We are one day away from the craziness that is NFL Free agency getting under way. The tampering period starts at noon on Monday. get ready for some news to start coming in. Then on Wednesday we'll start getting even more news at 4:00. 

Until then, let's talk about some more free agents that the Lions could bring in. Specifically the cheap ones. We've talked an awful lot about the players that cost a lot of money, here's five guys that could really help the Lions both on the field and in their check book: 

Grover Stewart

The Lions need help on the interior of their defensive line. The spot next to Alim McNeil was constantly different in 2023. They went through a handful of different players before they found something they liked in Tyson Alualu. The problem is that Alualu is 36-years-old. 

There's premiere guys out there like Christian Wilkins that the Lions are rumored to have interest in, but he is going to require a massive contract. Someone who won't is Colts defensive tackle Grover Stewart. 

At 30-years-old, Stewart is on the older side and he did have some injuries last year, but he also played very well in the 11 games he played. He graded out at 76.2 on Pro Football Focus. That was a career high. He's not the best pass rusher, but he's a very good run stopper and could provide premium depth in Detroit. 

D.J. Wonnum

This isn’t the first time I’ve brought up D.J. Wonnum. . That’s because I think he would be a solid addition for Detroit and one that not enough people are talking about. 

The 26-year-old had nine sacks and 38 pressures for the Vikings last year on the opposite side of Danielle Hunter. That's something that would be really nice on the opposite side of Aidan Hutchinson. 

Right now the going rate for Wonnum is expected to be a two year deal worth $13 million. The Lions can definitely afford that.  

Keisean Nixon

Another guy from inside the NFC North. Nixon could scratch two itches for the Lions. He could provide some strong depth to the Lions at cornerback for starters. Nixon showed in 2023 that he struggles as a starter. But we’ve seen in the past that he’s decent in a rotation. 

The other spot, and this is the big one, is at kick returner. Nixon is probably the best in the NFL at this spot. He's led the league in kick return yards for the last two years in a row. The Lions could really use some help in that area after they just couldn't get it figured out in 2023. 

The last thing is that I wonder how Nixon would do in a Jamal Agnew type role where he was intermittently put on offense for some plays. I think he'd do pretty well. The Packers tried it for one play in 2023 and he ran in an 11-yard touchdown.  

Van Jefferson

I’m pretty sure that the Lions are going to be looking for a new receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, but in case they’re looking for some veteran depth, why not go with a guy that the front office and their quarterback has some familiarity with? 

The former Ram is still looking to recapture what he was able to do in 2021 and he hasn't been able to. Last year the Rams traded him to the Falcons during the season and he struggled there. 

Look, Jefferson is not a starter for the Lions and I don't even know if he's a guy that can make the team. What I do know is that he's worth taking a shot at to see if there's anything left there to help this Lions offense. They were clearly looking for a player like Jefferson when they traded for Donovan Peoples-Jones. DPJ may not be back. So here's a chance to try something with Jefferson.

Laken Tomlinson

Once again, this is not the first time I’ve brought up Tomlinson. I suggested the reunion a couple weeks back when he was released by the Jets. This is some premium depth for the interior of the Lions offensive line. They just don’t have that right now. Tomlinson is a former Pro Bowl guard and has been a starter for nearly a decade at this point. He can help. 

I know Lions fans will remember how things didn't work out in his first stint with the team, but he is not that player anymore and hasn't been since. Why not take a inexpensive shot here? 

7 round Detroit Lions mock draft after 2024 NFL Combine

The NFL Combine is officially over. We learned a a lot about all the prospects during our week in Indianapolis and we also learned a lot about the Lions. Now it's time for our post combine mock draft. First here is all the mock drafts that we've already done.  Post bowl season mock draft  Post […]