Following free agency, the national media has started to examine which NFL teams were the winners and which were losers over the past couple of weeks.
The Lions mostly stuck to their plan of signing their own free agents, only agreeing to one significant contract with former Jaguars wideout DJ Chark.
Let’s explore the NFL power rankings that were released post-free agency.
Rank: 26th
“Perhaps the Lions could surprise us and vault back into the quarterback conversation at some point, giving Jared Goff some legitimate competition. While they did not get that much better this offseason, the signing of DJ Chark seemed to be one of the better receiver deals in an absurd NFL free-agency period. Chark has some athletic upside that was simply untapped with the Jaguars. His drafting GM, Dave Caldwell, has a strong track record of receiver drafts, including Allen Robinson and the undrafted Allen Hurns, both of whom played a critical role in the team’s 2017 AFC championship run.”
Rank: 26th
“Another squad poised to make a draft splash with three of the top 34 picks, including No. 2 overall. Detroit finished 3-3 last season after going winless in its first 11 games — momentum that could portend relevance in a playoff chase amid a seemingly weakened conference.”
Rank: 31st
“Yes, the Lions did address their deep-threat need in free agency by signing Pro Bowler DJ Chark Jr. to complement Josh Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown, but they’re still taking a risk in projecting that Chark can actually thrive in that role. Detroit should still consider grabbing another strong receiver high in the draft, as it has three picks in the top 34. Lions receivers coach Antwaan Randle El enjoyed a successful NFL career as a player and is itching to develop a young prospect, much like he did with St. Brown, who was a fourth-round selection in 2021.”
Scroll to Continue
Recommended Lions Articles
Rank: 29th
“If the Lions are going to give Jared Goff another year to prove himself as a long-term option at QB, they need to give him an acceptable collection of weapons. They took a step in the right direction with the signing of DJ Chark to a one-year deal. The former Jaguars wideout is coming off an injury-wrecked season, but he is a big-bodied pass-catcher who complements rising star Amon-Ra St. Brown. Add those two receivers with tight end T.J. Hockenson and running back D’Andre Swift, and the Lions have the makings of a pretty solid offensive nucleus.”
© Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
© Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Rank: 25th
“We all had fun laughing at the Lions last season as they started 0-10-1, but they got better as the year went along and always played hard. And given the decline of some major contenders in the NFC, they may not be as bad as you think this season.
Jared Goff didn’t throw the ball downfield much last season, but he didn’t have all that many weapons to target. He now has a better receiving corps headlined by free-agent signee DJ Chark. That was Detroit’s lone external move of note, but the team did well to retain some of its top talents, like Tracy Walker, Charles Harris and Josh Reynolds.
The Lions aren’t ready to be a playoff contender year, but they are moving away from the bottom quartile of the league. Dan Campbell has his team heading in the right direction even without making too many major free-agent moves.”
Rank: 31st
“Adding DJ Chark Jr. to the roster was a huge get, and their culture was a huge reason he chose Detroit. The Lions also retained Charles Harris, Tracy Walker, and Kalif Raymond. However, they haven’t done much in terms of outside free agency.”
Leave a Reply