The Detroit Lions are always looking for new weapons on offense, and with both Andre Roberts and Anquan Boldin set to become free agents on Thursday, the Lions could be in the market for one or two more receivers this free agency.
Already, the Lions have been linked to one lesser-known free agent. According to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, the Lions are one of four teams interested in Raiders receiver Andre Holmes:
#Bears are looking deep at free-agent WRs. See Andre Holmes a local kid with some upside. They join 49ers, Raiders, Lions as interested.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) March 7, 2017
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler adds the Jets and Washington as teams interesting in Holmes’ services in 2017.
Holmes is a small school player who went undrafted in 2011. He comes from the Oakland Raiders, where he has been a part of the team since 2013. Holmes has a pretty tall figure (6-foot-4), but has yet to turn that into real NFL production. Holmes had 693 receiving yards and four touchdowns back in 2014, but has only totaled 327 yards since.
Instead, Holmes has been a pretty important figure in the Raiders special teams unit, which ranked ninth overall last year. Lions GM Bob Quinn has not been shy about his infatuation with special teams contributors in free agency. Quinn may also be a little familiar with Holmes, as he spent a little while on the Patriots’ practice squad during their playoff run in 2013.