When the NFL lockout ended on Monday, the league released a list of players who are currently free agents. The list includes restricted free agents who received qualifying offers before the lockout began, free agents who didn't receive qualifying offers and are therefore unrestricted and regular unrestricted free agents.
For the Detroit Lions, three players are restricted free agents, 14 are unrestricted free agents and two are unrestricted after not receiving a qualifying offer. Here's the list for the Lions:
RESTRICTED
- FB Jerome Felton (fifth-round tender)
- DE Cliff Avril (first-round tender)
- DT Andre Fluellen (third-round tender)
Avril originally received a first- and third-round tender, but that apparently no longer exists in the new CBA. It appears the highest tender now only includes a first-round pick as compensation for a player signing elsewhere and the offer not being matched, so that is now the designation for Avril.
UNRESTRICTED
- QB Drew Stanton
- WR Brian Clark (somebody tell the NFL he has retired)
- C Dylan Gandy
- DE Jared DeVries
- DE Turk McBride
- LB Landon Johnson
- LB Vinny Ciurciu
- LB Bobby Carpenter
- CB Tye Hill
- CB Brandon McDonald
- CB Chris Houston
- S C.C. Brown
- S John Wendling
- K Dave Rayner
As a reminder, when they were considered restricted free agents before the lockout the Lions tendered offers to Stanton, Gandy, McBride, Carpenter, Houston, Wendling and Rayner. Those are the guys from the above list that the Lions are expected to attempt to re-sign, although it may not be possible to bring all of them back.
UNRESTRICTED AFTER NOT RECEIVING A QUALIFYING OFFER
- RB Kevin Smith
- FB/TE Jake Nordin
Smith and Nordin have both been in the league less than four years, but they are not restricted free agents because neither received a qualifying offer from the Lions. It's still possible the Lions could re-sign them, although Smith has basically already been told he's not coming back.
(Note: Exclusive-rights free agents were not included on the list since other teams can't make a run at them.)