3 former Detroit Lions who could come back in 2023 free agency

2. WR Marvin Jones

Many Lions fans can surely get on board with the idea of Jones coming back to Detroit. He was bumped down the wide receiver pecking order in Jacksonville last year by the free agent additions of Christian Kirk and Zay Jones last offseason. So his production dropped to 46 catches, after he had 73 catches for 832 yards and four touchdowns for the Jaguars in 2021.

In his last (or should we say “most recent”?) season as a Lion, 2020, Jones had 76 receptions and nine touchdowns as he fell just short of 1,000 yards (978). In three of his last four seasons in Detroit, he had exactly nine touchdowns and he topped 900 yards in three of his five total seasons as a Lion.

The age-cliff may be coming, or it may be here, for the 33-year old Jones (on Mar. 12). JHis early years as a Lion, when he averaged 16.9 yards per catch in 2016 and 18 yards a catch in 2017, are not coming back.

But Jones would be a solid veteran presence for this Lions’ wide receiver corps, and in the locker room as a whole. It also appears he has more than a little bit left in the tank, and he looks a nice fit if the Lions end up looking for a veteran DJ Chark replacement at a bargain rate.