DJ Chark signing is an outstanding risk-reward move for Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions made a very savvy move in NFL Free Agency, signing wide receiver DJ Chark to a one-year prove-it contract.
The Detroit Lions are rebuilding, but that doesn’t mean they’re not going to be aggressive in 2022 NFL Free Agency. I expected a bit more aggressiveness from Lions general manager Brad Holmes, but the move he made on day one of the NFL’s legal negotiating period certainly fits the bill.
The Lions added DJ Chark to their wide receiver, room, which has taken on a substantially different (better) look than it had a year ago at this time.
Last offseason, the Lions let Kenny Golladay walk in free agency. They cut Marvin Jones. They gutted the wide receiver position and really only replaced their top guys with fourth-round pick Amon-Ra St. Brown out of USC.
Detroit Lions land DJ Chark on a prove-it deal in free agency
Although the franchise tag wiped out some of the top wide receiver options in free agency, there were plenty of intriguing options out there that might be available for a very reasonable price.
One such option was signing DJ Chark from the Jacksonville Jaguars, who spent roughly $1 billion on Christian Kirk and Zay Jones.
Deal with D.J. Chark expected to be worth up $12 million, per source. https://t.co/kTmvl7RrPA
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 15, 2022
This is a very wise move by the Detroit Lions. On the surface, a deal worth up to $12 million seems like a high price to pay for someone coming off of a season-ending injury, but this is exactly the type of move that can pay long-term dividends and more than just the fact that Chark can help this team on the field in 2022.
The future impact of compensatory selections or Chark’s potential future trade value makes this a really wise risk-reward move for the Lions.
DJ Chark now joins a revamped wide receiver crew in Detroit that looks much better than it did a year ago.
Chark is a 6-foot-4 vertical threat with legitimate sub-4.4 speed. He’s already made a Pro Bowl as an NFL player and is still only 25 years old.
Amon-Ra St. Brown had a huge rookie season for the Lions with 90 receptions for 912 yards, proving he will be a major factor going forward.
The Lions also recently re-signed Josh Reynolds, who ended up having a really good resurgence in Detroit last year after signing with the Tennessee Titans in free agency and getting let go midseason.
Now, the Lions have an intriguing combination of size and speed at the receiver position and they’re also still banking on 2021 trade acquisition Trinity Benson bringing something to the table in 2022.
Adding Chark to the mix now gives the Lions a player who can take the top off from the outside, adding to the versatility of Josh Reynolds to be a vertical threat out of the slot, and Amon-Ra St. Brown who can be the possession receiver and probably take on the biggest share of the targets.
Jared Goff may not be a superstar quarterback, but he’s got the opportunity to show a lot of improvement in 2022 with this vastly improved crew.