Rob Sims hoping to stay with Lions beyond 2014

Detroit Lions offensive guard Rob Sims is entering the final season of his contract. As of right now, he's set to become a free agent next March, meaning that the Lions could potentially have a new starting left guard in 2015.

Sims is hoping that's not the case, though. He not only wants to stay in Detroit beyond 2014, but he doesn't even have any interest in hitting the open market as a free agent. Instead, he's hoping to work out an extension before it gets to that point, which would allow him to finish his career with the Lions. From the Detroit News:

"We would love to be here in Detroit and this be the final (contract)," Sims said. "That’s the whole deal. My family and my kids, we’re comfortable. We’re set up the way we want to be set up. We’ve done well already, so it doesn’t have to be anything crazy. I am not looking to hit a home run, I just want something steady, something we feel like is decent for the output I’ve put up on the field — something we can finish up with.

"We love what we’ve been able to do around here, on the team and in the city. We want that to continue."

Sims, who will be 31 in December, signed a four-year extension worth $14.2 million with the Lions back in October 2010. He was traded to Detroit from the Seattle Seahawks earlier that year, and the Lions liked what they saw out of him so much that they gave him an extension early in the season. Sims has started every game at left guard for the Lions since 2010, and he should once again be the starter at that position this year.

To get ready for his contract year, Sims actually had offseason surgery to "clean up" some things that he "was battling through the past couple years." Perhaps injuries were partially to blame for a bit of a down year in 2013, but Sims was actually voted the Lions' most outstanding offensive lineman in 2012. If he puts together a solid season in 2014, I'm sure the Lions will be interested in bringing him back, and it sounds like they will be able to re-sign him to a pretty team-friendly deal well before the start of free agency.