The Lions need to make stark improvements this offseason, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Perhaps Matt Patricia will turn to some old friends in hopes of righting the ship in Detroit.
While Tom Brady is grabbing the bulk of headlines coming out of New England these days, the Patriots also will see a handful of defensive stalwarts hit the open market when the new NFL year opens March 18. Patricia, who was on the Patriots coaching staff for 14 seasons, has a connection with all of these players, and Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer wouldn’t be surprised if he made a run at a few of them.
“With Lions’ emphasis on culture over the last couple years, some of the Patriots’ free agents on defense should be monitored,” Breer wrote in his latest Monday Morning Quarterback column. “It’s hard to see LB Kyle Van Noy going back to Detroit, where he spent two-and-a-half years, but both Devin McCourty and Jamie Collins were important pieces of past Matt Patricia defenses, and both could be affordable because of their age (each guy is in his 30s).”
Patricia might not be the only coach with ties to Foxboro who will kick the tires on the Patriots’ noteworthy free agents this offseason. Brian Flores and the Miami Dolphins reportedly have interest in a number of them, including McCourty and Joe Thuney.
