NFL Free Agency rumors: Lions could franchise tag Brandon Pettigrew

Nov 24, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew (87) celebrates after catching a pass for a touchdown in the end zone during the third quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /

The Detroit Lions will have some decisions to make regarding their impending free agents this offseason, and tight end Brandon Pettigrew could be one of the biggest decisions that new head coach Jim Caldwell needs to make.

Caldwell will discuss the team’s options with general manager Martin Mayhew and it looks like the Lions GM is favoring the decision to lock Pettigrew up at any cost.

According to the Detroit Free Press, Mayhew would not rule out using the franchise tag to keep Pettigrew in Detroit.

The price for the tight end franchise figure is expected to be around $6.7 million, which would be a number far too high for a player that has produced as little as Pettigrew has throughout his career.

It is hard to argue that Pettigrew has been anything but underwhelming since joining the NFL, so perhaps Mayhew was just attempting to keep Pettigrew happy by staying positive in the media.

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