The Detroit Lions may only have a temporary pact in place with defensive end Ezekiel Ansah after placing the franchise tag on him this offseason, but General Manager Bob Quinn made it clear how highly they value the veteran pass rusher.
According to Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com, Quinn said retaining Ansah was the team’s “number one conversation” had this offseason between himself and new head coach Matt Patricia.
The decision to use the franchise tag on Ansah came soon after Patricia was hired with the team officially placing the tag on Ansah in late February.
The tag for defensive ends comes in at just over $17 million for 2018. Ansah is coming off a 12-sack season for the Lions last season and had 14.5 sacks in 2015.
The Lions have until mid-July to come to an agreement with Ansah on a long-term contract or he will be tied to his one-year tender with the team.