One of the biggest questions facing the Detroit Lions this free agency was whether they would be able to retain 2021 second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike. With the 27-year-old defender coming off his best season and the defensive tackle market skyrocketing, many projections had Onwuzurike commanding $10-15 million a year—which would almost certainly be outside of Detroit’s price range.
Surprisingly, those estimates were way off. Onwuzurike ended up re-signing with the Lions on a one-year, $5.5 million deal. Presumably, other teams were understandably scared off by Onwuzurike’s injury history. The back issues he dealt with for the first two years of his career resulted in a spinal fusion surgery, and caused him to play just 528 through three seasons.