Between now and the start of the new league year in March, TGS is providing brief summaries looking ahead at the offseason from the perspective of each NFL team. In this edition, we look at the Detroit Lions.
2016 record: 9-7 — 2nd place, NFC North
What’s new? Not much, although they’re coming off a playoff season. That’s pretty damn rare in Detroit.
Projected salary cap space: $33 million — Which is middle of the pack.
Key in-house free agents: OT Riley Reiff, G Larry Warford, WR Anquan Boldin, LB Josh Bynes
Bynes did a solid job in a key role after they traded Kyle Van Voy mid-season, but he and the 36-year-old Boldin are expendable. Reiff and Warford are much bigger priorities. That’s the right side of a solid offensive line.
Key needs: Defensive front seven, offensive line
The only good front-seven defenders are Ezekiel Ansah and DeAndre Levy, and Levy hasn’t been healthy in a while. The offensive line only becomes a weak spot if they lose one or both of the guys mentioned earlier.
Draft breakdown: They have the 21st overall pick and it’s status quo from there.
Other potential priorities: Quarterback Matthew Stafford is entering the final year of his contract. He’s 29 and coming off the best season of his career, so they might want to consider doing something there.
Outlook: The Lions are a so-so team with a decent draft situation and a decent amount of money to spend. Nothing to be excited about, but with Stafford they’ve got a shot. To be better, though, it’ll take some savvy moves this offseason.
