According to various Twitter reports, the Detroit Lions will sign free agent Wide Receiver Marvin Jones once the league year officially begins today at 4:00 PM ET. The original source on the breaking news was ESPN Sportscenter anchor Dianna Marie Russini, who broke the news at 9:18 AM ET this morning.
Marvin Jones signing in Detroit per sources
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) March 9, 2016
Ian Rapoport, who’s rarely beat to news like this chimed in just seven minutes later with some details about the contract.
The #Lions are getting WR Marvin Jones, source said, for what is expected to be about $8M per year (as @diannaESPN said).
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 9, 2016
For context, Marvin Jones will make $8 million a year or more. Golden Tate, who signed with the lions in the 2014 off-season makes an average of $6.2 million a year.
He was their No. 1 WR target https://t.co/jxKjpdRehG
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) March 9, 2016
Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press chimed in with the fact that Marvin Jones was the number one free agent wide receiver target for the Detroit Lions this off-season. They likely viewed Jones as a nice value replacement for Calvin Johnson, whether he retired or was a salary cap casualty.
Haven't heard final numbers yet on Jones deal, but he was seeking in the $8M per year range
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) March 9, 2016
Marvin Jones is a four year veteran of the NFL after being drafted in the fifth round by the Bengals in 2012 out of University of California-Berkeley. Jones turns just 26-years old on Saturday has 1,729 career yards and 15 touchdowns on 134 career receptions. He also missed all of the 2014 season with a knee injury but returned strong in 2015 with a career best 16 games played (13 starts) where he hauled in 65 passes for 816 yards and four TD’s.
One note that may make this signing a little troubling for some, Marvin Jones didn’t have a single 100-yard game in 2015 but made at least one catch in every contest. His high water mark was in week three against the Ravens where he hauled in five balls for 94 yards and a TD. His low water mark was the following week where he had just one catch for four yards.
Pro Football Focus rated Marvin Jones as the 38th best receiver in the entire NFL last season with a 79.0 overall grade. He was their fifth best receiver available topped by only Alshon Jeffery (franchise tag), Calvin Johnson (retired), Kamar Aiken (ERFA), Anquan Boldin, and Rishard Matthews.
