Free agency is quickly coming upon the world of the NFL. The annual scouting combine often provides a lot of insight into what teams are looking to do in free agency, and Lions beat writer Dave Birkett from the Detroit Free Press offered some keen reporting on the upcoming period.
It’s not a surprising development based on recent comments from WR coach Antwaan Randle El at the Senior Bowl or offensive coordinator Ben Johnson at the combine, but the Lions are expected to be “major players” in the wide receiver market according to Birkett.
The agent for one of the top pending free agent receivers said the Lions indicated in a meeting last week they value his receiver in the same financial ballpark he expects his player to fetch in free agency, and multiple other sources view the Lions as legitimate contenders to sign one of the position’s premier free agents.
The Lions will not be the only team shopping in the wide receiver market in free agency. The Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins are also teams often linked and reported to the veteran free agent market. Other teams looking for wide receiver help and with some cap room to spend include the Commanders, Jets, Chargers and Patriots.
Detroit currently has the 12th-most salary cap room available at just over $26.5 million, per Over The Cap.
The full available list of free agents could shrink, too. There is a lot of speculation the Buccaneers will use the franchise tag on Chris Godwin, and the same is true of the Chargers and Mike Williams. Those are two of the biggest attractions about to hit the marketplace. Green Bay’s Davante Adams appears to be going nowhere, too. Chicago could use the franchise tag on Allen Robinson, though that does not appear to be in the Bears’ plans.
Then there’s the trade market, which includes some potential names like Amari Cooper and Andy Isabella. One to cross off from that list is Atlanta’s Calvin Ridley, who was suspended by the NFL for at least a full year for gambling.
A few names to know that could interest the Lions:
- Juju Smith-Schuster
- Christian Kirk
- Albert Wilson
- Byron Pringle
- Rashard Higgins
- Adam Humphries
- James Washington