4 Impending Free Agents Lions Could Bring Back in 2021
Brad Holmes has a myriad of important decisions to make in his first offseason as Lions general manager, including which impending free agents to re-sign.
For the purpose of this piece, let's take a look at four individuals with expiring contracts that he could bring back for the 2021 season.
DE Romeo Okwara
Sure, the Lions are entering rebuild mode this offseason.
However, I'm all for bringing the "sackmaster" Okwara back for 2021, although it won't be cheap for the Lions to do so.
I say all this because Okwara, who finished with a team-leading and career-high 10 sacks in 2020, will be just 26 next season.
Subsequently, he more than likely has at least three-four more years of good football ahead of him.
And remember, he was basically Detroit's only consistently productive pass-rusher a season ago, and the pass-rush department in 2021 could be even weaker -- hard to believe, but true -- with fellow defensive end and midseason acquisition Everson Griffen unlikely to resign with Holmes & Co.
I understand it might be hard to do due to the price tag involved, but if I were the Lions' front office, my No. 1 priority this offseason would be to retain the services of Okwara.
LB Reggie Ragland
Ragland was a nice under-the-radar acquisition by the previous Detroit regime an offseason ago.
He provided a solid veteran presence to a linebackers group that underachieved for the majority of the 2020 campaign.
He suited up for all 16 games (made six starts), and finished with 52 total tackles, four tackles for loss, three QB hits and one forced fumble.
It was a productive season from the 27-year-old in a largely reserve role.
He likely can be had for cheap this offseason, and that's why if I were Holmes, I'd strongly consider bringing him back to Motown.
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones makes a catch in front of Ragland.
Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports
K Matt Prater
The 36-year-old clearly didn't have as good of a season as he or the Lions would've liked in 2020.
He made just 75 percent of his field-goal attempts -- his lowest percentage since making just 73.5 percent of his kicks back in 2008 with the Denver Broncos (his first season as a full-time kicker).
It could be a sign of the end of the line for Prater as a productive NFL kicker.
However, it could've also been an aberration. And, on a team that's clearly going to be rebuilding for the next couple of seasons, it's worth re-signing him to a one-or-two-year deal and figuring out whether it was merely an off year for the veteran kicker.
On a team looking to win, it'd be a different story.
But, with the Lions' present state, I don't mind bringing him back while also adding an undrafted free-agent kicker to provide some competition.
S Miles Killebrew
Despite him only having logged one defensive snap in 2020, I'd reward the special teams ace with a new contract.
Special teams was Detroit's most productive unit on a game-to-game basis a year ago, and Killebrew was a large reason why.
He's been a member of the organization since the Lions took him in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL Draft. And while he's never developed into an impact player on the defensive side of the ball, he's carved out a nice role for himself on special teams.
Re-signing Killebrew seems like an easy decision for the franchise to make when free agency officially kicks off March 17.
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