Lions wide receiver options after Geronimo Allison opts out in Detroit

Geronimo Allison has opted out, so what do the Detroit Lions do at wide receiver?

Through Week 8 of the 2019 NFL season, the Detroit Lions had the NFL’s fifth-best passing attack via passer rating. Matthew Stafford was the beholder of a scalding 106.0 passer rating and that notably outpaces signal-callers such as the Deshaun Watson, Dak Prescott and Tom Brady at the time.

Stafford was then beset by a back injury and the Lions average season became a forgettable one. Detroit bumbled through the remainder of the season with subpar quarterback play and consequently lost every game amid Stafford’s absence.

Recently, the Lions encountered two bits of COVID-10 news: Matthew Stafford has the virus and wideout Geronimo Allison has decided to forego the entire season, like many other players, due to concerns about the pandemic.

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Which Lions wideouts will play a more prominent role with Allison’s departure?

Let’s be clear, 26-year-old Kenny Golladay and eight-year vet Marvin Jones firmly hold grasps on the WR1 and WR2 spots of the Lions depth chart. In late March, Detroit inked former rival and Green Bay Packers wide receiver Geronimo Allison to a one-year deal. Now, Matt Patricia and the Lions will just have to pump the brakes on the excitement pertaining to his services.

Allison was theorized to compete with longtime New England Patriots pass-catcher Danny Amendola for the WR3 role. Amendola performed admirably in his first year with Detroit nabbing 62 reception for 678 receiving yards — certainly commendable for a third receiving option.

The WR3 spot on the depth chart is likely Amendola’s to lose. However, Amendola is entering his 11th season as a pro, and it would not be stunning for him to stumble upon an age-related decline. It, quite frankly, happens to every player.

In the event Amendola regresses, the next man would likely be rookie Quintez Cephus who was picked by the Lions in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the way of Wisconsin. Cephus is a large, apt route-runner with praiseworthy hands and strength.

As far as the NFL Combine is concerned, Cephus is vividly not a speedy choice for the WR3 slot. He ran a  40-yard dash of 4.73 seconds, which is mediocre speed — for an NFL tight end. Should the Lions aspire to blaze the turf of Ford Field, Cephus will not be an apropos choice.

Contrarily, if Detroit seeks to incorporate a fast wideout into the mix, they already have him on the roster in speed-monger, Marvin Hall. The 27-year-old was an undrafted addition to the Atlanta Falcons roster for two seasons before joining Detroit last season.

Hall only hauled in seven catches last season, but he did so at an unholy 37 yards-per-catch ratio. With a healthy and healed Stafford, Hall could flourish in Detroit’s system. And if he gets loose, he’s got speed in the ballpark of a 4.3 40-yard dash.

The competition will entail a consort of Amendola, Cephus and Hall as training camp progresses. The advantage likely goes to Amendola given his experience and famous sticky hands.