Top 5 Free Agents Lions Should Re-Sign (Including One That Might Surprise You)
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
Though Lions fans are excited to see which players the team will add this offseason, just as important is which players the team will keep. Detroit has 20 pending unrestricted free agents, including a few key contributors from last year's playoff team. They won't all be back, of course, but here are the top five players the Lions should re-sign.
1. Riley Reiff, RT
Previous contract: 4 years, $7,993,700 (Average Annual Value: $1,998,425)
Reiff performed at about a league-average level season, but the Lions will be hard pressed to find a better option at right tackle. If they let him walk, they'll be left with a gaping hole on the offensive line, one they'll have to fill with either a splashy free agent signing or a high-round draft pick. It would make more sense to keep Reiff in the fold - continuity on the O-line is always a good thing, anyway - assuming he can be had for somewhere around $4.5-$5.5 million per year.
2. Anquan Boldin, WR
Previous contract: 1 year, $2,750,000
Boldin had a quietly strong season in his first year with the Lions. The 36-year-old vet finished first on the team in receiving touchdowns (8), second in receptions (67) and emerged as a third-down security blanket for Matthew Stafford. At a cost of $2.75 million, Boldin provided great value, especially in comparison to some of the more lavishly-paid players at his position. There's no reason not to bring him back on a similar deal.
3. Larry Warford, G
Previous contract: 4 years, $3,075,000 (AAV: $768,750)
The case for re-signing Warford is the same as that for re-signing Reiff. He isn't an elite guard, but the cost of letting him go would be too steep for a team without any proven replacements within. On top of that, Warford is coming off his best season since his rookie campaign. If he can build on that momentum in 2017 without costing the Lions more than $3-4 million per year, he'd be a nice asset on the offensive line.
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4. Josh Bynes, LB
Previous contract: 1 year, $760,000
The Lions' linebackers woes won't be solved by simply bringing back Bynes, but he helped stabilize that group in 2016 when he was signed after the Kyle Van Noy trade. He was the team's best linebacker from there on out. The 27-year-old won't command a whole lot of money in free agency, which, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding DeAndre Levy and the below-average play of Tahir Whitehead, makes Bynes a worthy investment for the Lions.
5. Armonty Bryant, DE
Previous contract: 4 year, $2,220,600 (AAV: $555,150)
This one might come as a surprise given Bryant's injury-shortened season and his troubled past. But the Lions desperately need to improve their pass rush and Bryant can help. He recorded three sacks in just five games with the Lions in 2016 - good enough for third on the team, by the way - and showed the explosiveness that most of the Lions' defensive ends lack. He'll come cheap in free agency and could prove to be a serious bargain in 2017.
Note: All contract info provided by Spotrac.com.
