Brock Wright is headlining a group of five exclusive-rights free agents introduced by the Detroit Lions.
On Monday, the Detroit Lions announced that they have bid for five exclusive free agents for 2023.
A free-of-exclusive agent is a player who has less than three years joined the NFL and is on an expired contract. Since the ERFA are not veterans, the teams retain their contractual rights and have the option of offering them a one-year contract, usually for the league’s minimum amount.
Unfortunately for players, once they bid, they only have a few options in front of them. First, they can sign their provided contract and they’ll be back on the NFL roster, which is the option that almost everyone else chooses. Second, if they decide they don’t want to sign their bid, they can ask to be released, which the team may or may not agree to. Finally, if the player refuses to sign, and the team refuses to rescind the bid, the player will be forced to drop out next season – which is why most choose to make the first choice.
Simply put, expect all of the players listed below to sign their bid and be part of the Lions’ 90-man roster.
TE Brooke Wright After the team traded away TJ Hockenson, Wright assumed starting tight end duties for the remainder of the season. Wright has played well in the new role — including catching the game-winning touchdown against the Jets — but will likely face competition for the rookie role in 2023.
TE Shane Zylstra Zylstra rose to the Lions’ TE3 role following Hockenson’s trade, eventually splitting time with rookie James Mitchell as the rotating TE2. The high point of Zylstra’s season was a three-touchdown performance against the Panthers in Week 16. He will fight for a spot on the roster in 2023.
NT Benito Jones Jones claimed on cuts, and saw his role increase as the season went on, and by the end, he was getting regular rotation shots and contributing on a weekly basis. Jones primarily filled the role of backup nose tackle last season, and his next role could be determined by other defensive linemen acquired this offseason.
LB Anthony Bateman –We first learned of Pittman’s bid via Free Press’ Dave Birkett on Wednesday, an expected move given Pittman’s value, especially on special teams. In 2021, Pittman saw over 400 special teams for Detroit (which led the team) and in 2022, he was just one behind leading the team with 358 special teams. Pittman’s contributions should put him in good stead for 2023, but he may need to show more on defense.
LS Scott Daly – After taking over for Lions legend Don Muhlbach in 2021, Daly has served as the team’s primary long snapper for the past two seasons. Last year, Daly did not face competition in training camp for his role, and it is unclear if he will face a challenger in this training camp, or if he will continue to play unopposed.
From the note:
The Lions had two other unannounced ERFA options with this squad: bringing back Craig Reynolds and IOL Tommy Kramer.
the The Lions announced the re-signing of ReynoldsHowever, it is not clear if he simply signed his bid or if he was awarded a completely new contract. Either way, he’s back on the list.
As for Kremer, he had a back injury that cost him all last season and it’s possible that the injury is preventing him from progressing, or it’s also possible that the team decided to move on. There is no clarity about this situation at the moment.
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