Allen Park — Turnover is an inevitable component of professional sports, particularly in the NFL, where it’s not uncommon for a third of the roster to change between seasons.
Entering the second offseason of a rebuild, the Detroit Lions will be looking to stack upon the foundation general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell poured in 2021. Within that framework, the brass will have some decisions to make on some current players who played this season on expiring contracts.
The Lions have more than a dozen unrestricted free agents set to hit the open market in March. Below, we rank them:
1. Safety Tracy Walker
Safety remains one of the league’s most undervalued positions, but Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn recently laid out the importance within his defensive scheme.
“That’s a very important position in this defense for many reasons,” Glenn said. “One, because it’s the playmakers position. And two, it’s the quarterback of the defense, to be honest with you, when you look at the back end, and really, the back seven, including linebackers, because of the communication that’s involved in being that position.
“There are a lot of times when they’re freed up, they can read the quarterback and go make plays,” Glenn continued. “There are times when they have to get down to the box to be able to make tackles. It’s an important position for us. We know the value that position brings to this defense.”
Walker may not be a star, but he’s been steady much of his four-year career with the Lions, rebounding after a down year under the guidance of Glenn. Walker is a do-everything option, racking up big tackle numbers, capable of blitzing and assignment sound in coverage, whether it’s man or zone.
Looking to retain Walker is an easy decision unless the Lions opt to swing for the fences with Marcus Williams, who is a tier above Walker as a playmaker (15 interceptions in five seasons) and spent the previous four years playing under Glenn in New Orleans.
2. Linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin
Reeves-Maybin has spent his entire five-year career with the Lions, despite two general managers, three head coaches and four defensive coordinators. The primary reason for that is because of his special teams contributions, but he’s had an opportunity to reestablish himself as a defensive option in 2021.
Splitting time with rookie Derrick Barnes for the majority of the season, injuries opened the door for a larger role to close out the campaign. With a full rep load and an audition wearing the communication headset and calling the defense, Reeves-Maybin has shined. The undersized yet instinctual inside linebacker has more than doubled his previous season-high in tackles and is above average in coverage due to his quick diagnosis of play-action and his short-area quickness.
Given the still-light defensive film reel, the price tag shouldn’t be excessive. That also means you don’t have to guarantee him anything more than you guaranteed him to re-sign as a free agent a year ago; a chance to compete for a starting job. That leaves the door open to add another linebacker in the draft, if the opportunity presents itself.
Worst-case scenario, you lock up an elite special teamer and experienced and capable backup.
3. Outside linebacker Charles Harris
After four seasons of failing to live up to expectations as a former first-round draft pick, the Lions signed Harris to a modest one-year, $1.75 million contract last offseason. Meeting with owner Sheila Ford Hamp while in town to sign that deal, she gave him a simple request: “Go get the quarterback.”
Harris has largely fulfilled Hamp’s request during a breakout season, racking up a team-high 7.5 sacks and 43 additional pressures. And while he might not have the biggest frame for setting an edge, Harris has held his own as a run defender, making marked improvements from the time of his arrival, according to position coach Kelvin Sheppard.
Regardless of what else the team does this offseason to address their otherwise anemic edge rush — including the possibility of using a first-round pick on either Aidan Hutchinson or Kayvon Thibodeaux — retaining Harris as part of the rotation would be a worthwhile investment.
4. Wide receiver Josh Reynolds
Detroit’s receiving corps were a mess when Reynolds arrived as a midseason waiver claim. After taking a couple of weeks to get acclimated, his pre-existing chemistry with quarterback Jared Goff came shining through. In the four games the two have played together, the wideout is averaging four catches for 65 yards while scoring twice.
Reynolds isn’t a star, but he could certainly be a productive piece of Detroit’s offense going forward as a No. 2 or No. 3 option on the outside. He’s an above-average route runner, is sure-handed and he is capable of stretching the field vertically.
We’ve already seen some potential in his pairing with Amon-Ra St. Brown. If the Lions decide to retain Reynolds and add another piece in free agency or the draft, the team could go from having the worst receiver group in the NFL to fielding a potent trio.
