These past few days of NFL free agency have been relatively quiet for the Detroit Lions, but it is not fair to say the front office is not doing anything, since the fireworks came early when longtime quarterback Matt Stafford was traded for Jared Goff and picks.
While there are many worse signal-callers than Goff, the Lions look to be in rebuild mode, especially with Kenny Golladay set to move on. The team has several holes on the roster that have yet to be filled. So far, Detroit has been making some savvy budget moves here and there. They did not spare expenses, though, with pass rusher Romeo Okwara.
Below are four bold predictions for the Lions as we continue into the 2021 offseason.
Acquire a veteran cornerback
The Lions have a young cornerback duo in 22-year-old Jeff Okudah and 25-year-old Amani Oruwariye. While the two have shown flashes of potential, they could use some mentorship from a seasoned player.
If Detroit were contenders and if Matt Patricia were still around, they could trade for New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore. He has been around the league for nine years and won a Super Bowl and Defensive Player of the Year Award. However, he will most likely want to play his remaining years with a contender, and a trade would leave a lot of dead money for New England.
A more realistic option is Nickell Robey-Coleman, who ironically plays nickel cornerback. Obviously, this is a huge drop-off from Gilmore or someone like the recently released Kyle Fuller, but Robey-Coleman is a veteran who has Super Bowl experience.
The Lions could get him for a bargain deal. Robey-Coleman would hopefully regain some semblance of his Los Angeles Rams form and use the season to secure a long-term deal with a willing team. Nickel packages are increasingly becoming more prevalent.
He could teach Okudah and Oruwariye the tricks of the trade and get them to develop more quickly. Oh, and tricks of the trade do not refer to helmet-on-helmet hits.
Draft a true No. 1 wide receiver
Kenny Golladay is as good as gone, while fellow wideout Marvin Jones Jr. is a Jacksonville Jaguar now. While the team has signed Tyrell Williams and Breshad Perriman to bolster their receiving corps, there is no one on the roster who can take Golladay's role or come close to matching his production.
The Lions are picking seventh overall in the upcoming draft, which gives them several options. Fortunately, there is plenty of top talent at wide receiver in this edition of the draft.
DeVonta Smith from Alabama could very well be available for Detroit. The Heisman Trophy winner has a lean frame, which has been the subject of many memes, but he is stronger than he looks. He is versatile and can line up all over the place, from the slot to the outside. Smith is a smooth route-runner and is impactful after the catch. Smith would make Jared Goff's life a lot easier.
Add more athleticism to the linebacker corps
Despite the significant draft capital used on players like Jarrad Davis and Jahlani Tavai, the linebacker group remains a weakness for the porous Detroit defense. There is not much depth in this free-agent class and the desirable ones are long gone, which means the team needs to go back to the draft well.
There is a new front office that might be better at evaluating talent at the linebacker position than their predecessor. One of the things lacking from the defense is speed, and this could be solved by taking Alabama's Dylan Moses in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Despite standing at 6-foot-3 and 240 pounds, Moses is one of the most athletic and agile linebacker prospects in this year's class. He plays with good speed, although he is not the biggest hitter out there. Moses has several areas to improve on, but he has the physical tools to succeed.
Shore up the defensive line
The Lions made an interesting move when they got Michael Brockers for a seventh-round pick. Brockers will help solidify a line that got no respect from opposing offenses. However, it would be wise to add more depth to the unit.
Last season, teams would effortlessly run over Detroit. It would help if they picked up an interior defensive lineman to stop the run and help provide openings for Romeo Okwara and Trey Flowers to make plays.
There are several one-year options available, such as Kawann Short and Jurrell Casey, who should be healthy by next season.
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