NFL free agency is often just as much about the players a team opts not to sign as it is about the players they acquire. The most salient example came right at the beginning of the Brad Holmes era.
Wide receiver Kenny Golladay had enjoyed a couple of really good seasons with the Detroit Lions, but was coming off a year in which injuries held him to just five games. Despite those injuries, Golladay was headed for a huge payday, and Holmes had to decide whether the Lions receiver was going to be part of the team’s future rebuild or not. They opted to pass, and the New York Giants signed him to a four-year, $72 million deal. Golladay would end up playing just 26 games for the Giants, catching just 43 passes for 602 yards and a single touchdown. He’s been out of the league since.
That was an internal decision. But for today’s Question of the Day, I want to talk about external players.
Who is one external free agent you want the Lions to avoid?
My answer: I’m going to go with Cade Mays, the Panthers’ former starting center.
Obviously, I want the Lions to invest in a center following the retirement of Frank Ragnow last year and the recent release of Graham Glasgow. I don’t believe that Juice Scruggs or Seth McLaughlin are good enough to warrant the starting job, although I like the idea of rostering both for immediate and future depth.
Signing Mays would just be redundant at this point, because I’m not entirely sure he’s much of an upgrade over either of those players. A former sixth-round pick in 2022, Mays has done well compared to his draft status, but his overall play remains pretty underwhelming for a starting center. He’s started 27 games in his career, and a lot of that playing time has been as an injury replacement. He’s never posted a PFF grade above 66.1 in his career, and his run blocking has been average to below average.
Center is a position the Lions should not mess around with. I’m not saying it’s Tyler Linderbaum or bust, but Mays is the line of diminishing returns when it comes to free agent centers. The Lions already have a couple of borderline starters and don’t need a third. Tyler Biadasz, Connor McGovern, or even Ethan Pocic are all better options than Mays and clear upgrades over what the Lions currently have.
Who is a free agent out there you want the Lions to avoid? Share your answers in the comment section below.
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