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The Detroit Lions have completed their roster ahead of the start of the season, but they might also have some big decisions to make in terms of adding talent.
While the Lions seem to have improved in plenty of ways, there are still holes on the roster, and most are on the defensive side of the ball. That could be true at linebacker, where there are a lot of unknowns for the team.
In the mind of Bleacher Report, however, a way to solve some of those unknowns is add a known commodity to the room. Recently, writer Kristopher Knox took a look at the best free agency fits for every team, and for the Lions, Blake Martinez was his pick.
Martinez was recently a surprise release from the New York Giants, which means he is a free agent. In Knox’s mind, he would help a shaky Detroit defense add a “difference-maker” at a lower-cost. There is a catch, however, revolving around injury.
“There would be some risk involved, as Martinez is working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered in September 2021. However, the potential reward could be huge. Martinez tallied 151 tackles, three sacks and an interception when he was last healthy in 2020,” Knox wrote within the piece.
Martinez has a nose for the football and could be a defensive upgrade for the Lions if healthy. The team hasn’t shown a sign they are unhappy with their current linebackers, but depending on what happens in Week 1, anything could be possible.
Martinez’s Stats & Highlights
Lions fans will remember what Martinez can do on defense, given he played against the team in Green Bay for the first four years of his career.
A 2016 fourth-round pick out of Stanford, Martinez didn’t hesitate to make his mark in the NFL. The linebacker put up an immediate 69 tackles, one sack and four forced fumble performance in his rookie year. In 2017, he followed that up by tying the league lead for tackles with 144.
As a whole, Martinez has 686 tackles, 13 sacks, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries and four forced fumbles in his career. Injury intervened in 2021, but if he comes back healthy, the 28 year old has proven he can do damage in the league already.
Lions Potential Free Agent Targets
The Lions have some spots that they could choose to upgrade via free agency, and linebacker could certainly be seen as needy at this point in time.
On defense, the Lions could have a need for a defensive lineman, particularly a plugger for the middle of their line or a space eater. Last week, the team had Malcom Brown in for a visit, so he could be a potential solution. Detroit has better depth at linebacker, but could look for an addition there.
Detroit has a pair of veterans in Chris Board and Alex Anzalone set to play a major role in 2022, but neither are that accomplished as starters. Board has been largely a special teams player and Anzalone struggled in 2021. The team hopes Derrick Barnes takes a massive jump, and rookie phenom Malcolm Rodriguez becomes an instant impact type player after a very hot offseason.
A player like Martinez could be an interesting addition with this in mind. He’d almost certainly give the Lions a bit of punch they lack up front, which would be likely to help their overall depth, even as he eased back in off injury.
As of now, some see him as the best fit the Lions have on the open market.
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