Three days into NFL free agency, let’s breakdown all the moves the Detroit Lions have pulled off during this very important period of the offseason.
This week, the Detroit Lions have hosted more visits than a doctor’s office in the height of flu season. That’s due to the start of NFL free agency on Wednesday.
We’ll dive in head first to breaking down their signings so far and what it could mean for the Lions moving forward. So, let’s take a look at all the players Detroit has signed or re-signed in the past couple weeks.
Re-signed
Ziggy Ansah, Defensive End (Franchise Tag)
Kerry Hyder, Defensive End
Don Muhlbach, Long Snapper
Tavon Wilson, Safety
Nevin Lawson, Cornerback
Nick Bellore, Linebacker
Jake Rudock, Quarterback
Zach Zenner, Running Back
Clearly, the Lions are making an effort to keeping many of their players in-house. Honestly, with Matt Patricia taking the reins as Detroit’s new head coach, I fully expected a pretty high roster turnover. Specifically on the defensive side of the ball.
But recent commitments to free agents like Ansah, Hyder, Wilson and Lawson have shown otherwise. As the New England Patriots’ defensive coordinator for several seasons, Patricia was known for getting the most out of his “no-name” players. Perhaps he’s thinking he can do the same in Detroit with many of the current veterans already in-place.
Signed
Devon Kennard, Linebacker
Christian Jones, Linebacker
DeShawn Shead, Cornerback
Kenny Wiggins, Guard
Prior to the start of free agency, we all knew that linebacker would be a big focus for this Lions’ front office. Patricia’s defensive philosophy is one that can deploy multiple different looks, including shifting from a 4-3 to a 3-4. That requires the roster to house several linebackers. So the additions of Kennard and Jones are likely not the last.
Next: Getting to know the Lions' newest faces at linebacker
All-in-all, the Detroit Lions have been fairly busy through the first three official days of free agency. Although they have yet to really land a big fish, they are going about the business of securing the players needed to fill out their roster. Stay tuned.