Seems like an interesting potential free agent defensive end. I have seen him ranked on most "best of" free agent lists. Saw this article earlier and it has some interesting notes.
http://www.mlive.com/lions/index.ssf/201...MLive.com)
Quote:ProFootballFocus ranked him as the 16th best 4-3 defensive end last year, ahead of his more heralded teammate Ezekiel Ansah (No. 30).
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Quote:SI's Greg Bedard ranked Young as the sixth-best defensive end (41st overall) set to hit the market, trailing Carolina's Greg Hardy (No. 1), Seattle's Michael Bennett (No. 3), Cincinnati's Michael Johnson (No. 4), Oakland's Lamarr Houston (No. 16) and Minnesota's Everson Griffen (No. 32).
Was wondering how he was viewed by Lions fans. I would lie if I said I saw many Detroit games but it seems like his stats on paper may not tell his total worth. Thanks.
Bon Jagley, prior to the 2013 regular season, Willie Young was most known for two things:
1. He was arguably the Lions best Defensive player in the pre-season games in all 4 of his seasons with the team. Yet, when it came to the regular season, Young hardly saw the field as a rookie, showed flashes in his 2nd season but not enough consistency. In Young's 3rd season, he was a huge disappointment. Practically no production. Young's nickname was ' Mr. August'.
2. He's an avid fisherman. While Young plays the football with passion and has improved his work ethic, if fishing brought in the type of income that football did or even close, Young would probably be a professional fisherman. A team like the Jaguars might appeal to him with the Atlantic Ocean near by.
In 2013, after another outstanding pre-season, Willie Young's play finally carried over into the regular season. He got the best of Vikings LT Matt Kahil when they were matched up in the season opener. Once Jason Jones went down for the season in game # 3 in the road win against the Redskins with a torn Patellar Tendon, Young became the starting LDE. He saw most of his action at that position but the Defensive Lineman did move around a significant number of times. There were formations in which the DT's were lined up at DE and the DE's moving inside. Hence, Young has good versatility up front.
Young only had 3 sacks in 2013 but did get plenty of QB pressure. Because of the attention Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley got inside, Young had more favorable matchups than many DE's around the league. However, the opposition did keep in extra blockers more so against the Lions than most teams. Hence, Young did see his share of double teams and chips. Despite modest weight ( 251 ), Young played the run well this past season. Like all of the current Lions DE's, Young has a long wingspan. That helps him against the run and as a pass rusher.
One concern with Willie Young is still penalties. He's not the most disciplined player, both in terms of committing personal fouls and staying onside before the snap.
From a Lions fan perspective, I would certainly like Willie Young to return. I'm concerned about Jason Jones returning to his pre-injury form. Not to mention, Ziggy Ansah had a shoulder procedure after the 2013 season ended. Devin Taylor displayed plenty of promise as a rookie but depth at DE and along the D-Line is essential. Because of the Lions salary cap situation, it wouldn't surprise me if another team offered more than the Lions could realistically pay Young, based on perceived value.
For the Jaguars, my guess is Willie Young would play the LEO position. He's not a Red Bryant type of DE. While Young displays some explosion, he more likely than not isn't the blueprint of what Gus Bradley would prefer at the LEO position. At least as a primary starter. A younger DeMarcus Ware would be more along the lines of that type of player.
One additional thing to keep in mind about Willie Young is he was a 25 year old rookie. Young turns 29 in September.