Lions to apply restricted free agent tender to tight end Brock Wright

After they are not going to extend a restricted free agent tender to cornerback Jerry Jacobs, the Detroit Lions will do so with another player. According to Jason Fitzgerald of Over The Cap, the Lions will use the right of first refusal/original round tender on tight end Brock Wright.

The tender will pay Wright $2.985 million, with no guaranteed money. He can sign the tender and be under contract for 2024, or he could try to find a better deal in free agency. Under the tender other teams can sign him to an offer sheet, and the Lions have the ability to match any offer.

It's fair to assume Wright will not find another team willing to pay him $3 million, so unless the Lions cut him before Week 1 he isn't going anywhere.

Since he was undrafted in 2021, the Lions would not receive any draft pick compensation if they didn't match an offer Wright received.

Over three seasons with the Lions Wright has played 1,315 snaps. He hasn't made a lot of catches (43 total in the regular season), but a couple have been memorable.

Late in the 2022 season against the New York Jets he had a 51-yard game-winning touchdown catch, and last season against the Los Angeles Chargers had a fourth quarter touchdown reception that proved important in a high-scoring game. He also had a 29-yard catch, on a play similar to the one against the Jets, in the Divisional Round playoff win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

All told Wright has seven career touchdown catches, and he's been a key piece as the TE2 for the Lions.

Lions bring back Brock Wright to keep tight end depth intact behind Sam LaPorta

The Lions have also re-signed Shane Zylstra, apparently foregoing the exclusive rights free agent tender for him. Not that there's room for another tight end to catch a lot of passes behind Sam LaPorta, but Wright is clearly someone they value. It's fair to say head coach Dan Campbell see a lot of himself as a player in Wright.

The amount might be a little jarring to see for a backup tight end who catches so few passes. But extending a restricted free agent tender to Wright was an expected, and procedural, move as free agency approaches.