Aaron Dobson to Lions: Latest Contract Details, Comments, Reaction

The Detroit Lions announced on Wednesday morning that they signed veteran wide receiver Aaron Dobson. 

In a corresponding move, the Lions placed running back Ameer Abdullah on injured reserve.

Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press and NFL Insider Rand Getlin first reported on Tuesday that Dobson would sign with the Lions.  

Dobson spent the first three years of his NFL career with the New England Patriots after the team drafted him in the second round in 2013. He had a strong rookie season, finishing tied for second on the Patriots with four touchdowns and fourth with 519 receiving yards. 

There were some red flags for Dobson even during that debut season. Khaled Elsayed of Pro Football Focus noted Dobson had the second-highest drop rate in the NFL. 

Another problem for Dobson is he was never able to stay on the field. He played in 12 games as a rookie, which is the total number he was able to play in 2014 and 2015 combined, and he finished each of those seasons on injured reserve. 

The Patriots released Dobson on September 3, the final day for teams to trim their rosters down to 53 players. It was a particularly bad time for him to find a new job because the 31 other teams didn't have an opening to add him. 

Needing more depth at wide receiver with Corey Fuller out until at least October and Ryan Spadola out for the year, the Lions are a good fit for Dobson. He's been a big-play threat in the past, and Matthew Stafford has a huge arm that their offense needs to start taking advantage of. 

The Lions lack speed on the outside without Calvin Johnson. Golden Tate is terrific out of the slot and Anquan Boldin will fight for every possible catch, but Marvin Jones is the only player opposing defenses have to worry about going over the top. 

Dobson does have to show more consistency and stay healthy to become a staple in Detroit's offense, but his raw talent is as good as anyone playing for the team. 

At just 25 years old, Dobson has a chance to reinvent his career. He's got to cure his unreliable hands to become a regular contributor in the NFL, but the sample size for him is still small because of how little the Patriots used him over the past two seasons. 

It will take some time before Dobson is able to contribute while learning a new offense. His upside is solid, especially given what the market for free-agent wide receivers looks like at this point in the season, and he's a worthy gamble for the Lions.