What will the Detroit Lions do to the recipient?

There is a lot of buzz going on in Lions grounds now. Lions are hiring someone new every day, they have a new quarterback, Matthew Stafford is in Hollywood and Matt Patricia elsewhere talking about Malcolm Butler while looking like an idiot who lives in the apartment behind 7-11 and had mold slurpee cups stacked on the back of your 1997 Toyota Tercel.

With everything that’s going on, we totally ignore the crater-sized hole in the body of Lions you’re receiving. Lions are having a lot of problems in this area. The only Lions recipients who are currently under contract are Geronimo Allison and Quintez Cephus. If you’re Jared Goff, you can’t be totally excited about the guys you’re throwing the ball to. The new general manager Brad Holmes has a difficult job for him there.

So, what should Lions do? Don’t worry, Brad. I have three ideas for Lions who will receive bodies that are reasonable and workable. Here they are.

Make a deal with Kenny

A few weeks ago, if you had asked me if Kenny Golladay was staying in Detroit, I would have told you that this was not happening at all. In fact, I wrote the article we published saying that Lions should go ahead and separate from it. After a few weeks, I realize that I may be wrong. Part of me wrote this because I believed he was dead.

Maybe he still is, but his recent appearance on Good Morning Football and some of the signings that Lions have made since that article make me think differently today. Golladay certainly didn’t look like a guy looking for Detroit’s exit.

Look, this may have been just simple games. The fact is, Lions are about to start rebuilding. Does he want to be a part of this? If you do, Lions must register. The ball is in Detroit’s courts as well as Kenny’s in some ways. Lions can get a discount on Golladay based on their injury problems. It seems hard to think that he will get the big deal he wanted in October. Of course, this does not mean that it will not be expensive. Lions will have to take steps to ease the limit if they want to close the deal.

Golladay gives Goff a big target he didn’t have in Los Angeles, and it helps tremendously in the Lions offensive to have a guy like him out there. Although there must still be some concern about his inability to separate, he can make those contested catches. Getting a new deal for Golladay should be the next step on the Lions list.

Free agency additions

Regardless of whether Golladay is back or not, the team will have to fill the reception room with a few more guys. They can certainly do this through scratch and we will describe what they can do there a little later, but the free agency is where they can find some immediate options.

One of the best things about hiring new coaches is that they are usually able to bring in some talent with them. This doesn’t always work, as we saw with Matt Patricia, but hey, this is Matt Patricia and it’s well documented that Patriots players don’t get along after leaving the nest. Tom Brady doesn’t count.

One sign that seems obvious right away is Rams receiver Josh Reynolds. Chosen by Brad Holmes himself, the ex-fourth round pick will be in the free agency after a very decent season with the Rams as number three, behind Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods. Reynolds managed 52 receptions for 618 yards and two touchdowns. In Detroit, Reynolds could meet with his ex-quarterback and play a much bigger role than in LA. Reynolds could have a chance to be Lions’ number two receiver and see an increase in his targets.

The other good thing is that Lions will not have to break the bank with Reynolds. It may be similar to Golden Tate’s business in 2014, but probably even cheaper than that.

Another potential name to think about is Sammy Watkins. At one point, it was the dream choice for many Lions fans. Although he did not prove to be the player he most thought he would be, he is still a viable and probably cheap option. The good news, of course, is that he played Anthony Lynn in Buffalo and the new Lions assistant GM, Ray Agnew, helped hire Watkins for the Rams when he was the professional personnel director.

A less desirable but intriguing option is Pharoh Cooper. He jumped through the league and had trouble finding a home, but he also has a connection with Brad Holmes, who investigated him before the Rams took him to the fourth round in 2016. He went on to be a returning All-Pro and Pro Bowl man for the Rams in 2017. Maybe a meeting with Holmes in Detroit could at least help him get back to being a good return man.

The Draft

Then there is the obvious way forward. While there is some suspicion that Lions may take a quarterback in this year’s draft, Lions are in a great position to obtain one of the biggest recipients. This is something they need to consider, whether they re-sign up for Golladay or someone like Reynolds at a free agency. Lions can use their seventh choice to go out and pick up Jaylen Waddle from Alabama. It could pair very well with two large receivers.

If Lions decide to pick up a receiver later in the draft, there are options as the target in the middle of the Western Michigan D’Wayne Eskridge round. Eskridge led the MAC in receiving yards and touchdowns. He’s been speeding for days. He ran a 4.33 in Western’s summer practice in 2018 and turned a few heads in the Senior Bowl.

Another intriguing option that Lions can get in the middle rounds is Ole Miss’ Elijah Moore. Although Moore did not see the end zone as much as some of the other receivers who go higher than him, he finished second in the country with 86 receptions and 1,193 yards. It can be a rip off between the second and fourth rounds.

It is a very profound class and, with another choice of Day 2 through Stafford exchange, Lions will have more than a few opportunities to attract someone who can contribute on Day 1.

Only time will tell what Lions plan to do in office. But if you’re a fan, don’t be afraid. Lions can do many things to correct this problem.