After signing Ricky Wagner and T.J. Lang this offseason, the Lions filled their biggest need on offense during free agency. They fixed their atrocious offensive line, and now hope to focus on defense. One need that seems to be forgotten, though, is at wide receiver.
The Lions current wide receiver group is strong at the top. Golden Tate was the team’s all-around star last year. Marvin Jones could have been better, but he showed flashes of what he can bring to this team early on in the season and will hopefully build on that. Beyond them, there’s not much.
Andre Roberts left the Lions for the Falcons earlier this month, and Anquan Boldin remains unsigned despite announcing he would return for another year.
TJ Jones returns, but he still has not shown as much promise as the Lions had hoped the past few years. Michigan State product Keshawn Martin was signed as a possible replacement to Roberts and Jace Billingsley returns, and expects to regularly suit up this year. The remaining receivers include Jared Abbrederis, Ryan Spadola and Andrew Turzilli.
This leaves Matthew Stafford with limited options next season. Unless Jones or Billingsley take a huge step in 2017 the Lions do not have a legitimate third option. The Lions are currently a bit strapped for cash at the moment, making it tough to find the room to bring in another quality receiver.
With only $10 million in cap room after releasing DeAndre Levy, and about $8 million stored away for the draft, the Lions only have around $2 million to work with.
So how do the Lions solve their problem at receiver while still staying under the salary cap? They have a few options:
Hope for the best
TJ Jones, Martin and Billingsley are already on the roster, and all have a chance to at least contribute. Jones has made a few big plays for the Lions, and they chose to bring him back as an RFA for a reason in February. Martin is set to a be a return specialist, but could provide a deep threat for the Lions on some plays. Billingsley has been with the Lions practice squad for some time now and his experience in Jim Bob Cooter’s system could give him an opportunity to shine this year.
If TJ Jones becomes a regular part of the offense, and either Martin or Billingsley surprise us then the Lions may be ok. Tight end Eric Ebron might finally get it together and replace Anquan Boldin as a slot receiver.
Whether or not this would work in entirely up in the air. None of the receivers may live up to expectations, and even if they do the Lions are an injury away from being in the same position. There is no way to truly know what the Lions have planned for Martin, Billingsley or any of the other three receivers on the roster either.
Bring back Anquan Boldin on a small deal
Anquan Boldin’s one-year contract in 2016 accounted for $2.6 million of the Lions cap last season. He overplayed his deal, scoring 8 touchdowns and being the team’s primary receiver out of the slot. The $2.6 might be just over what the Lions can afford, and he may want even more to return.
The two possible ways the Lions can afford to bring him back would be to either bring him back on a multi-year deal or hope he stays a free agent long enough that his asking price will fall low enough.
Bringing back a 36-year-old veteran who was considering retirement this offseason would not be a wise move. Despite his impressive 2016 campaign, he’s at the age where he could seriously regress over the next few years. Their best bet is to hope he lasts on the market until June, but are the Lions going to wait that long to find their answer? Is Boldin going to retire if he is still unsigned at that point?
Draft a receiver early
This is a deep draft class, with many options at linebacker, defensive end or defensive back. If they can land receiver John Ross at the 21st pick, then it might be a worthwhile investment. Receiver is not as big a need as anything on defense, but drafting the best player available could be a good choice. Corey Davis and Mike Williams will likely be off of the board before the Lions are on the clock. Ross notably broke the 40-yard dash record at the NFL combine, and he brings a lot more to the table than just speed.
If they land Ross, and he lives up to first round expectations, it would definitely solve the Lions issues at receiver. The obvious trade-off is that this means the Lions don’t draft Zach Cunningham or Taco Charlton and possibly solve a defensive need. The Lions defense was atrocious last year and as I have mentioned before, they should invest all of their draft picks in the first four rounds on the defense. If an opportunity at Ross arises, though, the Lions may have to take a risk in the first round.
Re-sign Jonathan Bynes (and maybe Jon Bostic)
The Lions biggest need, by far, is at linebacker. Signing Bynes or Bostic could at least make it more justifiable for them to go receiver in round one. DeAndre Levy being released for cap space only made the situation worse, but also slightly showed the Lions hand in the draft. They did not target any big name linebackers in free agency and only signed the Falcons Paul Worrilow. This makes linebacker a huge need heading into the draft, and most likely the position where they spend their first round pick.
If they can manage to bring back Bynes, though, they may be able to invest in a receiver a little earlier in the draft. Tahir Whitehead is the only starting caliber linebacker on the roster. Bynes was serviceable when called upon last year and can play in some packages. He is slightly below average compared to a regular NFL starting linebacker, but that is better than anything the Lions have right now.
Whitehead, Bynes and maybe a linebacker or two from a deep draft class may put the Lions at least in the middle of the pack. A much better situation than what they had last year. If they can afford to bring back Bostic as well then it’s even better.
Extend Matthew Stafford
Quarterback Matthew Stafford is heading into a contract year in 2017. Stafford will account for a $22 million dollar cap hit this season. Retaining their franchise quarterback is obviously a huge need for the Lions, and they should already be preparing to discuss an extension with Stafford anyways. Signing him to a long-term deal cold create extra cap room this season.
Having a few more million in cap room available allows the Lions to test the free agent market to find a receiver. Boldin is a potential target, but there are a few other available names the Lions may be interested in. Michael Floyd has been linked to the Lions recently. Other available receivers include Andrew Hawkins, Victor Cruz and Cecil Shorts. Just like Long, though, this will probably only be a temporary fix for the Lions.
None of these options are fail safe, and some can punish them down the road. If the Lions hope to compete in 2017, though, they must address their need at receiver.
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