NFL Free Agency 2011: 6 Players the Detroit Lions Can Still Target

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As a football fan, I'm happy to have football back. As a Lions fan, I'm absolutely ecstatic.

As a writer, my head is spinning. I can't write a paragraph—much less an article—about free agency without something changing.

And I'm not just talking about little changes. I'm talking about how I start out writing about some bargain-priced linebackers the Lions could look at, and then suddenly, Stephen Tulloch.

Suddenly, the Lions re-sign Chris Houston. Suddenly, the Lions' weaknesses aren't looking all that weak anymore.

And just think, had I written this yesterday, I would have been talking about taking a one-year flier on Keith Bulluck, a declining veteran who may or may not have some left in the tank. Who could have predicted that they would get Tulloch, arguably the best interior linebacker of the entire free agent class, for a Bulluck-level price?

This free agency period has been sheer, unadulterated madness, and I dare any true football fan to say they haven't loved ever second of it.

Still, crazy as it has been, and as much as the Lions have done to improve the team in the last few days, there's still a few players out there worth a look.

I'm just hoping they're not signed by the time you read this.

Carlos Rogers, CB, Washington Redskins

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Carlos Rogers wants out of Washington, and Washington seems content to let him walk.

That cuts down the number of suitors for Rogers by one, at least.

Rogers has said he wants to "play against the Redskins twice a year," but his divisional options are limited. The Eagles now have more cornerbacks than they know what to do with, the Giants just drafted a first-rounder they didn't technically need, and the Cowboys have been uncharacteristically quiet in free agency and had to cut half their offense just to free up a little bit of cap room.

If he can give up his dream of beating up on his former team, he might find an ideal situation in Detroit.

Though he's 30 years old, Rogers is a talented press-cover corner who excels in man coverage. More importantly, he's one of the last starting-quality corners standing on the market.

In other words, whatever he thinks his price is, he's not getting it. And as the training camp report date draws close for free agents, Rogers is going to start getting antsy. That price will come down, just as Stephen Tulloch's did.

Rogers isn't a game-changing corner, but he's among the best of the rest, and he fits the Lions' scheme. Detroit doesn't have any players at corner that are too good for an upgrade, and while Rogers isn't a marquee name, he could certainly bring just that—an upgrade.

Charlie Johnson, OL, Indianapolis Colts

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Charlie Johnson isn't the answer. Let's get that out of the way immediately. He's 27 and has not shown any flashes of elite-level potential.

Despite the fact that he's spent the last several years protecting the blind side of one Peyton Manning, Johnson isn't going to come to Detroit and revamp the entire unit single-handedly. He likely won't even start.

After all, the Colts seem content to let him walk, after a season in which Manning got shaken up more than they'd like. They'll fill his void with their top draft pick, Boston College's Anthony Costanzo.

And if the 27-year-old left tackle protecting one of the league's best quarterbacks is allowed to walk, then sits around without being signed for as long as he has, it's hard to imagine he's brimming with potential.

But that doesn't really matter to the Lions right now. If they take a flier and sign him, it's because they're worried about depth.

And rightfully so.

Iron man Jeff Backus has finally shown some mortality with a pectoral tear, Gosder Cherilus just started pulling it together before suffering a knee injury, and Stephen Peterman hasn't been healthy in years.

Depth for the Lions' offensive line unit is going to be key, and while there is a good deal of young potential on the roster, they may spring for a serviceable veteran like Johnson to eliminate some of the question marks.

 

UPDATE: Johnson has signed with the Minnesota Vikings. So instead of helping to bolster the Lions' offensive line, he'll instead be facing the wrath of the Lions' D-Line. I hope they're paying him well.

Jamaal Anderson, DE, Atlanta Falcons

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Jamaal Anderson is a former first-round pick, and has been unimpressive in every possible way.

He's averaging about a sack per season from the defensive end position, and was just cut by the team that drafted him seventh overall.

