Getty Quintez Cephus tries for a catch during 2021 Lions training camp in Allen Park, Michigan.
One of the biggest questions about the Detroit Lions during the 2021 season revolves around who is going to catch the ball within the team’s new-look offense given an offseason talent drain at the position.
While a few players have emerged this offseason and the team has a potential budding star in tight end T.J. Hockenson, that doesn’t change the fact that the Lions could be depending on having a lot of things go right in their passing game to have success in 2021.
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As the season draws closer, some in the media are still worrying about the Lions in terms of their pass catching depth and who is going to make plays for Jared Goff. Recently, Pro Football Focus took a look at examining every team’s fatal flaw in a piece. Writer Michael Renner cited the concerns over who quarterback Jared Goff is going to throw to as the biggest issue Lions are going to have this coming season.
In Renner’s mind, the Lions have a solid target in Hockenson they can depend on, but next to him are a group of wideouts that aren’t going to command much attention from the opposition. For that reason, he still sees the passing game as the major flaw that will hurt the team moving forward.
Detroit invested in lower-tier free agents this offseason in the hopes that a solid offensive line and ground game could help pace their offensive attack. While that can still be the case, it is true the team will need to see some others step up to have a better season than many might anticipate.
Lions Wideouts Having Solid Training Camp
So far, while the names might be light on recognition in the minds of many, there has been plenty of intriguing plays to go around at training camp. Amon-Ra St. Brown has been just one of many wideouts impressing the Lions during this period. The Lions saw Tyrell Williams get off to a good start with the team, and Tom Kennedy had made a few waves as well early on. Kalif Raymond has also been a pleasant surprise. Add in names who have been dinged up like Quintez Cephus and Breshad Perriman and it’s quickly becoming obvious that the Lions could have some depth at one of their potential weakest spots on the roster. Even wideout coach Antwaan Randle El thinks the team will see some surprises emerge at the spot this year. No matter how many folks know the names now, it’s possible the team believes they could have enough in the end to be better than many think in 2021
Lions Could Fix Wideout Problem With Trade, Free Agency Before 2021 Season
The good news for Detroit is if the team deems they need a wide receiver, there are still plenty around that could help them out on the free agency market. Perhaps the biggest name left that has major name recognition with the fans is Golden Tate, and it’s possible Tate has been teasing hints of desiring a return on his social media page lately. Other names who are remaining unsigned on the market include Josh Doctson, Isaiah Ford, Donte Moncrief and Cedrick Wilson. Out of that group, Tate might be the best veteran option still on the market. In terms of a trade, a few names could be available in James Washington, N’Keal Harry and Denzel Mims.
At this point, many still see the wideout group as a flaw for the Lions, so it will be fascinating to see if they make a move to upgrade it, or if they simply show faith to the players they have being enough to get the job done.
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