A New Era in Detroit: NFL Free-Agent Proposal Would Bring in Former $81 Million Wide Receiver

Thanks to their very talented roster, the Detroit Lions don’t have a lot of big needs to address this offseason. One area that could use an addition or two is the wide receiver position.

The Lions are set atop the depth chart for another season with Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, who is fresh off a career year. However, things are murky behind those two.

Kalif Raymond remains under contract, but he’s hardly an adequate No. 3 option. Tim Patrick, who served as a solid No. 3 in 2024, is a pending free agent, as is Allen Robinson, who contributed just three catches for 30 yards.

The Lions should absolutely be interested in bringing Patrick back. But if they want to add more help, or if Patrick leaves in free agency, Richard Silva of The Detroit News thinks the team should target Dallas Cowboys pending free-agent wide receiver, Brandin Cooks.

As Silva points out, Cooks had the worst season of his career in 2024, but context is important. The veteran missed seven games due to injury, and the Cowboys’ offense was a mess, even when Dak Prescott was healthy.

The biggest concern with Cooks is his age, as he’ll turn 32 in September. Adding to that, Cooks has appeared to be on the decline for a few years now, as he hasn’t totaled 1,000 receiving yards since 2021.

However, the Lions don’t need Cooks for a prominent role thanks to Williams and St. Brown. At best, Cooks would serve as the No. 3 option in the receivers room, and the No. 4 option in the passing attack when you factor in Sam LaPorta. And, should the Lions bring Patrick back, Cooks would be even further down in the pecking order.

According to Spotrac, Cooks is expected to land a one-year, $5.2 million deal in free agency. It’s hard to imagine the Lions wanting to pay that much for Cooks unless they need to replace Patrick.

With the Lions learning a hard lesson in 2024 when it comes to having adequate depth, Cooks should absolutely be on their radar in 2025 — and that’s especially true if Patrick exits to play elsewhere.