LINEBACKER
- Starters – Jarrad Davis, Devon Kennard, Christian Jones
- Depth – Nick Bellore, Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Linebacker Jarrad Davis will start at middle linebacker. Free agent linebackers Devon Kennard and Christian Jones could be the two outside starters. It is a major shake-up at the position.
Linebacker Tahir Whitehead moved on to the Oakland Raiders, but was never anything special on the field. Nick Bellore and Jalen Reeves-Maybin represent the depth.
It is hard to say where this position is right now. Clearly, the Detroit Lions have specific plans for this position under Patricia. They want athletic guys that can be interchanged in different packages.
This is the position that Quinn focused on early in free agency. Hopefully, that pays dividends.
If the right player was there, the Detroit Lions probably would invest a draft pick into this linebacker group. For now, it is wait and see.
TIGHT END
This one feels like a downgrade, but it screams “not sure.” The reason why: cutting tight end Eric Ebron feels like both a negative and a positive.
On the negative, he was talented and added firepower to the offense. Of course, the Detroit Lions will miss that.
On the positive, there was the drops and the polarizing nature of his presence. And, most of all, it seems like Quinn never saw him as a long-term fit. These things made Ebron expendable.
2017 rookie tight end Michael Roberts is the most significant guy left on the roster. Hopefully, he can take the next step in his young career. Just wish there was someone to mentor him.
The big regret is that Detroit should have put more effort into resigning tight end Darren Fells, who signed with the Cleveland Browns for about $4 million per year. Fells was an exceptional blocker. And from his interviews, he always came off as a professional. Fells just felt like he had the right kind of veteran presence, especially for Roberts.
The biggest question is what they want from the tight end going forward. Maybe this is a position of blocking for the next year or two until the right guy can be found or developed. Again, probably wait and see.
Next: Detroit Lions - The best draft picks of the past decade
Bob Quinn did not mortgage the future of the franchise during this free agency period. There are still holes, although any fan base can complain about that. This kind of steady hand is necessary for the team to build a proper roster.