The Detroit Lions are trying to decide which free agents to prioritize in the coming days, and one of their biggest decisions will revolve around wide receiver DJ Chark.
Chark, one of the better free agency options in a weaker wideout class, should figure to command plenty of attention on the open market. What teams could zero in on Chark when free agency gets going next week? It could be a wide list.
Bleacher Report’s David Kenyon took a look at naming the best fits for top free agent wideouts including Chark, and three teams were mentioned. The first two came from the AFC in the Baltimore Ravens and Houston Texans.
Baltimore, Kenyon contends, might need new wideouts if the team can get a deal done with Lamar Jackson, so the Ravens make sense as a possible fit for that reason. The Texans could deal Brandin Cooks, so as Kenyon writes, the chance could be there for a top wideout situation for Chark, and the team could offer cash and a new opportunity.
For Detroit, though, the most interesting potential Chark destination listed was the rival Minnesota Vikings, whom Kenyon admitted could have a need for a big-time wide receiver, even if they are cash strapped currently.
“Finances will be the biggest obstacle for Minnesota. Still, the Vikings have to upgrade at receiver if they release Adam Thielen since talent elevates Kirk Cousins, not the opposite,” he wrote in the piece.
Chark could still come back to Detroit, but the longer things go without a resolution, the more likely it seems that he might be set to test the market. With a weaker wideout class, Chark could command plenty of attention.
Obviously, if he goes anywhere, the preferred destinations for the Lions would be in the AFC and not a team Detroit plays twice a year like the Vikings. As always, though, money talks in these situations.
Lions fans will nevertheless want to watch Chark very closely in the days ahead.
DJ Chark Likes Detroit, Eying ‘Smooth’ Free Agency
In terms of Chark, there seems to be interest from his side about a return to Detroit that has shown up in recent weeks ahead of the start of the free agency process.
Speaking with Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown and his brother Equanimeous St. Brown on The 33rd Team, Chark discussed his feelings heading into free agency. As he said, a return to the Lions would ‘be great’ all things considered.
“Going into this year man, I’m trying not to even worry about what’s gonna happen. I feel like, you know, I’m gonna be where I’m supposed to be. If that’s Detroit, that’d be great because I got some real good friendships and I like it there and it’s really good. But, it’s a business. You never know, so we’ll see how that goes, but it’ll be smooth regardless,” Chark said on the show.
The Lions will have to decide on their end whether or not to bring back Chark for 2023, and what type of a deal to offer. That deal will not only have to make sense for Chark, but the team as well. There’s plenty to sort out on that front in the weeks ahead financially.
Nevertheless, the team has to like hearing that Chark, a top wideout in this market, would be open to a return. That’s big news considering how well a top-four Lions offense performed last season with Chark as a featured piece.
Lions Have Big Decision With DJ Chark
Will Chark come back, or star elsewhere? That’s going to be a major decision for the Lions, and there is some possible advantages to bringing him back to the mix.
In spite of some reservations, the Lions could consider sticking with Chark. The biggest question Brad Holmes will have to answer regarding the wideout this offseason revolves around who the real player is outside of the statistics.
Is Chark the injury-prone guy who started the season by dropping a few passes, then getting dinged up and having to be shelved? Or is he the guy who has surged down the stretch and looked like a major piece within Detroit’s offense?
There’s something to be said for comfort, and Chark seems to fit in well with the Lions roster and offense. It’s more than possible the injury problems to start the year were simply bad luck for a Detroit team that’s had more than its fair share recently.
If he’s healthy and playing well, Chark seems like an easy 80-100 yard pass catcher in games. That’s big production for a Detroit offense that needed some of the deep ball jolts Chark was able to provide this year.
Whether he comes back or not remains to be seen, but many folks continue to beat the drum that he’s a fit for Detroit’s NFC North rival in Minnesota.
Lions Rival Revealed One of 3 Most Likely Landing Spots for DJ Chark