It felt inevitable since before free agency started, it trended that way for a couple weeks and reached a proverbial tipping point when Donovan Peoples-Jones was re-signed before him. On Wednesday, ESPN's Adam Schefter and others reported wide receiver Josh Reynolds has agreed to a two-year deal worth up to $14 million with the Denver Broncos.
On the surface, wide receiver may not seem like a great need for the Lions even after Reynolds' departure. And it term of sheer volume of bodies, that's not the wrong idea. But let's take a closer look at remaining wide receiver depth chart for the Lions with Reynolds officially gone.
Amon-Ra St. Brown
Jameson Williams
Kalif Raymond
Donovan Peoples-Jones
Antoine Green
Tom Kennedy
Tre'Quan Smith
Maurice Alexander
Daurice Fountain
Hopes are high for Williams as he heads into his third NFL season, and based on what he did down the stretch last season the hope is well-founded. But he is still a hopeful projection until he shows he can do it from the start next season.
Raymond suffered a knee injury in Week 18 last season, and it kept him out for the entire playoff run. News on that injury will naturally be non-existent this time of year, but it's a question until further notice.
Peoples-Jones is a still-young, promising player. But the fact is he has had one season with notable production in his career (2022 with the Browns). A full offseason to acclimate to the Lions' offense will be helpful, but will that automatically yield a breakthrough?
Green barely played as a rookie last season.
Kennedy is a fun underdog story, but he's essentially a practice squad guy/special teamer who may occasionally pop up.
Smith has 131 catches in six NFL seasons, and he has never had 40 catches in a season.
Alexander is a kick returner option and an unknown quantity as a receiver.
Fountain spent all of last season on the Lions' practice squad, and he has played in eight NFL regular season games.
So it's far to say everyone after Peoples-Jones is not guaranteed a spot on the 53-man roster. Raymond's injury question, mostly as it pertains to his readiness for Week 1, has to be answered.
Drafting a wide receiver early is likely on the table for the Lions, and that was the case even with the very faint idea Reynolds might be back. But adding a veteran could be on the radar now more than it was, with Reynolds now gone.
Here are five free agent wide receivers who may be on the Lions' radar to replace Reynolds.
5 free agent wide receiver options for Lions to replace Josh Reynolds
Lions fans will probably be happy to see Reynolds gone after his performance in last year's NFC Championship game and you can celebrate with an instant bonus at DraftKings! Just sign up, deposit $10 or more and then bet $5 or more on any wager. You'll instantly win $150 in bonus bets! Sign up with DraftKings with this link today!