Before free agency began, the Detroit Lions signed Canadian Football League edge rusher Mathieu Betts. Given that Betts was voted the CFL’s “Most Outstanding Defensive Player” in 2023, the deal piqued the eye of Lions supporters, particularly those who believed Detroit needed more energy in their pass rush.
Betts completed 2023 with 18 sacks and four forced fumbles in 18 games with the BC Lions. Following the season, he had a private workout with the Lions in December, but tight CFL rules prevented them from signing him until later. When that window eventually opened up, Betts chose to sign with the Lions over other options—despite the fact that they offered no guaranteed money—because he liked the fit in Detroit and viewed
“That’s the roster we were most confident I could crack,” Betts said during a February videoconference. “It was the first workout that I had this offseason and the chemistry, the energy, the discussions I’ve had with the staff there just felt right.”
The Lions clearly liked what they saw. Aside from the outstanding production, Betts’ tenacious playing style fits nicely into Detroit’s ethos.
“Man, that guy plays hard,” general manager Brad Holmes noted during this week’s owners meetings. “He plays like how we want to play, and obviously with all that production let’s go just take a shot and see where it goes.”
However, Holmes also advised Betts to proceed with extreme caution. Good offensive line depth is hard to come by in the NFL, so image the players Betts was running against in the Canadian Football League. Holmes understands that you can’t place too much stock on CFL production.
“Obviously had a lot of production and but you look at the competition and it’s not the same as what he’s going to be facing at this level,” Holmes went on to say. “So you got to keep that in mind as well, with all the production he has.”
The Lions, like any other NFL team, are used to scouting athletes who have played against lower-level opposition. That is precisely the issue in college scouting. Holmes compared the approach to assessing a small-school prospect. However, the added problem with a CFL player—especially if they’re no longer draft eligible—is that they’re unlikely to play in All-Star games like the Senior Bowl or the East-West Shrine game, which would expose them to superior competition before making an investment in them.
But the Lions still have their own methods to try and parse through all the information. Holmes wasn’t willing to give up exactly what the Lions’ scouting team does but admitted it’s a little extra.
“When they don’t do that (play in all-star games), you’ve got to really do your work and we’ve gone through some exercises on it,” Holmes said. “I don’t even want to get into the details, but we’ve gone through some exercises that you’d probably call us pretty crazy for what we’ve done. I’ll say this, there’s a way where you can find the answers to the test and get your questions answered, but you’ve got to really dive deep.”
Under Holmes, the Lions haven’t dipped into the CFL ranks, but they have invested in a few small-school players. Jackson State’s James Houston proved to be a worthwhile investment in the sixth round, while the jury is still out on Western Kentucky defensive tackle Brodric Martin and William & Mary offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal.
Betts will undoubtedly have a chance to compete and make Detroit’s final roster. With Julian Okwara leaving for Philadelphia, Romeo Okwara retiring, and Charles Harris remaining unsigned, there are vacant positions from 2023 that must be filled. Betts will fight against Josh Paschal, John Cominsky, Marcus Davenport, Houston, and Mitchell Agude for a spot on the team in 2024.
