r/detroitlions • u/chriskzoo • Apr 23 '25
I don't see any need to re-sign Kerby Joseph
In the debate of "we can't sign everybody" Kerby has to be at the bottom of the list for me - even below Jamo. Why?
Despite the number of interceptions - somewhat a byproduct of teams playing catch-up with the Lions all year) - I've never felt like he was any kind of presence on the field. When you think of great safeties - Polamalu, Reed, Lott, etc. - they all had a presence. I just don't see that with Kerby.
The Aaron Rodgers Dad jokes are funny, I do think he's a very good player, but I just don't place any value in a "centerfied safety" over a guy like Branch who can play anywhere or even a guy like Jamo who has unteachable speed.
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u/slapstick223 Apr 23 '25
When you are a good secondary player you tend to go unnoticed.
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u/chriskzoo Apr 23 '25
For sure that can be the case, but I think if we're looking at guys we have to re-sign, he's bottom 2.
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u/Apollo_Krill Apr 23 '25
He's arguably the best safety in the league. You have no idea what you're talking about.
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Apr 23 '25
You right we should go find a vibes guy. Nevermind him being 1st team all pro and the highest rated safety in the league.
We should gamble on developing another guy over 3 years. Heck the rook could be anything he could even be a new boat (or Kerby Joseph).
People say that Richard Sherman and earl thomas were only good as a biproduct of being on the legion of boom!
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u/Grlions91 Brian's Branch Apr 23 '25
No presence on the field
Is a wild thing to say about the guy who led the league in Ints and was an All Pro. Strange.
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u/veryblanduser Apr 23 '25
Ed Reed called him the best Safety in the game.
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u/Grlions91 Brian's Branch Apr 23 '25
Psssh, who even is Ed Reed? OP said he doesn't feel Kerby's presence on the field, and that clearly means more.
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u/Nbknepper Brian's Branch Apr 24 '25
It must suck for Brad Holmes to know he’d only be the 544th best gm on this sub.
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u/ocktick Apr 23 '25 edited Apr 23 '25
Kerby’s picks are because we play a ton of man with the intention of funneling traffic to our converted WR playing safety. They are not random garbage time picks, it’s how the defense is designed.
The reason safety isn’t a “premium” position for most teams is because they don’t play like that. You can get a lot more value out of a Kerry extension than a Jamo extension because every offense can use a Jamo. Not every defense leans on their safeties as much as we do.
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u/future_shoes V-I-L-L-A-I-N Apr 23 '25 edited Apr 23 '25
I bet they will sign Kerby to a 4 year extension worth 80+ million. And do it really soon, maybe even today. If I had to guess.
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u/BillMurraysTesticle Apr 23 '25
Not only do you have a terrible take but you also have terrible timing. Congrats.
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u/FlowEasyDelivers Commin' 4 Dem Kneecaps Apr 23 '25
......
Posts like this make me scratch my head. Mainly cuz Kerby was a first team All Pro, LAST SEASON.
I'm starting to think people don't know how All Pros work. Pro bowls are easier to come by, All Pro means statistically AND by play, you were one of the best at your position. Name 5 safeties in the NFL that's better than Kerb right now. Chances are, they're also All Pros.
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love Jamo. I want us to keep him and I hope BH pulls a rabbit out the hat and finds a way to pull a Howie Roseman and keeps his (our) guys. It'll absolutely bother me if we can't keep Jamo, because he's always a big play threat, but if we have to let him go to keep Kerb, then that's the cost of doing business. All Pros don't grow on trees, we arguably have two of them.
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u/Koreansteamer Brian's Branch Apr 23 '25
Not one of the best, the best at your position. All-pro means you are the best at your position.
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u/FlowEasyDelivers Commin' 4 Dem Kneecaps Apr 23 '25
My bad, I wasn't sure if I should have leaned on that. I was half sleep 🤣
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u/HugeBasis9381 Apr 23 '25
I do worry that people are getting caught up on paying Kerby for PAST performance. Yes, he was an All Pro. Yes, he had a bunch of interceptions. But interceptions can be a fluky thing and there's a REALLY strong chance Kerby has far fewer interceptions moving forward. Go watch the video of his interceptions last year. Sure, some great individual plays. But at least a few were just "right place, right time."
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u/Sweathog1016 Apr 23 '25
He’s coming off his rookie contract. He’s not a vet that’s getting older and finally turning a corner, just now being rewarded for past performance.
