Detroit Lions: 5 offseason needs in 2019
By Jon Dove
The Detroit Lions have big holes on their roster to fill this offseason and the ammunition to bring in major additions.
Take a look at the Detroit Lions depth chart and you’ll notice they don’t have many needs to fill. The ones that are a priority line up well with what’s available on the free agent market and in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Detroit is projected to have around $38 million in salary cap space this offseason. That’s plenty of cash to sign at least one big-name free agent. They also have a pick in each round of the draft, plus an extra sixth rounder.
This is an important offseason for the Lions as the rest of the NFC North looks strong. The Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings both have their eyes on the division title while the Green Bay Packers get back a healthy Aaron Rodgers along with a new coaching staff.
Last year was a terrible start to Matt Patricia’s head coaching career. Not only did the Lions finish with a disappointing 6-10 record, there were also problems in the locker room. One of the bigger stories was Patricia being often late for his own team meetings.
Detroit needs a strong offseason in order to erase the stain from last year. Another poor (and controversial) year by Patricia and the Lions could again be looking for a new head coach.
This could also be the offseason where the Lions begin to plan for life without quarterback Matthew Stafford. His contract situation is starting to hamstring the organization. Now would be a great time to look for a young developmental quarterback.