Detroit Lions: 3 remaining free agents who would help out immediately

3. Aqib Talib- Cornerback

The case for: The fiery competitor is a five-time Pro Bowl selection and spent two seasons with the Patriots in the early 2010s. When asked about facing Talib as a member of the Rams in 2018, Lions coach Matt Patricia had this to say about his former player according to the team’s official website, therams.com …

"“Just someone I think that, as a coach, you have certain players that you tend to learn more from them than they learn from you and he’s certainly one of those guys. He’s a phenomenal player. He’s an unbelievable competitor. He’s a guy that just raises the bar of everyone around him.”"

No one will deny that the  long-time lockdown corner is reaching the final stage of his NFL career, but if he can give another productive season or two and help transition youngsters Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye into the role, his presence in 2020 could potentially benefit the Detroit’s secondary for years to come.

The case against: Talib is ancient by defensive back standards at 34 and has missed large parts of each of the past two seasons with injuries. Numerous suspensions, multiple arrests, and questions about his character and work ethic have added up throughout his career and tarnished his reputation league wide (though he was voted a captain for the Rams in 2018).

Likelihood of this happening: It’s a former Patriot we’re talking about, and one that Matt Patricia spoke highly about at that, so that alone makes it a legitimate possibility. The dream scenario would be for Talib to come in, have one more strong season and bond with Okudah (think back to the Kyle Vanden Bosch/Ndamukong Suh pairing in 2010), but his age, injury concerns, and past would also mean a lot more baggage.

Final Thoughts

It’s so difficult to try and guess where players are going to end up, even the high profile guys. For example, at this time last year, every single day Boston sports radio stations were predicting where Tom Brady might go if he left New England, and I didn’t hear Tampa Bay mentioned a single time.

The reality is that the Lions may or may not make some moves at these positions. Even if they do, there are so many guys out there looking for work, with their own sets of pros and cons, and the coaching staff and front office have their own preferences and biases too.

Even if none of these three come to Detroit, hopefully this look at the remaining roster needs and options to address them will generate some good discussions as we wait and hope for the 2020 NFL season to begin.