The Detroit Lions have a lot of needs to fill this coming free agency and draft and one of them is at tight end. The Lions have one of the best tight ends in the NFL in Sam LaPorta, but they could use a guy that could come in and be their tight end two. Do they really need to use a draft pick on that this year though? That’s the question.
What if they instead signed a veteran to a one year deal and had him work as the teams second tight end? I have an idea for one and he just became a free agent on Friday. He’s also been coached by Dan Campbell before. Even though he was a quarterback at the time. I’m talking Logan Thomas.
Thomas was drafted by the Cardinals as a quarterback and in 2015 he found himself on the Miami Dolphins team that would have Dan Campbell as the interim coach. That’s not where the connections end though. Ben Johnson was on that staff as well and Lions tight ends coach Steve Heiden was with Thomas in Arizona.
Thomas has been with the Lions before. Detroit is actually where Thomas made the switch from quarterback to tight end. He had another stint with the Lions in 2019 before heading to the Commanders where he really flourished in the tight end role. He had a big 2020 season that saw him get 72 receptions for 670 yards and six touchdowns. He hasn’t had production that big since, but he did have a nice 2023 that saw him get 55 receptions for 496 yards and four touchdowns.
Thomas has also gotten better as a blocker. He had a 73.9 pass block grade for the Commanders in 2023. That’s a lot higher than Brock Wright’s 63.7.
Thomas is not a long term fix for the Lions, but he’s a cheap and short term fix and he’s a signing that allows to the Lions to put their draft focuses elsewhere.