The Detroit Lions wanted a top-notched wide receiving corps for 2014. With Calvin Johnson on the roster, they needed a big name to run alongside him to help out Matthew Stafford. After releasing Nate Burleson, the team went out and signed one free agent, but could also be looking to trade up in the draft for another.
Right now, the Lions have Johnson and newly signed Golden Tate running the sidelines along with Ryan Broyles. While the Johnson and Tate pairing is certainly a good one, Broyles does not inspire much confidence. The third-year wide receiver entered the NFL after tearing his left ACL in college. HE then tore his right ACL his rookie season. Then he suffered a ruptured Achilles ending his season early once again in 2013. The wide receiver says he hopes to be healthy come 2014, but his history has the Lions looking elsewhere.
The Detroit Lions will make their first draft selection at No. 10. The team has their sights set on Sammy Watkins out of Clemson to pair with Tate and Johnson. However, so do as many as three teams that draft above them. If the Lions want Watkins, they will have to move up to the No. 2 spot, something ProFootballTalk.com is reporting might not be out of the question for Detroit.
The Lions have invested a lot in wide receivers over recent years. They used a second-round pick in 2011 for Titus Young, an experiment that failed. Broyles cost a second-round pick in 2012. Corey Fuller was a sixth-round pick in 2013. The team recently acquired Mike Thomas for a fifth-round pick in this year's draft. Moving all the way up to No. 2 would require a lot of ammunition and might blow Detroit's draft in the process. However, Watkins hopes it happens.
"It'd be definitely a blessing playing with Megatron and Golden Tate, having Reggie Bush and Matthew Stafford," Watkins said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. "They're doing a great job with the program with all the coaches. If I ever go there, sky's the limit. . . . You don't know what team's jumping up for the first pick, anybody can be jumping up, so who knows? You never know."
The Lions are looking to have a high-powered offense this year. The team is fresh off another year of not making the postseason. They fired Jim Schwartz and replaced him with Jim Caldwell. Expectations are high and adding another top wide receiver might be just what the team needs.
