12 NFL free agents with ties to the new Lions regime that should interest Detroit
Detroit’s radical franchise overhaul to the front office and coaching staff gives the Lions a rare chance to remake the roster, too. The new faces in charge of personnel decisions have different ties to different NFL teams they can exploit this offseason to help in the remake, too.
The Brad Holmes/Dan Campbell regime has direct recent ties to four NFL teams. Holmes, the new GM, comes from the Los Angeles Rams. So does assistant GM Ray Agnew.
New head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn both worked for the New Orleans Saints for several seasons together before coming to Detroit.
Senior personal executive John Dorsey was the GM of the Cleveland Browns in 2018-2019 before serving as a consultant in 2020. New offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn was the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers for the last four seasons.
That’s some pretty intimate familiarity and personal ties to four other NFL organizations who will have players leaving this offseason. Here are some choice unrestricted free agents from those teams and how they might be appealing to the amalgamation of the new regime in Detroit.
John Johnson, S, Rams
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Your opinion of Johnson likely depends on which Rams games you watched over the last couple of seasons. He was tremendous playing the box safety role, effectively an extra linebacker, in Los Angeles' games against the 49ers Buccaneers and Eagles, as well as the wild-card win over the Seahawks. But if you remember him from the divisional round loss to the Packers, where Johnson played more as a high safety or in man coverage over the slot, you're probably not so keen on the 2017 third-rounder from Boston College, where he played ahead of current Lions safety Will Harris. In the hybrid LB/safety role, a position the Lions desperately need to be filled, Johnson is a solid starter who quickly reads plays and anticipates well in zone coverage. He's got two seasons with over 100 tackles under his belt, as well as eight career INTs.
Melvin Ingram, EDGE, Chargers
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Ingram would be the sizzling splash move for Holmes to import one of the top pass rushers on the market to Detroit. With Lynn's Chargers, Ingram made the Pro Bowl three straight seasons before injuries disrupted his 2020 campaign. Now 31 and having a few bouts with the injury bug, there is some risk with Ingram. But he's an ideal schematic fit as the stand-up EDGE who can also play functionally in space in a zone-blitz base scheme that new coordinator Glenn and defensive assistant Dom Capers are both very familiar with. Ingram's coverage ability has steadily improved over the course of his career, in part because the Chargers smartly figured out to send him after the QB more frequently. Ingram will not come cheap. He's also arguably the most talented all-around pass rusher on the market this year.
Gerald Everett, TE, Rams
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Everett is coming off the best season of his four-year career, capping a steady build after being a second-round pick by the Rams in 2017. He's more of a large slot receiver than a traditional tight end. That happens to be a role the Lions can use in conjunction with Pro Bowler T.J. Hockenson, who can align inline or flexed out. Having a more capable No. 2 tight end would allow the Lions to create different matchups against defenses, something both the Saints and Rams offenses did nicely with the current Lions brass involved. Everett caught 41 passes for 417 yards and a touchdown while playing over half the Rams' offensive snaps for the first time. He's an ascending talent, the kind smart teams target.
Larry Ogunjobi, DT, Browns
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Ogunjobi would bring an interior pass rusher to Detroit, one still young enough to have serious upside despite playing four seasons with the Browns already. He finished 5.5 sacks in both the 2018 and 2019 seasons while primarily playing to the inside shoulder of Myles Garrett. Those were the same seasons Dorsey lorded over the Browns personnel, coincidentally. The 6-3, 305-pounder (though he likely played in the 290s in 2020) didn't make as many plays in the Browns revamped defense last season. There were games where he flashed the quick first step and the dynamic swim and over moves, but it was inconsistent. Really his whole NFL career has been inconsistent. If the Lions coaches feel they can coax the big dawg out of Ogunjobi more routinely, he's an instant upgrade over Da'Shawn Hand and Nick Williams as the interior disruptor.
Leonard Floyd, EDGE, Rams
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Floyd followed up four underwhelming seasons in Chicago by betting on himself with a one-year contract in Los Angeles. It paid off handsomely for the 28-year-old OLB. Floyd bagged a career-high 10.5 sacks and also racked up 55 tackles. The trick for the Lions is to determine how much of that was Floyd being a relative schematic misfit in Chicago and how much benefit he gained from playing outside NFL defensive player of the year Aaron Donald in Los Angeles. There's some credence to both angles. Floyd seems like a good fit for the stand-up EDGE role playing on the outside shoulder of Trey Flowers. He is not the "alpha dog" pass rusher that his abundant sack total in 2020 might indicate, however.
