Detroit Lions: 3 easy offseason roster decisions for the offense

1. Replace Tim Boyle as the No. 2 quarterback, at least

Boyle made his first three career starts for the Lions this season when Goff missed time, with results ranging from outright awful (Week 11) to solid until late in the fourth quarter (Week 16) to somewhat productive yet erratic (Week 17). All told he posted a 63.5 passer rating with three touchdowns and six interceptions in his three starts. Even marginally better play from him may have given the Lions wins in two of his three starts, but instead they went 0-3.

Boyle is now an unrestricted free agent, and though he said he’d like to be back in Detroit it takes two to tango. The Lions shouldn’t have any trouble finding a veteran upgrade to fill the spot behind Goff, and No. 3 quarterback David Blough (a restricted free agent) may also be gone. The possibility of drafting a quarterback further pushes the idea of a whole new depth chart behind Goff in 2022.

Goff has not been injury prone in his career, so that’s not the chief issue for the Lions as they consider how to bolster the quarterback depth chart. But he could’ve been replaced during early struggles last season if there had been a viable or intriguing option to give a chance to, and there simply was not. Boyle, for what it’s worth, was working his way back from a preseason injury early in the season, leaving Blough as the only other healthy quarterback on the active roster at that time.

Be it a legit challenger to take the starting job from Goff (probably the least likely scenario), drafting a rookie or signing a different veteran, the Lions will have a better or more enticing option as the No. 2 quarterback in 2022.