The Detroit Lions need a No. 2 man. The team has the almighty Calvin Johnson running the sidelines, but the Lions are looking for a trust No. 2 receiver to work in tandem with the star athlete. Nate Burleson played that part well, but he is not on the roster anymore and the jury is still out on Ryan Broyles' status. As a result, the Lions are looking towards free agency and the draft for a little help.
Detroit general manager Martin Mayhew told MLive.com that the team is in the market for another wide receiver, but is uncertain how they will achieve filling the spot. Detroit released Burleson earlier in February. He was the second-leading receiver on the team behind Johnson, but his contract was too much to keep on. Kris Durham did not do much last year. Broyles was the hope to be Johnson's right-hand man in the future, but back-to-back ACL tears are not helping his career. The third-year pro is now rehabbing a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered last October that once again has his future in question.
"It's hard to speculate on that -- he's still rehabbing the Achilles," Mayhew said. "Hopefully we'll get an opportunity to see him when he gets back and see what he looks like. He's progressing well with his rehab. We'll see how it all plays out. He's had three major injuries -- two major injuries with us -- but he's rehabbing very well. I had contact with his agent a few weeks ago, so we'll just keep abreast of how he's doing rehab-wise and we'll see how he does."
Mayhew says the team is looking to add two more receivers before next season. They will likely grab one player in free agency and one in the draft. The Lions do not need a super star, just a trusty No. 2. That could leave them targeting someone like Golden Tate who played that role well with the Seattle Seahawks. He will be a free agent and his return to Seattle is not looking good. The Lions could also target someone like James Jones who played well in limited action with Green Bay. Both receivers would do well running with Johnson.
In the draft, the Lions select No. 10 overall. That should leave them with the ability to get the best available player at the position. Either Clemson's Sammy Watkins or Mike Evans from Texas A&M would be perfect fits in Detroit.