Alex Anzalone, LB, Saints
(AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
If the Lions choose to overhaul the linebacking corps and seek out familiar faces for the coaches, Anzalone makes a lot of sense as a more athletic version of Jahlani Tavai and Christian Jones. A part-time starter in 2018 and 2020 for the Saints, sandwiched around a 2019 that saw him play just 46 snaps in two games before a season-ending injury, Anzalone can play either the MIKE or WILL role at off-ball LB. He has some ability to cover and is generally a reliable tackler, though both parts of his game there need better consistency. Anzalone was a third-round pick out of Florida in 2017 but hasn't really broken out yet. That makes him more affordable at a position where the Lions shouldn't be prioritizing big money on the defense.
Josh Reynolds, WR, Rams
(AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Reynolds proved in 2020 he can be a nice intermediate-range outside receiver. At 6-3 and just under 200 pounds, he's a good-not-great athlete who has steadily improved his burst off the line and precision with his footwork. After catching a career-best 52 catches for 618 yards and two TDs in 2020, Reynolds clearly has some chemistry with new Lions QB Jared Goff. It's nice to have at least one familiar face to throw to and understand the instincts for the quarterback.
Sheldon Rankins, DT, Saints
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Despite never living up to the first-round draft status (2016, four spots ahead of Taylor Decker), Rankins has still carved himself a niche in the Saints defense over the years. He's an interior pass rusher with good leverage and sheds blocks well. He did have an impressive 2018 season, notching eight sacks and 40 total tackles. Rankins' career has been dogged by nagging injuries, including an MCL issue that cost him some time in 2020. He's a good fit for a prominent role in the rotation in an even-front defense and as a situational pass rusher from the line.
Terrance Mitchell, CB, Browns
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Mitchell followed John Dorsey from Kansas City to Cleveland and fit in nicely. He wound up playing significantly higher up the depth chart than expected due to injury issues around the Browns secondary, often playing as the team's No. 1 outside corner. He held his own, but Mitchell is more "Money" when playing as the No. 3 outside cornerback. He's particularly good against bigger receivers who can't torch him off the line. The Browns valued Mitchell as a mentor for youngsters Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams, a role that is needed in Detroit to help Jeff Okudah and Amani Oruwariye.
Trey Hendrickson, EDGE, Saints
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Hendrickson is the epitome of a pass-rush specialist. The Saints twitchy EDGE played almost exclusively in passing situations in 2020 and was brutally effective at it. Hendrickson bagged 13.5 sacks for New Orleans with his impressive ability to win with speed around the tackle but also a wicked inside step to get free at times. Alas, that's all he offers. The Saints almost never played him in short-yardage situations or against heavier offensive packages. He managed just 25 total tackles — including the 13.5 sacks — in 2020. There might not be a more one-dimensional player in the league, but give Hendrickson credit, he's exceptional at the one thing he's asked to do. Like many others featured here, Hendrickson was a third-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft and comes off his best year as a pro.
Jahleel Addae, S, Chargers
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Addae returned to the Chargers in 2020 to play under Lynn again after a failed experiment in 2019 with the Houston Texans. While his role decreased in the L.A. defense, Addae still proved capable in zone coverage and willing to get his nose dirty in run support. The 31-year-old Central Michigan product is a good option as an experienced veteran who can come off the bench to play either safety role, or as a third safety in packages. The Lions could do a lot worse for a veteran stopgap. Remember, with just six draft picks and limited salary cap room, not every move is going to be a big one. Finding smart, serviceable players to bridge a year or two is going to be an important task for Holmes and the Lions. That's Addae.
Ty Montgomery, RB/WR, Saints
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Lions fans probably best recall Montgomery from his earlier days with the Packers, where he played both running back and wide receiver. He essentially did the same in a more limited role with the Saints. Montgomery is a reliable pass-catcher out of the backfield who can also align in the slot or even outside wide receiver. He has some proven ability as a kick returner too. If Jamal Agnew departs in free agency, Montgomery is a natural replacement who will know coach Campbell's offense and style. And he'll almost certainly cost a lot less, too.
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