Open thread: What are expectations for newly-signed Mathieu Betts?

The Detroit Lions signed the former CFL Most Outstanding Defensive Player, but what are realistic expectations for Mathieu Betts.

The Detroit Lions made a splash in the CFL world this week when they signed the CFL’s 2023 Most Outstanding Defensive Player, Mathieu Betts. That’s quite the headline, and may be enticing to Lions fans who are yearning for pass rush opposite of Aidan Hutchinson. After all, Betts posted 18 sacks in 18 games this past season for the BC Lions. However, it’s important to be realistic with expectations.

Question of the day: What are your expectations for the newly signed Mathieu Betts?

I think it’s most important to put expectations into a range for Betts. Obviously, he’s a bit of a wild card coming from the CFL, so I’ll categorize his outcomes by floor, ceiling, and most realistic outcome.

For me, the floor is a guy who makes it through most of training camp, and possibly sticks around as a name on the practice squad for some or all of the season. After all, he is the CFL’s finest, and that counts for something. The ceiling, on the other hand, is somewhat akin to a 2021 Charles Harris—bursts onto the scene with a few flashy sacks and works in as part of a rotational pass rush.

The most realistic outcome is somewhere in the middle—the kind of player who has a game with a sack or sack and a half once or twice a year on limited snaps, possibly with the occasional inactive designation.

Some of you may be seeing that as a pessimistic view, but you have to consider a few factors. For one, he’s quite undersized, coming out of college in 2019 at just 6-foot-2, 255 pounds. That’s simply not an every-down lineman in the NFL, bar the rare Aaron Donald-esque exception.

It’s also important to contextualize some of his statistics. He posted 18 sacks against guys who are effectively NFL practice squad caliber, if even that. He also did it moreso with motor than with bend or agility, which will be harder to replicate on an NFL field compared to the wider CFL fields.

At the end of the day, this is a wild card flyer with very low risk and essentially all upside. I like the move by Brad Holmes. However, it’s important to remember that no matter how good the stats look, this guy was playing in a whole different level of football, and usually these guys aren’t in the NFL for a reason. That said, I hope he proves me wrong.

Your turn. What are your expectations for Mathieu Betts? Let us know in the comments.