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The Detroit Lions have reportedly kicked off their free agency period with one big move, and could be looking at making another very quickly.
After the Lions reportedly agreed to re-sign defensive end Romeo Okwara, they could be set to pursue another top defensive name in safety John Johnson of the Los Angeles Rams. Familiar to the Detroit front office, many assumed Jones would be a good fit for the team and it’s clear the Lions could believe that to be the case with this early rumored interest.
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According to Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, Jones is seeing his market take shape, with the Lions among a host of other teams involved for his services. These include the Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns and Jacksonville Jaguars.
Hearing former Rams S John Johnson’s free agent market is taking shape. Lions, Eagles, Jags and Browns all showing interest
Obviously, thanks to the ties to the Detroit staff and front office, the Lions could be seen as a frontrunner, but thy will be competing with team that might have more to offer in terms of cash as well as a winning atmosphere immediately. Will that matter in the end? Only Johnson knows, but it is certainly interesting to see him so high on the list in Detroit.
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John Johnson’s Potential Fit With Lions
Johnson is just the kind of guy the Lions need to spend big on in order to help fill out their secondary. He will fit the scheme and be the type of player the team can build around moving forward. At 25, Johnson is one of the true ascending talents in the league and could quickly be paid as one by a team. Detroit could give Johnson a bigger role and might be willing to pony up some big cash for him to come into the mix. With 350 tackles and 8 sacks, Johnson is the type of rising star that plenty of teams will be excited to try and woo. Perhaps Detroit could have an inside track with Aubrey Pleasant on the coaching staff as well as Brad Holmes in the front office.
In terms of a player who could help put the Lions’ defense on the map in short order, Johnson would be an interesting choice for the team if the Lions could find a way to make the financials work.
Lions Have Major Defensive Needs
The Lions have needs not only in the trenches but on the back end of their defense as well. Detroit could use a safety like Johnson, but could also look to add a cornerback to the mix as well to help out their young players in finding a footing. Aside from Johnson, the team could also look to make more additions at linebacker and along the defensive line, although bringing back Romeo Okwara was a great start for Detroit as it relates to that.
With young players like Tracy Walker and Will Harris at safety, the depth is a concern but adding Johnson as a major piece would solve this problem.
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Lions ‘Showing Interest’ in Top Free Agent Safety: Report