3 Players Detroit Lions Should Avoid in Free Agency
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This upcoming free agency period will be an interesting one for the NFL and the Detroit Lions.
Due to the unexpected COVID pandemic, the salary cap will decrease instead of its typical yearly increase.
Organizations often planned on having a higher cap each season and structured past contracts under the impression that 2021 would be no different.
It was announced on Thursday that the salary cap floor has been set for $180 million, which is higher than what many had forecasted. The cap can also still go up as the new league year approaches next month.
In saying that, given new general manager Brad Holmes and the Lions are in “retooling” mode, having limited cap space may not impact their strategy much in free agency.
The Lions are not in a spot to pay big money to aging veterans. They aren’t just a couple of pieces away from contending for anything.
In a rebuild, it is wise to go after younger players who can develop and still have prime years left once the ship begins to turn around.
Now, there is always a price point where every player could be justified to see what they can offer. It’s just unlikely that any player on this list will fit that bill.
Without further ado, here are three free agents the Lions should avoid in 2021.
1.) Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh
The former Lion has been in the spotlight recently after just winning a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Y
Lions fans still pine for the days of old when they had one of the best defenses in the league -- led by Suh.
However, that was long ago, and Suh is now 34 years old.
In theory, it might sound great to add defensive line talent, but considering Suh’s age, it just doesn’t make much sense to invest money into a stop-gap for the future.
The decline in his play has already started. Suh was still reliable last season, but it’s only a matter of time before father-time catches up.
© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2.) Wide receiver A.J. Green
Staying along the lines of players past their prime, here is another recognizable name. T
The Lions need help at receiver, but Green isn’t it. He was basically the third-wheel for the Bengals last season and his production fell off the map.
Make no mistake, Green was one of the league’s best wideouts for a long stretch of his career.
Much like Suh, Green’s age is not working in his favor, as he turns 33 years old before the start of next season.
The same concept applies, there isn’t much value in spending money on a player who won’t have a chance to be apart of the Lions' long-term plans.
Instead, Detroit should target a younger option and see if they can continue to develop.
3.) Running back Todd Gurley
For a couple of seasons, Gurley was one of the most dynamic running backs in the NFL.
Those days are now long gone. Even in Atlanta last year, Gurley was nothing special while being paid handsomely.
At the end of the season, Gurley was benched in favor of Ito Smith despite having the opportunity to run away with the starting job.
In all likelihood, fellow Georgia back, D’Andre Swift, will be the Lions' focal point in the backfield.
That doesn’t mean the Lions don’t need another rusher in the stable.
Looking at the pool of free-agent backs, there are plenty of more unheralded running backs who could outperform and likely be cheaper than Gurley.
The Lions don’t need to pay somebody living off his accomplishments from three years ago.
© Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
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