Notable Free Agents
QB- Shaun Hill
WR- Nate Burleson, Kevin Ogletree, Michael Spurlock
TE- Tony Scheffler, Brandon Pettigrew
OL- Leroy Harris, Jason Fox, Dylan Gandy
DE- Israel Idonije, Willie Young
LB- Rocky McIntosh
CB- Rashean Mathis
S- Louis Delmas, John Wendling
K- David Akers
2014 Draft Picks
Round one, pick 10
Round two, pick 13
Round three, pick 12
Round four, pick 11
Round six, pick 13
Round seven, pick 12
Biggest Offseason Needs
1. Corner: Detroit has probably needed a corner heading into the offseason for each of the last 10 seasons. I don’t know if that’s actually true, but it’s a good guess. Their leader in interceptions this season was a linebacker. Plus, Mathis is an unrestricted free agent, who was starting on the right side of the field for them. No matter how good their defensive line is and how quickly Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh can get to the quarterback, the Lions still need corners.
2. Wide Receiver: This seems like kind of a weird thing to bring up given that the Lions already have Calvin Johnson, but they need a No. 2 receiver who can run over the middle of the field out of the slot while Johnson goes deep. They’ve already announced that Burleson won’t be back, who was their second receiver when healthy. For the last four seasons, Detroit’s second-leading receiver behind Johnson has either been a tight end or a running back, Joique Bell most recently this season. They need some help on whatever side of the field Johnson isn’t on.
3. Tight end: This one could fluctuate depending upon if Pettigrew returns (possibly with the franchise tag), but even if he sticks around they might want to look elsewhere for a tight end. Pettigrew only had 41 receptions for 416 yards this season, and he’s had just five touchdowns total in the last two seasons. If they can’t get a legitimate No. 2 receiver, they’ll need to look for a pass catching tight end.
One Player Detroit Should Target
Unfortunately for the Lions, they are currently a little more than $4 million over the cap space for the 2014 season, they need to find some money to even sign some free agents. But if they do, Julian Edelman might be someone to look at. Edelman is the perfect candidate for their second receiving option. He’s small, and can run out of the slot as he did in New England as a possession receiver. New England had to use him as a top option this season because of injuries, but Edelman is more suited to be a role player rather than a guy who is picking up 90 yards a game. Picking him up would give Matthew Stafford a red zone option if Johnson is double-covered, but there is the threat that the Patriots would make a run at re-signing him. If Edelman is available and they have the space, the Lions could really use him.
One Player Detroit Must Retain
Detroit’s secondary is one of the worst in the NFL, but it would still be worth their time to keep Louis Delmas on their roster. He started all 16 games for the Lion this season, making 64 total tackles as well as picking up two sacks and three interceptions. It’s unrealistic to think that the Lions can go out and rebuild their whole secondary between the draft and free agency, so why not keep the 26-year-old around for the sake of consistency and given that he had his best statistical season since 2010.
Players in Need of Extensions
Joique Bell: This is kind of tricky, because he technically isn’t still under contract with the Lions, but they have the option to extend a qualifying offer to him so that they get the right to match any offer given to him by another team. If Detroit keeps Bell on their roster (which they probably will), he deserves an extension. Bell complements Reggie Bush very well, and he’s a younger back, which is incredibly valuable in today’s NFL.
Ndamukong Suh: Yes, Suh was extended last offseason in an effort to make room so that the Lions could sign Bush, but it’s time to look at his contract once again. Suh is slated to take a larger chunk out of Detroit’s cap space than any other player in the NFL, making $22.4 million next year. If the Lions want to retain anyone or make some waves in free agency, they need to talk to Suh about giving him more money over five or six years.
Overall Offseason Outlook
Detroit has one of the younger defenses in the league, giving them some hope for the coming years, but this offseason currently looks grim. With some crafty number crunching and contract restructuring, the Lions can find a way to give themselves some cap space. But at the moment, they are over the cap and their best chance to fill holes in the roster is through free agency. If they make moves such as restructuring Suh’s contract, though, they can fill their biggest holes and return as a NFC North contender next season.