A division title continues to elude the Detroit Lions. The franchise hasn’t claimed first place since winning the NFC North way back in 1993. However, Jim Caldwell’s club has reached the playoffs in two of the past three seasons. Still, this past year was a bit bittersweet. The Men from the Motor City owned a 9-4 record with three games remaining. But they fell in consecutive weeks to the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. And their playoff stay was short as usual, in a 26-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. As the team prepares for another season, who will general manager Bob Quinn work to retain and who will be on the outside looking in when Free Agency begins on March 9?
Bring him back
He has played a lot of football since entering the league in 2003. But veteran wide receiver Anquan Boldin was a terrific pickup for the Detroit Lions last offseason. The-highly productive performer began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, was dealt to the Baltimore Ravens (where he helped the team win a Super Bowl in 2012). He would then be traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Last offseason, he actually tested the free-agent market for the first time and wound up in the Motor City. He wasn’t the only newcomer to the receiving corps as the Lions also added Marvin Jones and Andre Roberts. Boldin finished second on the club with 67 receptions but averaged only 8.7 yards per catch.
However, the sure-handed pro was quarterback Matthew Stafford’s favorite scoring target. Boldin led the Lions with eight touchdown receptions.
Let him go
Last spring, the Detroit Lions used the 16th overall pick in the draft to grab Ohio States standout Taylor Decker. He responded by starting all 16 games at left tackle. It was a solid showing by the former Buckeyes’ standout.
The fine minds at Pro Football Focus ranked Taylor as the league’s No. 23 tackle. He earned strong grades as both a run and pass-blocker. His addition meant 2012 first-round pick Riley Reiff would switch to the right side. But the five-year pro’s play was less-than-underwhelming and he’s now slated for free agency. Quinn could look to replace him in free agency or via the draft.