Lions have to remake roster this offseason

The Detroit Lions don’t have an identity. They are neither here nor there, which coincidentally is the worst place to be for a pro sports franchises.

Detroit hasn’t won a playoff game since 1991. Right now, a casual fan would be hard-pressed to name more than one player on the roster. Yes, Matthew Stafford remains a star in his own right, although even that luster is beginning to wear off. Once a reason for hope, Stafford almost seems doomed to be the Jim Hart of his era. A quarterback who was a fine player, but never remembered because his teams didn’t win.

Now on the wrong side of 30, Stafford is running out of time. The Lions are a team that needs help on both sides of the ball, and will need both free agency and the draft to make real strides. Detroit, only a few years removed from having Nick Fairley and Ndamukong Suh providing a tower of power on the interior of the defense, is now looking for help across the board.

If general manager Bob Quinn can’t figure out where to start, he should try the secondary. After years of attempting to get by with players like Teez Tabor, it’s high time Detroit actually invests heavily in the corner spot opposite of Darius Slay. Slay remains one of the league’s best and a bright spot in Motown, but it’s far too easy for an opponent to simply go away from him. Quinn would be wise to either pursue Ronald Darby in free agency or draft a corner such as Greedy Williams. Additionally, look into Bryce Callahan as a slot option.

Beyond that, fix the pass rush. It’s likely that Ezekiel Ansah is headed out in free agency. Quinn would do well to draw someone such as Markus Golden on a low-cost deal and pair him with Trey Flowers as a splash move. The Lions have former New England Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as their head coach. If Flowers and Patricia can work well together, the defensive scheme fit is a slam dunk.

Offensively, the Lions wouldn’t be crazy to land a tight end. T.J. Hockenson or Noah Fant of Iowa fame would be nice fits for Detroit, but would it take another first-round tight end after whiffing on both Brandon Pettigrew and Eric Ebron?

Regardless, Quinn needs to find the right mix of free agents and rookies to come in and change the fortunes in Detroit. The Lions have been toothless for far too long.