Does this sound at all familiar to you?

If the Lions waved off every free agent that was unimpressive with their previous team, they would never have found Chris Houston, Rob Sims, Lawrence Jackson, Shaun Hill, or any of the other "square pegs" currently playing major roles on the team (you know that list goes on for a while).

Is Anderson the next player in that mold?

I'm no NFL scout, so I can't say whether he still has the potential discussed of him when he was picked seventh overall, but I do know that he isn't going to have a better chance to show his skills than in Detroit.

Of course, Anderson also has Kyle Vanden Bosch, Cliff Avril, Lawrence Jackson, and (presumably) Willie Young to fight through in order to even see the field. That's a tall order for anyone to tackle, particularly a former first-round bust.

But the fact that he was a first-round bust is just another reason for the Lions to take a look. The old Lions drafted busts in the first round. These Lions turn other players' busts into quality players. Anderson could remain a bust, or he could be the next in an amazing trend.

Only one way to find out...

 

UPDATE: Jamaal Anderson has been signed by the Indianapolis Colts. He'll be an interesting reclamation project for them, especially if Dwight Freeney or Robert Mathis go down with injury, as they so often do.

Jason Allen, CB, Houston Texans

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This would be a signing of little cash and great curiosity.

Jason Allen has had a mostly quiet career thus far, posting a career year of five interceptions in 2010. That's modest, but a major step forward for the 28-year-old corner.

Allen he has the stigma of being a pass defender in the NFL's worst pass defense, despite only belonging to it for half a season. Still, getting out of Miami last season seemed to rejuvenate Allen, which makes you wonder if he might have a little more to show under the right circumstances.

Cover corners, which normally have no problem getting paid whatsoever, are finding their prices diminishing, and most are not finding the huge paydays they thought would await them, which has cornered even effective DBs into less-than-optimal deals (welcome back, Chris Houston!).

Allen should be no exception, and given his body of work thus far, he might be fortunate to find work at all.

But if he continues his current upward trend, whoever gives him a chance might be fortunate they found him, instead.

Bobby Carpenter, LB, Detroit Lions

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A cop-out, you say?

Hmmm, maybe. But even though he played for the Lions last year, he's as unrestricted as unrestricted free agents get.

He's no more a Lion right now than Brett Favre.

And there is probably a temptation to think that after the signings of Justin Durant and Stephen Tulloch, the Lions don't need any more linebackers. This, of course, couldn't be further from the truth.

Bobby Carpenter is better off as a depth player anyway, and re-signing him on the cheap will make him just that. Even though the Lions appear to have a solid linebacker corps, though, it has some major issues. If even one player goes down, who is there to replace him? Isaiah Ekejiuba? Doug Hogue?

Carpenter showed his chops at the end of last season, and deserves a flier for next season. Remember, Tulloch and Durant are only on for one and two years, respectively. If Carpenter shows he's starting material in the next season or two, it just further expands the Lions' options.

Even if that means giving them leverage to sign Tulloch or Durant to a discounted long-term deal.

Jarrad Page, S, New England Patriots

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After Gunther Cunningham went off his rocker and cost the Lions a draft pick talking about Jarrad Page, he ended up heading to New England.

While in New England, Page did a whole lot of nothing. He was ineffective, and his stock fell right off the map.

Potential, check.

A bad year to lower asking price, check.

Interest from Lions coaches, double-check.

The Lions have lots of options at safety right now, but the only one even resembling a sure thing is Louis Delmas.

Amari Spievey is still learning the position, Erik Coleman is a veteran with who-knows-what left in the tank, and Randy Phillips is an unknown quantity.

Page fits into that bunch just fine. He's no silver-bullet signing, but there's not much to lose here. Best case scenario, he competes for a starting job. Worst case, he gets cut.

Besides, if the guy is going to cost the Lions a draft pick for tampering, they should at least get to sign him, right?