The Lions made the playoffs for the first time since 2011, but they will have to make some tough choices and be smart in both free agency and the draft to return to the postseason in 2015. Detroit is in contract hell, as Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson account for $38.2 million and, more worryingly, they carry $13.8 million in dead money into next season. They hold the 23rd overall pick in the 2015 draft and have a slew of players who will be free agents.
Detroit Lions 2015 Offseason: Top 3 Needs
Defensive Tackle
The Lions currently have one defensive tackle under contract come March 10th and for a team that posted the second best run defense in the league, this has to be a huge concern. The main contributor to this stellar run defense, Ndamukong Suh, has become one of the best tackles in the league. Only 27, Suh has established himself as one of the meanest players at the position and also one of the dirtiest in the league.
The Lions need to bring Suh back, but to franchise him would cost upwards of $26 million and Suh seems unwilling to make a long-term deal before free agency opens. Suh is hoping to inflate his price and in light of J.J. Watt’s mega 6-year $100 million contract, who can blame him? Ironically, it is Suh’s dead money of $9 million that may make a deal impossible.
If Detroit fails to re-sign Suh, keeping Nick Fairley becomes a priority. While Fairley is not as talented as Suh and more of an injury worry (missed eight games last season), the Lions can ill afford to lose both starting defensive tackles.
While it is clear that the Lions will have to rely on the draft to replace either Suh or Fairley, the priority of the position depends on who they keep. Suh is the bigger talent and has been stellar in his time at Detroit. The team should do everything within reason to keep him.
Offensive Line
After allowing a career high 45 sacks on quarterback Matt Stafford last season, the offensive line is in the process of rebuilding. The Lions made it clear earlier this offseason that Dominic Raiola will not be returning as the center for his 15th season. Rob Sims is likely gone as well, as he may be a little too pricey to return. While Sims did not have a terrible season and finished strongly, the Lions have little money to play with, especially if they plan on re-signing Suh. Since he is 31, they may be better served getting younger and cheaper at the position. While Raiola will be missed, management has to hope that Travis Swanson (third-round pick in 2014) is ready to take over at center. Right tackle may be the biggest concern on the offense right now, as undrafted free agent LaAdrian Waddle started for most of the season but suffered an ACL tear in December. While he is expected to be healthy come training camp, it can take up to a year to fully recover from such an injury.
This unit needs to be addressed early and often in the draft. Detroit is unlikely to be big spenders in free agency so getting someone who can start at right tackle and adding depth along the entire unit in the draft has to be a priority for management.
Kicker
The Lions missed an astonishing 13 field goals last year and burned through three kickers during the season. The man who finished the season, Matt Prater, missed 5 of his 21 attempts and he is not under contract for 2015. While a kicker is not often a top priority, the lack of consistency at the position has to be a worry. In fact, the team could have missed the playoffs if not for a delay of game penalty against them while they played in London. The missed field goal that would have lost them the game was called back and retaken in the games dying seconds.
This could be one of the occasions that Detroit dips into free agency. Bringing back Prater would not be an expensive option, as he only earned the league minimum last season. Questions about his consistency will be asked of course and I expect several kickers to be brought in during training camp.
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