What Contract Should Lions Offer WR DJ Chark?
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The Detroit Lions' offense struggled to execute explosive plays when wideout DJ Chark was absent from the lineup.
After signing with the Lions last offseason, the expectation was that Chark would add what was sorely lacking in the passing attack, a reliable deep threat for quarterback Jared Goff.
Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson spoke prior to the season about what Chark could bring to the team, based on film review from his time with the Jaguars.
"That’s the first thing that stands out to you: He’s going to stretch this field vertically, more so than what we had -- not only from a speed standpoint, but his ability to go after the football. It was flag city when you watched the targets. It was awesome," Johnson said, via The Athletic. "That’s the first thing that pops. If you talk about his superpower, that’s it. His ability to go deep."
Unfortunately, Chark and Goff did not establish chemistry right away, and then the ex-Jaguars wideout was forced to miss nearly two months dealing with his surgically repaired ankle.
After returning, the offense steadily took more shots down the field, with Chark benefitting from being healthy and working more with Goff during and after practice.
In the final seven games of the 2022 season, Chark secured 23 receptions for 404 yards and two touchdowns.
"I'm pretty pleased. First and foremost, I thank God that I was able to come back and play," Chark said just prior to the end of the season. "When it happened, I didn't really have a timeline on when I'd get back, and that was frustrating. But, being able to come back, work my way back into the offense, and also be able to win games, that's all been huge for me. The stats, whatever, those are nice, too, but knowing that my presence matters, that's huge."
Despite the struggles throughout the early portion of the season, retaining Chark at a reasonable price would be ideal, especially with Jameson Williams still being very inexperienced.
The presence of Chark in the locker room would be of an added value for Detroit's talented and speedy second-year wideout.
More: Jared Goff Proves Doubters Wrong
As a result of what the 26-year-old can bring to the team, both on and off the field, Holmes should offer Chark a two-year, $18 million contract (with $10 million guaranteed).
