The Detroit Lions are in dire need of wide receiver help for the offense. With Marvin Jones coming off a second consecutive season-ending knee injury and in the final year of his contract, Danny Amendola and Jermaine Kearse both free agents no longer on the roster and practice squad refugees Marvin Hall, Chris Lacy and Travis Fulgham the depth behind Jones and deserving Pro Bowler Kenny Golladay, the Lions would have a hard time filling out a formation with more than two WRs.
Free agency is a good place to find some help. While it’s not a great free agent class at WR, there are several who can step right in and help the needy Lions offense.
Here are six the Lions should at least consider signing once free agency opens up in March.
Emmanuel Sanders, 49ers
2019 stats: 66 receptions, 869 yards, 5 TDs
Sanders quickly rebounded from an Achilles injury to emerge as the best receiving weapon for a team that made the Super Bowl. He’s a one-year bandage in the slot, but Sanders still offers speed, hands and an infectiously positive attitude. At 33, he’s a proven commodity in a variety of different offenses, showing he adapts quickly.
Robby Anderson, Jets
2019: 52 receptions, 779 yards, 5 TDs
Anderson has thrived as the Jets primary (read: only) deep threat amidst their constant QB and coaching overhauls. The lanky 26-year-old has been remarkably consistent as a field-stretching weapon on the outside. Anderson is something of a one-trick pony, but he’s really effective at that trick — and it’s one the Lions currently lack.
Randall Cobb, Cowboys
2019: 55 receptions, 828 yards, 3 TDs
Cobb quietly set a personal-best with 15.1 yards per reception in his first year in Dallas, showing a broader skillset than the Packers allowed him to demonstrate in his eight years in Green Bay. He’s five months younger than Marvin Jones, and the former college QB still has his legs and shiftiness in the slot.
Danny Amendola, Lions
2019: 62 receptions, 648 yards, 1 TD
Now 34, Amendola had a great season as the Lions slot receiver. He’s worth bringing back for his familiarity with the offense and his veteran presence, something WR coach Robert Prince raved about when I interviewed him at the Senior Bowl in January. That will mean even more if the Lions use an early draft pick on a wideout.
Phillip Dorsett, Patriots
2019: 29 catches, 397 yards, 5 TDs
A former Colts first-rounder who has just never put it all together despite working with Andrew Luck and Tom Brady as his primary QBs, Dorsett figures to be a low-cost option with something to prove. Lowered expectations, namely being the No. 3 outside WR in Detroit, could help Dorsett get back to his 2015 productivity of over 500 yards and 16 yards per reception.
Devin Funchess, Colts
2018 stats: 44 catches, 549 yards, 4 TDs (with Panthers)
Funchess played just over one half of football for the Colts before shattering his collarbone in the opener for his new team. In his final season with the Panthers, Funchess was a reliable big target over the middle and an exceptional blocker in the stretch run game. He’s still only 25 even though it seems like he just left Michigan a couple of years ago.
