On Friday, the Detroit Lions released the leader of their defense, safety Glover Quin. Now they must figure out how to replace his production and leadership.
The Detroit Lions decided to cut long-time safety and leader Glover Quin. The decision came after a season where Quin’s play was not as elite as it had been in past seasons (earning only a grade of 66.1 from Pro Football Focus or PFF). In cutting Quin, general manager Bob Quinn also saved the Lions over six million dollars in cap space this offseason.
Now, the Lions will have a big decision to make this offseason; How will they replace Quin on their defense? Quin was much more than a good player. He was also the leader and backbone of not just the defense, but inside the locker room as well.
Quinn will have to decide if he wants to stick with what he’s got on the roster, or if he wants to dip into the draft or free agency for replacements. What’s going to be the hardest to replace however isn’t his play on the field, but rather his demeanor in the locker room and outside the confines of Ford Field.
Luckily for Quinn though, the roster already has a couple of candidates who could fill in nicely at the position. There will also be quality players available in the draft and in free agency. Quinn has a tough decision coming up no matter how you look at it, so lets take a look at the options he has at his disposal.