Detroit Lions first day of free agency recap
By Ash Thompson
The Detroit Lions have not been the most active team in free agency, but they have not just been sitting on their hands during the 2018 offseason.
The Detroit Lions have gained and lost several players in free agency on the first day of the league year. When the 2017 season ended, the Lions were in the unenviable position of having six of their defensive starters as impending unrestricted free agents. Another expected 2017 starter who spent the season on injured reserve was also an exclusive rights free agent. On top of that their primary backups at two positions were unrestricted free agents.
The Lions defensive line could lose Kerry Hyder and Haloti Ngata. The Linebacker corp was set to lose Tahir Whitehead, Paul Worrilow, and Nick Bellore. The secondary, the strength of the 2017 defense, stood a chance to lose Nevin Lawson, Tavon Wilson, and D.J. Hayden.
On offense, the Lions situation was somewhat less grim. The Lions only starter on offense who was set to hit free agency was center Travis Swanson. Number two tight end Darren Fells, a blocking specialist, was an unrestricted free agent. Number four wide receiver and occasional kick returner T.J. Jones was a restricted free agent.
The Lions also underwent a massive coaching upheaval. Head Coach Jim Caldwell took his walking papers along with the majority of the team’s assistant coaches. The defensive side of the ball overturned almost entirely under new head coach Matt Patricia. The Lions will be running a completely different defense in 2018 compared to the 2017 scheme. In some ways, the number of impending free agents on that side of the ball was a blessing.
So too is the continuity of personnel on the offensive side of the ball. The Lions moved on from almost universally ridiculed offensive line coach Ron Prince. He, of course, joined the Michigan coaching staff a few months later. That move means that the Lions rushing attack will take on a different look in 2018.
The first day of free agency has passed, and either in the lead up to or on the day, The Lions made their plans clear regarding all of the players listed above.