1. Casey Hayward, Free Agent
Hayward turned 34 in September, and torn pectoral cost him the rest of last season with the Atlanta Falcons last season after six games. But he said he was cleared medically from the injury back around the start of the season, and is searching for a depth role on a team. He's still searching for a fit, about a month later.
Hayward of course has a lot of experience, with 152 games, 118 starts, almost 8,300 regular season snaps and nine playoff games on his resume over 11 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders and the Falcons. But he has remained an effective player, allowing an 80.7 passer rating in his coverage last year before being injured.
In 2021 for the Raiders, Hayward started all 17 games with nine pass breakups. As long as Pro Football Reference has compiled the data, he has not allowed a passer rating above 93.6. Between 2014 and 2021, he missed two games.
Hayward apparently is not looking to be a starter at this point, which is certainly a logical reality check for him to acknowledge. Signing with a contending team also stands to be a priority for him, however obviously.
The Lions can and should consider themselves a desirable landing spot, and having Hayward in for a workout to see what he's got feels easy.