The Detroit Lions head into the offseason with several questions surrounding their roster that first must be addressed if there is any hope for a serious playoff push in the 2018 season. One of these inquiries includes the long-term future of former Pro Bowl defensive end Ziggy Ansah with the team.

Ansah has completed the fifth-year option of his rookie deal that put him on the fast track to potentially hit the free agent market, However, the Lions have made it clear that the 28-year-old is in their future plans by placing the franchise tag on him on Tuesday afternoon, according to Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network.

Although Ansah has dealt with nagging injuries over the last two seasons, he has proven to be game-changer on the defensive line when healthy. He has recorded a pair of double-digit sack campaigns twice in the last three years while racking up 44.0 for his career in his first five years.

In the 2017 season, Ansah finished tied for eighth in the league with 12.0 sacks with 44 total tackles, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in 14 games. This included three separate games with three sacks pushing his career total to four such performance tying him with Robert Porcher for the most in franchise history.

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Ansah clearly has the talent that should make him a cornerstone piece of the team defensively for the next several seasons. The franchise tag that has been placed on him will pay him approximately $17.5 million in 2018, but that number could change if the Lions are able to work out a new deal with him prior to the deadline for an extension on July 16. If both sides are not able to work out a new deal, the team will at least have him under contract for the 2018 season.

The decision to place the franchise tag on Ansah will take a significant chunk out of the projected $49.1 million in salary cap space this offseason. This still leaves them with enough financial flexibility to make additional moves to the roster.