Tight end is one of the primary offseason needs for the Detroit Lions this offseason. The TE production was dead last in the NFL for most of the season, winding up with just 45 catches for 564 yards and 4 TFs between the entire group.
Lions GM Bob Quinn knows it’s a position of need. Fortunately, he likes what he sees for available options.
Quinn was asked about the gaping hole at tight end during the season ticket holder summit this week.
“Actually, just (a recent) morning is when we went through the tight ends with our scouts and I’d say it’s a really good crop,” Quinn responded. “There’s an unusual amount of underclassmen tight ends in this year’s draft, which really fit kind of what we’re looking for. So there’s numerous options there and also in free agency. You read our needs correctly.”
Interestingly, Quinn admitted the team had loftier tight ends in sight last offseason, when the team added Luke Willson and Levine Toilolo but saw bigger names like Jimmy Graham, Trey Burton and Ed Dickson go elsewhere.
“We went into last offseason, and I think I spoke about this in January, we made many efforts at signing everybody that was available on the street,” Quinn said. “And ultimately it came down to dollars and cents, and we didn’t get any of those top guys and we got the guys who we got, and some of those guys performed well for us.”
Toilolo led the Lions tight ends with 21 catches. Willson was a massive disappointment with just 13 receptions. Second-year Michael Roberts struggled before going on IR, too.
