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Notes: How does Harrison’s departure affect the Lions offseason?

When a free agent as big as Snacks hits free agency, there will be aftershocks

Carolina Panthers v Detroit Lions Photo by Jorge Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Now that the Lions have moved on from Damon Harrison Sr., analysis of the consequences for the 2020 offseason are rolling in. Lions Wire’s Erik Schlitt posted a breakdown of the salary cap effects of the release.

While the move does open additional cap room for 2020 to do things like extend former All-Pro cornerbacks, the loss of Harrison punches a massive hole in the middle of the defensive line depth chart.

In the eyes of the Detroit Free Press’ Dave Birkett, defensive line is “clearly the biggest need at this point.” Whether the Lions address the nose tackle position in free agency or the draft, there are good options. Should they decide to go after a veteran free agent, basically the entire Pride of Detroit staff has thrown in with Houston’s D.J. Reader. There is a lot to like about the 25-year old former fifth-round pick, who according to Lions Wire’s Schlitt, would be “a perfect fit for this scheme.”

As for the draft, remember Auburn’s Derrick Brown? Before mock draft projections converged on Ohio State’s Jeff Okudah in mid-February, Brown was actually garnering about a third of the mock Detroit first-round picks near the end of January. Given yesterday’s news and the already rampant speculation of trade down scenarios with the Lions’ pick, expect mock draft projections to be thrown into chaos once more with Derrick Brown in the middle of it all.

And now, on to the rest of today’s Notes:

Also, Richard Sherman from San Francisco is on the Executive Committee:

  • Depending on what happens with Danny Amendola this offseason (and Marvin Jones Jr., to be honest), the Lions may be in the market for a new wide receiver. If Kent’s Combine guide wasn’t enough to satisfy your craving for pass catching prospect information, Pro Football Network’s Brad Kelly has a fun article Frankensteining the perfect wideout from the available draftees:

  • Pretty interesting time lapse graph by Sports Info Solutions’ Bryce Rossler:

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