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.
Tre Boston, S
He changes teams every year, by his own choice. Boston is someone who decided that being in control of his own destiny and getting guaranteed signing bonuses every year is preferable to long-term security and stability. It’s an atypical approach but it’s worked well for both Boston and the teams that have employed him.
Boston has produced at least 68 tackles and at least three INTs in each of the last three years, with three different teams. He’s proven to be versatile in coverage and scheme-diverse. Boston, 28 in June, consistently makes a positive impact in the passing defense. He does miss more tackles than desired.
In each of the last three years, Boston has waited out the initial surge of free agency and signed a 1-year deal later into the summer. He might be looking to strike earlier and longer this time. Boston projects to earn around $8 million per year after making just $2.13 last season in Carolina, his second tour of duty with the Panthers.
Javon Hargrave, DT
I’ve been a fan of Hargrave’s since watching him completely dominate Shrine Game (now Shrine Bowl) practices back in 2016. The small-school standout with the wide frame has progressed from that impressive week in St. Petersburg into one of the most effective interior defenders in the NFL.
A third-round pick by the Steelers out of South Carolina State, Hargrave’s game has grown every year. In 2019 he added more technical ability to his pass-rushing production, bagging four sacks. That was down from his career-high 6.5 in 2018, but he generated a lot more QB pressures and defeated blockers in more diverse ways. He’s been a top-20 DT in Pro Football Focus grading each of the last two seasons and is just hitting his athletic prime at 27 years old.
If the Lions are looking for a direct replacement for the Damon Harrison who was great in Detroit in 2018, Hargrave is far and away the best option on the market.
Cory Littleton, LB
Remember when DeAndre Levy emerged as one of the most impactful off-ball LBs in the league for the Lions a few years back? How he sort of emerged from role player to dominant cover backer? That’s Littleton’s career arc with the Rams.
Littleton, 26, stepped up as a shutdown coverage LB in the last two seasons when given a chance to play extensively. Like Levy in his pre-injury prime, he’s excellent at running anywhere on the field with tight ends and RBs, and at undercutting routes and getting his hands on the ball. He has 18 PDs in the last two seasons. The entire Lions LB corps has eight in the same span.
He’s not a run-stuffer, nor should he be deployed as one. At 6-3 and 228 pounds and blessed with both agility and speed, he’s a player who would handle the role many want for Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons out of the draft and has proven he can do it very well at the NFL level already.
D.J. Reader, DT
Reader is a natural fit in Detroit after playing in a very similar defense in Houston for the last four seasons. The 26-year-old (in July) can play both the nose tackle role and the 3-4 technique DT. In essence, he’s an upgrade as a replacement for A’Shawn Robinson.
Reader, originally a fifth-round pick out of Clemson, has developed some pass-rush moves after initially being just an immovable object-type of interior line anchor. He’s very good at coordinating up front with his linemates and at clearing blitzing lanes for LBs. He notched 52 tackles and 2.5 sacks in 2019, very impressive production for an unheralded DT.
What’s even more appealing is his experience with the defense. Playing next to J.J. Watt in the Romeo Crennel scheme (the basis of Matt Patricia’s scheme) has prepared him well to work adjacent to Trey Flowers in Detroit. Flowers is obviously not Watt, but having a better player to his inside shoulder can only help Flowers blossom, too.
Jack Conklin, OT
Conklin is in line to get a major payday as the top right tackle on the free agent market. After his up-and-down play with the Tennessee Titans for the last four years, Conklin will cash in on his experience and run-blocking excellence.
A first-round pick in 2016 out of Michigan State, Conklin made All-Pro as a rookie. His play, notably in pass protection, fell off precipitously in the next two seasons before an impressive rebound year in 2019. He needs help from tight ends in pass blocking, but that’s standard practice for the Lions offense and makes the 25-year-old a nice fit.
