4 Free Agents Lions Can Still Target on Defense
Detroit general manager Bob Quinn has done a solid job keeping the Lions reasonably under the salary cap, allowing the team to make acquisitions as needed.
According to Over the Cap, Detroit has approximately $30 million in salary cap space.
Rookie contracts and extending emerging wide receiver Kenny Golladay and/or offensive tackle Taylor Decker will need to be considered prior to making an additional splash in free agency.
Detroit's defense is still in need of assistance along the interior of the defensive line.
Let's take a look at four players that are reasonable options for Detroit:
DE Everson Griffen
Griffen, a four-time Pro Bowler, has been a thorn in Detroit's side for years.
His single-season high for sacks came in 2017 when he recorded 13 of them.
That also happened to be a season in which the Vikings went 13-3, finished in first place in the NFC North and made the NFC Championship Game (lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, 38-7).
A fourth-round pick (No. 100 overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft, Griffen could be an affordable option to provide depth on the Lions' roster.
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DE Vinny Curry
Curry is a player that new Lions defensive coordinator Cory Undlin has familiarity with, as both spent time with the Eagles organization.
Away from the Eagles, Curry struggled mightily with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2018. He returned to Philadelphia after only one season away from the team that drafted him in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft.
With Undlin having knowledge of how to properly utilize Curry, his pass-rushing abilities can be featured in Detroit.
EDGE Markus Golden
A team can never have enough pass rushers.
Golden, 29, was originally a 2015 second-round pick of the Arizona Cardinals.
His best season came in 2016, in which he racked up 12.5 sacks.
In 2019, he reunited with his former Cardinals defensive coordinator James Bettcher -- played with him from 2015-2017 -- in New York on a one-year, $3.75 million prove-it deal.
With him being healthy and in the right scheme again, he was able to produce double-digit sacks (10).
DT Mike Daniels
The Lions have familiarity with Daniels, but may have concerns with bringing back the veteran defensive tackle due to his battles with injury all last season.
In 2019, Daniels played in just nine games, and recorded 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, two quarterback hits and one sack in 189 defensive snaps.
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