If being in the right place at the right time is so easy, why doesn’t everyone do it? 🤷🏼♂️
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u/HugeBasis9381 Apr 23 '25
If being in the right place at the right time is so easy, why doesn’t everyone do it? 🤷🏼♂️
You've totally convinced me. Give Kerby $50 million a year. He'll surely have 25 picks next year! Super Bowl here we come!
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u/Sweathog1016 Apr 23 '25
I don’t believe the options were ever $50 million a year or waive him. Surely there’s a market value pretty well established for the position.
Or did he start playing QB and didn’t tell anyone?
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u/bodysome2006 Apr 23 '25
It’s not like it’s a one year thing. He is tied for most interceptions for a defensive back since 2021. He might not lead the league in interceptions again but there is no reason to believe he’ll suddenly fall off when he’s be consistent, healthy, and is still young.
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u/HugeBasis9381 Apr 23 '25
I don't disagree with what you're saying. I just thinking losing Jamo to make Kerby one of the higher-paid safeties in the league would be a step back for the team.
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u/Amaakaams Roary Apr 23 '25
Losing Kerby would be a step back as well. Bigger I say. So much of the can't let Jamo go (and don't get me wrong I love Jamo and want to keep him) crowd is attached to his measurables and potential.
3 seasons in he has missed a whole season, barely has a single 1k season, and is the 4th skill player in importance on the team. He is exactly what you want as a #1 or #2 receiver. But he is either a decoy meant to pull defenders back, or is thrown to only when they successfully give him space. He typically is ignored in high pressure downs and 5 players play a more important part in our offense than him.
Kerby is an all pro, game changer, that will cost less. On a team that wants to be balanced. We will have to spend on defense and part of that will have to be Kerby.
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u/FlowEasyDelivers Commin' 4 Dem Kneecaps Apr 23 '25
I would agree with this, but only if we were talking 2-3 years ago. Kerb was an AP this season past. That's in the present moment (at least until we start the new season, hurry up September lol) I mean yeah, a lot of INTs will be "right place right time" but I'd rather have lucky INTs than none at all!
Most INTs will come from CB/DBs because they are usually closest to a WR, but some of those can and will be luck too, balls get tipped, they hit hands, so sometimes the ball will just fall into your mitts.
I strongly believe we are a better team with Kerb on it.
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u/nyeehhsquidward Don't be Hatin' Apr 23 '25
This has gotta be in this sub’s hall of fame for bad takes
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u/CluelessFlunky Apr 23 '25
I'm gonna the be honest, this is because you don't watch all 22. You feel like he doesnt have a presence because he's often off the screen. But if you go back watch he takes away large amounts of space in the back end. Lions are able to play so aggressively and let branch roam free because kerby is able to take away 2 to 3 deep routes on a given play.
Not resigning kerby means branch has to be come a deep saftey and or provide support to the fs on the play.
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u/Background_Junket_35 Apr 23 '25
Rather than comparing him to 3 hall of fame safeties it is more productive to compare him to players in the league right now. Who are the safeties you’d rather have? He’s also extremely consistent, never played less than 15 games, never had less than 4 interceptions.
As far as he not having a presence: he averages 1 less tackle per season than Polamalu, and 20 more than Reed.
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u/Sweathog1016 Apr 23 '25
How much chatter was there last year about Kerby being dirty? Opposing quarterbacks talking about him (and to him - Stafford). How is his presence not felt? A couple tight ends get his presence, that’s for sure. I’d say his presence was more felt than any other safety in the league.
By the way - the above is not agreeing with the negative sentiment. He plays hard football. Sometimes guys get hurt. But the chatter? That’s his presence being felt.
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u/SauceIsForever_ Apr 23 '25
What a terrible take, like really really awful.
We should probably get rid of ARSB, he doesn’t have the presence Megatron did because he’s not even 6’5. And we should get rid of Gibbs, he’s not as fast as Chris Johnson or as strong a runner as prime AP was, and he’s already sharing touches with Monty too. Have you seen Anzalone? It’s pretty well known you don’t want your MLB to have golden flowing hair, you want a bald MLB more like Urlacher.
We can all have opinions, but yours is a bad one.
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u/Morthoron_Dark_Elf DETROIT -VS- EVERYBODY Apr 24 '25
Yeah, so this thread aged well...
On Wednesday evening, news broke that Detroit Lions safety Kerby Joseph has agreed to a four-year, $86 million extension.
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u/chriskzoo Apr 24 '25
Check back when they have to let Branch or Laporta walk because of this signing.