5. Linebacker Alex Anzalone
Admittedly, the Lions coaching staff is higher on Anzalone than where he’s ranked on this list. Prior to suffering a season-ending shoulder injury — his fourth dating to his time at the University of Florida — the veteran linebacker already had played the most defensive snaps (828) of his career.
Being able to play a heavy workload is important. And there’s little doubt Anzalone has helped Campbell establish a culture in Detroit, while also serving as a schematic translator for the team’s less-experienced linebackers.
From a production standpoint, he tallied 78 tackles, a sack, seven pass defenses and an interception. His coverage skills are inconsistent, but he gets his hands on his fair share of passes. The biggest concern is his tackling. While it hadn’t been an issue earlier in his career, Anzalone missed tackles in droves this year, leading the league with 21 at the time of his injury.
As noted, his leadership, effort and schematic understanding resonate with this staff, so it shouldn’t be a surprise if he’s brought back. If that happens, ideally the workload is reduced in favor of other options, whether that’s Reeves-Maybin, Barnes or a draft addition.
6. Wide receiver Kalif Raymond
A little-used offensive weapon his first four seasons, Raymond randomly delivered a 115-yard performance in Week 7, only to see his role in the offense diminish the eight games since. He’s averaging 17.6 yards and 2.3 receptions during that stretch.
Raymond is one of the roster’s hardest workers, and he’s capable of playing both outside or in the slot, but his downfield potential is limited by his 5-foot-8, 182-pound frame.
He does offer some added value as a return man. Even though he hasn’t broken free for a touchdown this season, he’s averaging a healthy 11.2 yards on punts, good for fifth in the NFL.
As a fifth or sixth receiving option, with those return skills, he’s worth retaining another season.
7. Quarterback Tim Boyle
After three seasons as Aaron Rodgers’ backup in Green Bay, the Lions signed Boyle to a one-year, $2.5 million contract in free agency. A smart player who had posted impressive numbers in his previous preseason opportunities, it seemed like a modest investment for a position that goes from 0 to 60 in terms of importance in a hurry.
Unfortunately, Boyle missed the first half of this season after suffering a severe thumb injury requiring surgery in the preseason. He returned just in time to start the first game of his career, filling in for Goff when the starter suffered a strained oblique muscle.
That debut was ugly, due to a combination of inexperience, rust and inclement conditions in Cleveland. Boyle was better with his second opportunity, but he threw a critical interception in the closing minutes against Atlanta, resulting in another loss.
And with the defense falling apart in Seattle last Sunday, the Lions needed Boyle to carry the team and he responded with three second-half interceptions. Could he still be a long-term backup? Sure. He’s young, still improving and he knows the system. Unless the Lions intend to draft a long-term challenger to Goff, Boyle is an adequate option for the role.
8. Defensive tackle Nick Williams
Signed by the previous regime, Williams wasn’t able to build on his breakout season from 2019, when he tallied six sacks while with the Chicago Bears.
A replacement-level talent in Detroit, Williams doesn’t excel at any one thing, but he’s also often not a liability with any of his assignments. Missing just two games the past two seasons, he’s racked up 48 tackles and 1.5 sacks in 30 games (29 starts). He also leads Detroit’s interior linemen with 15 pressures this season, but that’s not saying a whole lot.
After drafting John Penisini, Levi Onwuzurikie and Alim McNeill the past two seasons, there’s not a compelling reason to bring Williams back, unless it’s at a similar salary to this season ($3 million cap hit).
9. Offensive tackle Tyrell Crosby
Frankly, the ship has probably sailed on Crosby’s time in Detroit. After battling an injury throughout training camp, he was waived and reverted to injured reserve after he went unclaimed. Then, earlier this month, he underwent back surgery.
Prior to missing the 2021 season, Crosby was a top-tier backup tackle, able to play both the left and right side and have adequate success. In the modern NFL, that’s rare and valuable.
This season, he was replaced by Matt Nelson, who performed OK while Taylor Decker was out, but not quite as well as Crosby has in previous seasons, including 2020, when he started 11 games at right tackle.
Assuming he gets medically cleared, Crosby has enough good film that he can shop for an opportunity to compete for a starting job, along with the salary that would come along with that. With Decker and Penei Sewell locked into those jobs here, Detroit is no longer a fit.
