Photo Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Philadelphia took another free agent off the board today, nabbing O.J. Atogwe on a one-year deal. The Lions showed considerable interest in the former St. Louis Ram and Washington Redskin back in May when they hosted him for a visit. He left Detroit without a deal, and there hadn’t been much news on the issue since. Other safeties they brought in during the off-season are Chris Crocker and Sean Jones.

Right now, the Lions have five guys that could potentially compete for the starting jobs. Louis Delmas is close to a lock and Amari Spievey should start at the other safety, so long as they stay healthy. They also return Erik Coleman, John Wendling and converted from cornerback Don Carey.

With that group of guys, there is no room for an injury, so it’s necessary for the Lions to sign at least another safety before the start of the season. The team ran in to similar problems last season in terms of depth, when they had to start former wide receiver Rashied Davis in the secondary. Now that the free agent pool is a bit smaller, Detroit should be prioritizing signing a safety immediately.

Another guy the Lions have reportedly shown interest in some time ago is Deon Grant, who spent last season in the New York Giants’ secondary. He’s 31 years old, but the Lions aren’t really in the market for a safety to be in it for the long haul, but rather a crafty veteran who can mix it up. Right now it’s all about depth, and Grant can give you quality time from the bench and can start if needed. Last year he had 64 total tackles, a sack and an interception.

He’s reliable as well. Since 2001, Grant’s sophomore year, he has played in in every regular season game (176 out of 176) while starting in all but 15 of those. As a member of last year’s Super Bowl winning Giants, he brings some veteran leadership to the table as well, similar to how Chris Harris did last year. That’s the kind of durability the Lions need so desperately.

Some of the other safeties that are still available are Jim Leonhard (Jets), Jon McGraw (Chiefs), Melvin Bullitt (Colts) and Chris Harris.

November 6, 2011; New Orleans, LA, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Sean Jones (26) prior to kickoff of a game against the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

The Detroit Lions continue to try to address the concerns at safety.  Former Bengals safety, Chris Crocker, visited the Lions two days ago and the team also hosted O.J. Atogwe before that.  Neither free agent has signed yet.  Now it is reported that safety Sean Jones, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2011, visited the Lions this past week.

Sean Jones has played in the NFL for the past eight years with three different teams (Bucs, Eagles, Browns).  Last year, Jones played in every game for Tampa Bay.  He recorded 92 tackles and a sack in 2011.

For Sean Jones, his best years are clearly behind him.  This wouldn’t be the first choice for the Lions, but the Lions need to do something to upgrade the position.  The position may be Detroit’s biggest hole and it needs to be filled especially in a division like the NFC North.  It doesn’t help that it is a weak year for free agent safeties.

Unless O.J. Atogwe signs with the Lions, it looks like the team will have to roll with Amari Spievey and Louis Delmas as the starters.  Although both were far from great last year, maybe the bigger concern is the lack of depth at the position.  Right now Ricardo Silva, John Wendling, and Erik Coleman are backups at the position.  Hopefully the Lions can add someone just for depth purposes.

Offensive Line Prospects

Riley Reiff – Tackle – Iowa – (vs Oklahoma, Dec. 30th 10 PM)

Perhaps even more so than the tight end position, the University of Iowa is an absolute offensive lineman factory. Kirk Ferentz is a former NFL offensive line coach, and the Hawkeyes have one of the best strength and conditioning programs in all the land. Riley Reiff was a 250 pound defensive end when he came to Iowa, and with one year of strength, conditioning, and a change in diet, the Hawkeyes got him up to 300 pounds and in two years have developed him into a first round offensive tackle. Reiff will likely be an All Big Ten performer in 2011 and if he stays healthy, could be a top 15 pick in the draft. A great athlete with a blue-collar style of play, and a name to keep an eye on.

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