Six free agents to consider for the Lions

At this point in the summer, with training camp about to begin, there isn't exactly a whole lot out there on the free agent market. It is possible for summer signings to make a big impact -- just look at Rashean Mathis, who joined the Detroit Lions in mid-August back in 2013 -- but generally speaking, teams are mainly looking for extra depth more than anything right now.

With this in mind, are there any free agents currently available who could help the Lions with training camp about to begin? In order to find out, I took a look at Cincy Jungle's list of the top available free agents, and I came up with six players who could potentially make sense for the Lions:

RB Pierre Thomas - After drafting Ameer Abdullah, the Lions don't exactly have a major need at running back. However, if Joique Bell starts camp on the PUP list as he continues to recover from offseason surgery, the Lions could probably use an extra veteran at the position. Given that Pierre Thomas played for the New Orleans Saints from 2007-14, he would make a lot of sense. Like Lance Moore, he should know the Lions' offensive scheme quite well with the Joe Lombardi connection, and he's a pretty dynamic player given his abilities in the passing game.

WR James Jones - The Lions reportedly had interest in James Jones at one point back in 2014, but he ended up joining the Oakland Raiders instead. In his only season in Oakland, Jones caught 73 passes for 666 yards and six touchdowns. Those aren't terrible numbers given the situation he was in, and if the Lions want more competition for their No. 3 wide receiver job, he could be worth a look.

OT Jake Long - During their minicamp in June, the Lions had to put their third-string right tackle in the first-team offense because LaAdrian Waddle and Cornelius Lucas weren't healthy. Lucas' injury isn't believed to be anything serious, but Waddle seems like a safe bet for the PUP list when camp opens. The Lions do have some intriguing young players behind Waddle (Lucas, Michael Williams and Corey Robinson), but if they decide a veteran presence is needed, Michigan native and former Wolverine Jake Long is an intriguing option. He may be more interested in joining a team with a full-time starting job available, and perhaps he will be after more money than the Lions are willing to offer, but if there's nothing out there following back-to-back torn ACLs, maybe Detroit could be an ideal landing spot.

DE Osi Umenyiora - Jason Jones missed the Lions' minicamp after having a procedure on his knee. He's expected to be ready to go for the start of the regular season, and the Lions have quite a few bodies at the defensive end position already, but an extra veteran couldn't hurt. That's where a player like Osi Umenyiora could come in. He's another guy the Lions were at one point connected to a couple of years ago in free agency. He may not have much left at this stage in his career, but you could probably do worse when looking for a role player at the position.

DE/OLB Dwight Freeney - Along the same lines, the idea of signing Dwight Freeney is a pretty interesting one. He played for Jim Caldwell in Indianapolis, and he recorded 3.5 sacks last season in San Diego and received a +13.9 pass rush grade from Pro Football Focus. If the Lions want to add another potential weapon to their pass rush -- either as a defensive end or an outside linebacker depending on the package -- Freeney might make a lot of sense.

DT Mike Patterson - The final free agent worth considering is Mike Patterson, who reportedly met with the Lions back in May. Nothing ever came of that meeting, but perhaps adding another veteran to the defensive tackle position would be a wise idea. Even though their top four already seems set at that position, having some extra insurance in the form of a player like Patterson could be worthwhile as camp progresses.