachai Polite displays a decent repertoire of pass
rushing moves, though he has his preferences trying to tear around the edge or
use an impressive spin move. He lacks much in terms of counters, so his first
move has to be special for him to be as productive as he is. One of the most
explosive players off the edge this season, Polite displays a keen understanding
of his opponent¡¯s snap counts and the lower body burst to get up field in a
hurry. Previously, I had knocked Polite for his bend, stating that he relied
almost exclusively on his explosiveness to win, but after watching more of him I
think his traits in that area are fine, though probably not top tier. He does
rely on his burst to win more often than not, but it¡¯s more a case of having one
great trick than having only one trick. Polite isn¡¯t a flawless pass rusher, he
will get eaten up by blockers if his first move doesn¡¯t work, and he has a
tendency to completely overrun his rush, a product of a play style that favors
getting past his blocker over beating him with moves. Run DefensePart of the
perceived issues with Polite¡¯s run defense involve how he¡¯s used. Florida played
to his strengths and had him attacking the backfield nearly every play. That
occasionally put him way out of position. Acknowledging that, when Polite was
used in run defense and tested, he often struggled with his assignments. These
were mostly
mental
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and finding the best way to get there. The biggest issue with run defense for
Polite, however, was how much more his pass rushing problems show up in the run
game. As a pass rusher, Polite can get eaten up by blockers if his burst doesn¡¯t
work, and due to his style, he can overrun his assignment. In the run game,
those issues get exposed far more than in the passing game since his strengths
as an explosive rusher can become liabilities that offenses can scheme for.
Athletic Ability I have no concerns over Polite¡¯s athletic ability and expect
him to test well. His size is going to be concerning for the Lions¡¯ defense, as
they prefer players at all pass rushing spots that are bigger, and Polite¡¯s
frame doesn¡¯t leave much room to grow. Personal ProjectionPolite¡¯s projection
has been a bit all over the place, but I¡¯ve seen him as high as the Lions pick
as eight and out of the first round altogether. His upside as a pass rusher is
through the roof and this is a passing league. I think his projection is going
to be around Bruce Irvin area, middle of the first round. Irvin came out with a
projection as a pass rushing specialist with schematic limitations and that¡¯s
pretty much the same with Polite. For the Lions to gain his services, they¡¯d
either have to take him at eight or nab him after trading down. Of course, the
latter would be preferable because it means more picks, but this is a tougher
draft to sell a trade up and thus, a trade down.