Breaking: Lions part ways with key rookie in free agency

The Lions’ offense will have three mainstays (quarterback Jared Goff, right tackle Penei Sewell, and receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown) in place for years to come thanks to their individual deals. The latter is the team’s undisputed leading wideout, but the depth behind him has shifted this summer.

Josh Reynolds left Detroit in free agency and joined the Broncos. That decision came despite the Lions’ efforts to keep him, leaving the team without a vital role player from previous season. St. Brown and 2022 first-round pick Jameson Williams, as well as tight end Sam LaPorta (who had a fantastic rookie season last year), will be relied on in the passing game. Outside additions to the trio should not be expected.

Rather, the Lions are poised to rely on internal possibilities to replicate Reynolds’ productivity. In 2023, the veteran racked up 608 yards with five touchdowns while collecting 64 targets (the second-highest total of his career). Instead of acquiring a free agent or making a trade, the team might look to Kalif Raymond, Donovan Peoples-Jones, or Tre’Quan Smith to provide a supplementary role.

“It might be someone that didn’t have as much production last year, say an Antoine Green or a Peoples-Jones or some of the guys that we had on the scout team,” offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said on the subject (via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press). “Or it could be some of the other guys… So, that’s what we’re trying to find out here this springtime and in training camp is not just who the guys are that we’ll hang our hats on, but also how we distribute those carries and those targets as the season goes.”

Johnson helped the Lions finish third in overall offense and fifth in scoring last year. Expectations will be high for the unit to duplicate its performance, and running back Jahmyr Gibbs is expected to play a significant part in that respect. The first of Detroit’s two Day 1 picks in 2023 had a productive rookie season on the ground and in the air, totaling 1,261 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns.

As Birkett adds in a separate piece, the Lions intend for Gibbs to play a larger role in pass-catching in 2024. Last season, the Alabama product produced 52 catches for 316 yards, which placed sixth on the team. Developing as a route runner might allow him to be deployed in positions other than the backfield, giving Detroit a better secondary option in the passing game.