NFL Free Agency has been chaotic to say the least. The NFC North especially has been crazy making moves and players moving both in and out of the division. In some instances, some players switched teams within the division.
Now, in the case of the Detroit Lions, things have not been quiet but they also haven’t busted out the bullhorn. The offense especially hasn’t seen much work being done on it yet and to be honest that is okay.
Let this serve as a quick recap of where things stand in one of the more underappreciated offenses in the entire NFL.
Quarterback (2)
- Jared Goff
- Hendon Hooker
Not much to unpack here, Jared Goff is the undisputed champion of the quarterback room. Hendon Hooker is fully healthy after being drafted coming off a torn ACL which makes him a fun backup behind him.
Running Back (6)
- David Montgomery
- Jahmyr Gibbs
- Craig Reynolds
- Zonovan Knight
- Jermar Jefferson
- Jake Funk (FB)
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs showed they complement each other the same way thunder and lightning do. When they both were healthy together they gave the Lions a complete offensive attack. Gibbs specifically may see more of a workload but regardless the two have shown at the very least they can be affective with a split workload.
Wide Receiver (8)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown
- Jameson Williams
- Kalif Raymond
- Antoine Green
- Tom Kennedy
- Maurice Alexander
- Tre’Quan Smith
- Daurice Fountain
Jameson Williams is joining Amon-Ra St. Brown as a full-time receiver. Those two will be a great duo but who helps them out whenever defenses focus on them? That question leaves the third and fourth receiver spots needing to be addressed this offseason. The draft has a deep wide receiver class, expect some help to come from there.
Tight End (4)
- Sam LaPorta
- Brock Wright
- James Mitchell
- Shane Zylstra
Sam Laporta is the cash cow in this group and for what they need their tight ends to do he is perfect. Everyone else in the group is perfect for the blocking they need, not that LaPorta can’t, but it allows for him to be the true offensive weapon he can be.
Offensive Line (9)
- Taylor Decker
- Dan Skipper
- Colby Sorsdal
- Matt Farniok
- Frank Ragnow
- Michael Niese
- Graham Glasgow
- Penei Sewell
- Connor Galvin
The offensive line is one of the best in the league between the tackle and center groups. The guards are going to need to be addressed in either free agency or the draft, especially after losing Jonah Jackson. To the Lions advantage, those areas are where the free agent and draft classes have the most depth.
Overall Thoughts
This offensive skill group and line are somehow still one of the more underappreciated in the entire NFL. Ben Johnson coming back after nearly leaving for a second time is big for this group. It has a chance to be the reason this team continues to progress and perhaps even make it back to another NFC Championship game again.