Friday open thread: Should the Lions make an addition at tight end?

The Detroit offense is looking pretty strong right now. Matthew Stafford is back healthy and should be just as sharp as he was to start 2019. D’Andre Swift joins Kerryon Johnson to make a dynamic combination at running back, and the offensive line should be better with a couple new starters on the right side. Meanwhile, the trio of Kenny Golladay, Marvin Jones Jr., and Danny Amendola returns to give Stafford plenty of options.

One area that still looks a bit uncertain, though, is tight end. Last week I mentioned how I expect T.J. Hockenson to take a big step forward, but that is far from a given. After him there is nothing but question marks, no thanks to Jesse James, who did absolutely nothing in 2019.

Today’s Question of the Day is:

Should the Lions make an addition at tight end?

My answer: It is a little late in the offseason, but there are still moves that could be made. Delaine Walker is up there in years and has dealt with injuries, but he has a long track record. Jordan Reed also has had some trouble staying healthy, but that means he could come at a discount. If the Lions wanted to go the trade route, there should be some TE2 candidates open on many rosters.

However, given the team’s personnel across the offense, I am not as concerned about the tight end position. The depth is not great, but between James, Isaac Nauta, and perhaps undrafted free agent Hunter Bryant, the Lions could probably scrape the bare minimum production needed should Hockenson miss time or really fall flat.

It is not great to have minimal depth at any position, but I think this is one area the team can afford to gamble at. The coaching staff might prefer multiple tight end sets, but with the talented receiving corps and upgraded running back group, there will be less targets to go around in 2020. The run game will still be important, but hopefully one of these players can step up as a sufficient blocker. I say roll the dice with what is in the cupboard.