The Detroit Lions have made solid moves this offseason in free agency and now they may look to the quarterback position next, as backup Shaun Hill signed with the Rams and some potential targets include Matt Flynn, Josh Freeman, Brady Quinn and Kevin Kolb on the free agent market along with Aaron Murray, Logan Thomas, Tajh Boyd and AJ McCarron in the upcoming draft.
The Lions are obviously set with Matthew Stafford as the starter, but the team now needs to bring in another quarterback to serve as the backup after having Hill with the team for four years. ESPN.com reports the Lions could be interested in bringing in Matt Flynn or Josh Freeman, as they are quarterbacks with starting experience in the NFL and would not cost too much money on the salary cap. Stafford has been durable in the past couple years, but he has taken a lot of hits as well and the Lions would likely want a quarterback with some experience to serve as the backup.
The team also could opt to take a quarterback to develop behind Stafford in the draft since the class this year is very deep, with names like Aaron Murray, Logan Thomas, Tajh Boyd, Derek Carr, David Fales and AJ McCarron coming out along with a number of other solid prospects. The Lions have a number of needs, but it could be wise to use a later draft pick on one of the quarterbacks if they are available, as this is one of the deepest pools of players and the value of the pick may make sense for the future. Someone like Kevin Kolb would come on the cheap as well and while he has thrown only three more TDs than touchdowns in his career, he is another player with a solid amount of games under his belt.
Murray could be a fun option, as he was the Georgia Bulldogs quarterback that took over for Matthew Stafford, but the Lions likely will want more of a sure thing, as he is coming off of an ACL injury. Mark Sanchez could have been a potential target, but he is now heading to the Philadelphia, while other players like Jason Campbell, Josh McCown and Ryan Fitzpatrick have all signed with teams. Last season the Lions ranked third in the league in passing yards per game and that is one reason why they need a solid backup, as their gameplan and team is built around the passing game.
Hill now moves on to the Rams and as he leaves, the Lions brought on Golden Tate and he has been their big signing after getting Reggie Bush last offseason. Hill signed a one year deal with the Rams and now he will backup Sam Bradford as he comes back from an ACL injury and the team could also draft another quarterback in the draft. The Cleveland Browns spoke about possibly drafting two quarterbacks and it's possible a number of teams will follow that same plan.