Lions should have Michael Gallup high on their free agency wishlist

As the Lions possibly look to 2022 free agency for a No. 1 wide receiver, Michael Gallup should be very high on their list of targets.

This side of finding a long-term quarterback again, wide receiver might be No.1 on the list of offseason needs for the Detroit Lions. Last offseason, as a rebuild kicked off, brought additions from well down the list of free agent wide receivers (Tyrell Williams, Breshad Perriman).

The draft will offer good receiver options for Detroit, but multiple additions are in order. On this year’s roster, only Amon-Ra St. Brown and probably Kalif Raymond feel locked into to a roster spot at wide receiver next year.

Assuming Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams hits the market, the Lions aren’t a realistic suitor for him. But there will be other free agent options who make sense for them, even if the Denver Broncos took one off the market right after he was pointed to as a target.

Michael Gallup showcased himself for the Lions and others on Thursday night

Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup missed a big chunk of this season due to a Week 1 calf injury. He returned to action in Week 10, and on Thanksgiving Day against the Raiders (with CeeDee Lamb and Amari Cooper out) he had five catches for 106 yards (on eight targets).

On Thursday night against the New Orleans Saints, with Lamb in the lineup and Cooper active but still apparently somewhat limited by the residual effects of COVID-19, Gallup had five catches for 36 yards on nine targets. He has 27 targets over the last three games.

Late in the first quarter Thursday night, Gallup made a fantastic touchdown catch.

Later in the game, he had another nice catch along the sideline as an on-the-move Dak Prescott looked for an available option to bail him out with Dallas deep in their own end..

As ESPN’s Field Yates noted, Gallup is young with production history (over 1,100 yards in 2019) as he lines up to hit free agency in March. With Lamb and Cooper in the fold last season, he led the Cowboys in yards per catch (14.3).

There are teams with more current 2022 cap space (the Indianapolis Colts, Washington Football Team, Chicago Bears and Las Vegas Raiders stand out) who should be among the suitors for Gallup. But the Lions are currently in the top half of the league with $39.8 million (via Over The Cap) or $40.8 million (via Spotrac) in cap space themselves, so they will be able to be players in the free agent and trade markets to make additions.

Gallup should be high, if not No. 1, on the Lions’ list of 2022 free agent targets–regardless of position.