Detroit Lions

Jermaine Kearse gives Detroit Lions more options

The team that finished last in the NFC North a season ago keeps bolstering its offense as the Detroit Lions have added wide receiver Jermaine Kearse.

It was quite the NFL head-coaching debut for Matt Patricia. The former defensive coordinator of the New England Patriots had his good and bad moments in his first season at the helm of the Detroit Lions. But when it was all said and done, the team finished with only six wins and claimed last place in the NFC North.

Of course, Patricia and general manager Bob Quinn have been looking to fix that this offseason. And the primary focus has been fixing an offensive unit that disappointed in 2018. The Lions ranked 24th in the league in total yards per game, 23rd in rushing and 20th in passing. The club managed only 33 offensive touchdowns, six fewer than the previous year. The team went through a five-game stretch in which Detroit scored 17 points or less from Weeks 12-16.

Over the last few months, Quinn has signed the likes of wide receivers Danny Amendola (Miami Dolphins) and Tommylee Lewis (New Orleans Saints). The Lions used the eight overall pick in April to select University of Iowa tight end T.J. Hockenson. They also added other players at that spot in Jesse James (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Logan Thomas (Buffalo Bills). And veteran running back RB C.J. Anderson adds depth to the ground game.

Now there’s more good news at wide receiver as ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports the team has added veteran wideout Jermaine Kearse.

The one-time Super Bowl champion with the Seattle Seahawks spent the past two seasons with the New York Jets. New Lions’ offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell is more than familiar with the seven-year pro, who combined for 153 receptions, 2,109 yards and 11 scores in five seasons in the Pacific Northwest from 2012-16. In ’17, he was dealt to the Jets as part of the trade that sent defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson to Seattle and caught 102 passes (6 touchdowns) in two seasons.

But the beauty of Kearse is how the unsung performer come up big in the playoffs. From 2012-16, he played in a total of 12 postseason games and totaled 31 receptions for 493 yards (15.9 average) and six scores. It’s quite the savvy addition for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since 1991.

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