The free agent “legal tampering” period kicks off on Monday, with signings on new teams still scheduled to begin on Wednesday after 4 p.m. ET. The Detroit Lions have ample cap room to make a big splash in the free agency pool, if GM Bob Quinn and his staff so choose.
Will they make a splash? That remains to be seen. But if I were Quinn and making the decision on which toes to dip into the pool, here are the five targets I would prioritize to try and sign in Detroit in free agency.
I’m not necessarily chasing the biggest names or the sexiest players. I’m looking more for the next Glover Quin or Golden Tate, rising young talents earning a second contract that ties an emerging player to the Lions for the prime of his career. End-of-career stopgaps (think Jason Peters or Brandon Mebane) don’t much interest me and shouldn’t interest the Lions, either.
Remember, this is not a projection of who the Lions will sign. It’s what players I would sign if I were the Lions brass.