Detroit Lions linked to TE Trey Burton in free agency
By Zac Snyder
The Detroit Lions appear to be dipping into the tight end free agent pool this offseason as a report has linked them to Trey Burton.
The NFL’s negotiating period ahead of the official opening of free agency began at noon but Detroit Lions-related news has been slow to develop.
That has started to change thanks to Mike Garafolo, who linked the Lions to Trey Burton in a tweet today.
Interestingly, Garafolo notes an expectation that Burton will have many teams interested, but lists on the Lions by name. Could that be an indication the Lions may be the favorites to sign him? Perhaps.
I expected there to be a robust market for Eagles TE Trey Burton and it sounds like there is. About a half dozen serious suitors, sources say. One I've heard consistently for over a week now: Detroit Lions.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) March 12, 2018
The Lions already have Eric Ebron on the books for $8.25 million but have indicated a willingness to trade him. Whether or not that happens doesn’t change the fact that Ebron doesn’t appear to be in the Lions’ long-term plans. That leaves a spot to fill down the road and the Lions may be looking to fill it before it actually becomes a hole.
Is Burton the right fit? Maybe.
As with any free agent, a team must have a good answer for why a player is available. In this case, that’s easy. Burton is a player the Eagles surely would like to retain but just don’t have the cap space to do it. Burton just isn’t a luxury the Eagles can affort.
The next question to answer is why a free agent would choose the Lions. These decisions almost always come down to money but the Lions also have a role to offer, particularly beyond next season when Ebron is unlikely to be in the picture.
If Burton’s market is as robust as Garafolo suggests, that likely means a heavy price tag. Signing him to a big deal comes with risk but could pay off because Burton has shown an ability to take on a bigger role when called upon with the Eagles.
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Bob Quinn is no stranger to taking such risks. Marvin Jones came to Detroit under a similar set of circumstances as one of the big pickups in Quinn’s first free agency period as a new general manager. Two years later and Jones is coming off the best season of his career and his contract now looks like a bargain.