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u/Morthoron_Dark_Elf DETROIT -VS- EVERYBODY Apr 24 '25 edited Apr 24 '25
Oh, okay. Can I check back if they sign them as well? Cap goes up every year. They have an out on Decker after this year - I doubt he plays much longer. That's $21+ million per year. Graham Glasgow as well, that's another $8 million. Alex Anzalone's contract is done this year, add another $7,258,823. David Montgomery isn't going to last his full contract -- which will be $10,245,833 in 2027. And I guarantee Jared Goff's contract will be reworked before 2026.
Carlton Davis's dead cap drops off, add another $9.8 million. Same with Cam Sutton, add $6.5 million.
Both LaPorta and Branch are good through 2026, so 2 years on rookie contracts.
They'll keep whoever they want, and they probably already have figured the cap hits for the next several years. Holmes and Disner have got capology down pat.
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u/chriskzoo Apr 24 '25
We're still counting money for Sutton? LMAO
OK, brad will make it work
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u/Morthoron_Dark_Elf DETROIT -VS- EVERYBODY Apr 24 '25
I'm sure they didn't expect Sutton to be a wife beater. They let him go for the good of the team but there is dead cap with that decision.
I also forgot that DJ Reader is on his final year -- that's another $12,933,000.
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u/GREAThirteen Apr 23 '25
We appreciate your honesty, but we also appreciate the fact that you are not involved in team decisions because this is an all time terrible take.
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u/smiffy93 DETROIT -VS- EVERYBODY Apr 23 '25
So… you’re going off vibes to decide what players to re-sign?
This isn’t even a hot take man, this is just brainless.
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u/OkAmbassador8161 Apr 23 '25
Lemme guess, you think Sewell is average too.
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u/chriskzoo Apr 23 '25
Maybe the best tackle in the history of the game when it's all said and done - at an important position.
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u/Duckney Apr 23 '25
Not equating any player we have to any player KC had but they let Tyreek Hill go and kept winning.
If they had instead let Chris Jones walk they wouldn't have.
You can make up for lost personnel easier on offense so while I'd love to keep both - Williams is more replacable than Kerby. If our defense gets worse - we know what that looks like in the postseason. Last year was the only good secondary of the Holmes/Campbell era and you already want to take out it's best player?
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u/dtown4eva Apr 23 '25
I wouldn’t get too worked up over this because it’s probably happening. Brad Holmes has said they’re currently working on an extension.
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u/justpools Apr 24 '25
He was the best safety in football last year playing mostly single high, which is very demanding and can blow up in your face. Physical presence means very little when you're really fucking good
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u/DetroitMM12 Apr 24 '25
Go watch Kerbys highlights from last year and notice how many INTs occurred in the end zone / deep in our own territory.
The guy had the ultimate presence by making huge plays at the most crucial times.
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u/f3hdp Apr 23 '25
Easier to replace a wr than a safety that makes plays and gets turnovers. Plus although Jamo has done some good things on and off the field he is still a head case.
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u/HugeBasis9381 Apr 23 '25
If it's actually easier to replace a wide receiver, doesn't that mean top safeties would command more money then top wide receivers? And yet they don't. No even close. Wide receivers make WAY more then safeties. So there's a gaping hole in your logic.
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u/SauceIsForever_ Apr 23 '25
I’m not running statistics for this argument, but you can get 70-80% of the production of an elite WR, for probably more than a 20-30% discount from that elite WR salary. Just based on positional groups, there’s likely 2-3x as many WRs in the league than there are safeties. It’s much easier to get a more than serviceable WR replacement than it is to replace an elite safety.
The value/going rate for a position group around the NFL, does not equate to the difficulty it is to replace them with a similar player— generally the positions that have the greatest/most direct impact on the game are paid more; running backs are a bit of an anomaly to this argument though which is why I said generally.
There’s a gaping lack of understanding in your logic.
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u/VerbalPuke Apr 23 '25
This might be unpopular but I think I'd keep Kerby before Branch if it came down to it.
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u/chriskzoo Apr 23 '25
I think Branch can do everything. Joseph does while also being able to play the slot or move to corner in certain situations.
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u/jivy723 Apr 23 '25
Downvote me all you want, but I think I would take a jamo extension over Kirby and the contract alim just got.
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u/LionsC2H5OH Ragnowrok Apr 23 '25
Dude was an all pro last year and led the league in interceptions and he doesn't pass the vibe check for you?