It’s too early to know what the plans are for free agency, but the predictions are starting to flow fast and furious. One of those for the Detroit Lions is likely to make someone furious.
Pro Football Focus predicted the landing spot for each of its 50 top-ranked free agents. Former Lions EDGE Kyle Van Noy, now with the New England Patriots, checks in at No. 40 on PFF’s list.
Even though his prior Detroit tenure did not go well for either side of the equation, leading to his good-riddance trade to the Patriots, PFF predicts Van Noy to land back with the Lions and Matt Patricia. I’ll let them explain…
Like Judge and Flores, Matt Patricia won’t be afraid to pull free agents away from New England, and bringing in Kyle Van Noy is the likeliest route they’d take if they were to snag a player familiar with their scheme. Detroit would cut Devon Kennard to do that since Van Noy plays that exact role (would save then $5.6 million in 2020).
Van Noy may indeed be coming off a better season than Kennard, but it’s difficult to fathom GM Bob Quinn paying a premium price to bring back a player he willingly — and popularly — gave up on in his first year running the Lions.