10. Safety Dean Marlowe
Marlowe felt like a failsafe if the team didn’t like Will Harris’ offseason performance, but despite having every opportunity to stake a claim at the job, the former Panthers and Bills backup wasn’t able to snatch the brass ring early in the season.
Presently, as injuries and COVID cases have piled up in the defensive backfield, Marlowe has racked up big snap totals each of the past six weeks, but like Williams, the performance has largely been replacement level.
The best thing you can say about Marlowe is he’s been Detroit’s most consistent tackler at the position. On the flip side, one pass defense while being targeted 29 times in coverage is tough to stomach.
11. Wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge
Claimed off waivers just before the start of the season, Hodge had hoped to play a bigger offensive role in Detroit than he had during previous stops with the Los Angeles Rams and Cleveland. And there was certainly a path to accomplishing the goal, but it wasn’t one he was able to successful traverse.
Hodge is coming off his best game, stepping in as an injury replacement. He caught five of 10 targets for 76 yards, including a 42-yard diving grab just shy of the goal line. That replaces a 21-yard reception on a fake punt as his longest gain of the season.
That said, it took him 16 games to top 100 yards on the season. And with his calling card, special teams, he’s only been so-so in that department. Serving as one of the team’s gunners on punt coverage, he’s recorded five tackles, and missed two, covering 66 kickoffs and punts.
12. Linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton
The Lions coaching staff was excited about Dion Hamilton, who was claimed off waivers last January. With 46 games of experience, he had a legit shot of cracking the rotation and had been flashing some ability, before suffering a season-ending injury midway through training camp.
If the medical prognosis is positive, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Lions try to run it back this offseason with a veteran-minimum deal with low guarantees. Beyond any potential contributions on defense, Dion Hamilton was a key special teamer for Washington from 2018-20.
13. Defensive tackle Joel Heath
Not much was expected out of the Michigan State product when he signed a no-risk futures deal in February. And his chances of making the roster were all but shot by the start of the offseason program, after the team kept Williams on a restructured deal, traded for Michael Brockers and drafted Levi Onwuzurike and Alim McNeill on the second day of the draft.
But Heath never even got a chance to make a push for a job, suffering a torn ACL in late May. Despite being a bottom-of-the-roster guy, he’s remained around the team throughout the season, gaining valuable experience in the meeting room as he’ll look to resume his career in 2022.
Heath last played an regular-season snap in 2019, capping a four-year run with the Houston Texans, where he appeared in 32 games and made 16 starts.
► Restricted free agents: Center Evan Brown, fullback Jason Cabinda, linebacker Josh Woods, quarterback David Blough, safety C.J. Moore, offensive tackle Will Holden
► Thoughts: The primary option for retention for the players listed above is an RFA tender. The team can use a first-, second- or original-round tender. Those prices will be going up this offseason, but in 2021 the one-year contracts were valued at $5.56 million, $3.99 million and $2.54 million, respectively.
Restricted free agents can negotiate with any team, but if tendered, the original team gets a right to match any contract offer or the signing team must pay the draft compensation attached to the tag. For what it’s worth, an original-round tender for a player who went undrafted brings nothing in return.
While the Lions could conceivably re-sign every player from that list, Brown is probably the only one worth a tender. The backup lineman stepped in and performed well following a season-ending injury to Frank Ragnow. There’s a case to be made for Brown meriting a second-round tender, given the lack of competent backup offensive linemen around the league.
► Exclusive-rights free agents: Punter Jack Fox, offensive tackle Matt Nelson, linebacker Anthony Pittman, cornerback Bobby Price, safety Jalen Elliott, running back Godwin Igwebuike, linebacker Curtis Bolton, outside linebacker Jessie Lemonier, cornerback Savion Smith, kicker Riley Patterson, long snapper Scott Daly, wide receiver Tom Kennedy, center Ryan McCollum, cornerback Mark Gilbert, outside linebacker Rashod Berry, guard Tommy Kraemer, tight end Brock Wright, tight end Jared Pinkney
► Thoughts: If an exclusive-rights free agent is tendered, they receive a one-year, non-guaranteed, veteran minimum contract and are prohibited from negotiating with other teams. This list includes many of Detroit’s top special teamers and most are likely to be tendered.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers