Lions free-agent profile: Did Bear Pascoe do enough to return to Detroit in 2016?

To get ready for free agency, we're going to take a look at each of the Detroit Lions' 2016 free agents. Next up, Bear Pascoe.

2015 stats

3 games (0 starts)

How he joined the Lions

Detroit signed Pascoe in mid-December after Brandon Pettigrew suffered a torn ACL and was placed on injured reserve.

Case for re-signing him

While Eric Ebron has the starting job locked up, the Lions depth chart is woefully thin. Pettigrew is still under contract for another two years, but his ACL injury may prevent him from being ready at the beginning of the season. The only other tight end currently under contract, Jordan Thompson, is also coming off an injury and has only appeared in two games in his career.

Signing Pascoe is a low-risk, low-reward kind of move. There's little chance he'd have any sort of significant impact on the team in 2016, but he would likely return on a minimum salary and could provide valuable competition in training camp.

Case against re-signing him

Pascoe will be turning 30 next week and his career certainly looks to be on the downslide. If it weren't for the Lions' desperate need for a healthy tight end, Pascoe would have likely spent 2015 out of the NFL. Though re-signing him would be a low-risk move, the Lions could likely find a younger, more promising option in the free agency market.

Final verdict

It's crude to say, but whether the Lions sign Pascoe or not does little to change Detroit's tight end situation. Pettigrew is a potential cap casualty this offseason, and even if the Lions decide to let him stick around, they'll be looking to upgrade the position's depth. Pascoe can help round out the bottom of the position, but they'll still need to add another tight end.

Previously: QB Dan Orlovsky, WR Lance Moore