After four years in Detroit, Tracy Walker had the option of trying to win somewhere else. He re-signed with the Lions because he'd rather win here.
Walker said Tuesday that he "had offers" from teams who "wanted" him as a free agent safety who was set to hit the market Wednesday, but Detroit "just felt like home for me." When he awoke Monday morning to a phone call from his agent with a three-year, $25 million offer from the Lions, Walker accepted it before other suitors had a chance to respond "because I knew where I wanted to be at."
"Detroit was the best place for me to come back to," Walker said. "I feel like I have unfinished business here, so I’m ready to continue to build on it."
And what business is unfinished for Walker? How bout four last-place finishes in four years with the Lions, including a record of 3-13-1 last season?
"I don’t think anybody wants to go out that way," said Walker. "We ended the season on a positive note, and that’s the unfinished business that I’m talking about. Everybody just always doubts the Lions and I hate that. I hate seeing people always think that we’re not accounted for, or better yet, not going to be a winning organization just because of past history, when each year, each team is different. And this is a new team."
The Lions did play better football down the stretch last season, beating the Packers and Cardinals as part of a 3-3 finish. Their defense improved, too. Under first-year coordinator Aaron Glenn, who nearly landed the Saints head coaching job this offseason, the Lions held five of their final nine opponents to 20 points or fewer. Walker was a big part of that, patrolling the secondary as Detroit's starting free safety and leading the team in tackles.
It was a bounce-back season for the former third-round pick, whose play had slipped in Matt Patricia's defense, which ultimately fell flat on its own face. He said Detroit's new coaching staff led by Dan Campbell, especially Glenn and defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant, "played a huge role in me coming back."
"I just see where everything is going here," Walker said. "Being here my first three years and going through what I went through, seeing these guys come in last year and the momentum they brought with them and the leadership and the ideas they brought, that made me want to stick around and be a part of it."
Which made for some uneasy moments this winter, Walker admitted with a laugh, when it looked like Glenn might be on his way out. Same in regard to Pleasant, another rising name in the coaching industry.
"Yeah, I was nervous about a lot of things. AG, AP, it was a lot of things going on this offseason that I had to be accountable for. I took all that into account and thank God I still have them here," Walker said. "Like I said, that’s definitely why I chose to come back."
Beyond Detroit's record last season, Walker is well aware of the final numbers on defense: 29th in the NFL in yards allowed, 31st in points allowed, 32nd in passing yards per attempt. That won't sit well with any defensive player, much less a starting safety. The Lions also allowed the league's third highest passer rating. But they were young on defense before a rash of injuries made them younger, and ultimately made them better. That's partly why Walker has high hopes for the team entering 2022.
"The foundation was very, very shaky simply because we had a new coaching staff, new scheme and everyone’s trying to learn how to play with each other. It’s a whole lot of nuances you have to deal with," he said. "For those young guys to continue to grow and develop, that’s the main thing and that’s what I saw from them. As long as you continue with steady growth, the sky’s the limit."
The rest of Walker's confidence in the Lions, a team that's more than 30 games under .500 with the second most losses in the NFL since the year he arrived, circles back to the coaching staff.
"I believe in these guys," he said. "I believe in everything these guys stand for and what they’re all about. We’re all on the same agenda. We all want to win. Like I said, I’ve been here four years, I’m tired of losing in Detroit. And the coaches feel the same: they’re tired of seeing Detroit be a laughingstock in the NFL.
"So that’s the confidence right there. I see where things can be at. We’re only a couple plays away, and that’s been proven. I feel like we’re on the come-up. I'm not going to sit here and pretend like I’m a genie or anything, but I'm very confident in what we’re bringing this year. Now we just gotta go out there, continue to build on it and put it together."