Day two of free agency brought more signings for the Detroit Lions.
They further bolstered the defensive side of the ball, which GM Bob Quinn said was going to be a priority for him this offseason after Detroit's defense finished 27th overall, 21st in scoring, 27th against the pass and 18th stopping the run.
-- Detroit made the signing of former Giants linebacker Devon Kennard official.
Kennard (6-3, 251) has been the Giants' starting strong side linebacker for most of his four-year career, and has some versatility to his game. He's appeared in 52 career games (35 starts), recording 203 tackles (136 solo), 9.5 sacks, eight passes defended and one interception.
"I'm just ready to do whatever coach Patricia wants and needs of me," Kennard said via conference call Thursday. "I feel like I have a skillset where I can do whatever is needed. We'll see what he wants to do with me and I'll be ready to go."
-- Detroit also dipped into the NFC North pool of free agents to grab former Bears linebacker Christian Jones.
Jones signed with Chicago as an undrafted free agent in 2014, and has only missed one game in four seasons with 32 starts.
He made 11 starts for the Bears last season, and contributed on special teams. He ended the year with a career-high 84 total tackles (57 solo) in addition to two sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Jones (6-3, 245) has good size and also some versatility to his game. He played both outside linebacker and inside in Chicago's 3-4 scheme.
"It has its advantages being able to do a little bit of everything," Jones said in a conference call. "I just feel like I'm a player that plays hard in any situation if it's being either covering or blitzing or even playing the run. I think I can do all those pretty well. It's just something where I can do a little bit of everything."
-- The Lions also signed veteran guard Kenny Wiggins to give them depth along the interior of their offensive line.
Wiggins spent the past four seasons with the Chargers. He started all 16 games in 2017, helping Los Angeles finish with an NFL-low 18 sacks as the Chargers led the league in passing yards per game (276.9).
Wiggins has played in 45 career games (25 starts).
--Some of Detroit's own free agents are also starting to sign with other teams. Among those are:
Defensive tackle Haloti Ngata – Philadelphia
Safety Don Carey – Jacksonville
Cornerback DJ Hayden – Jacksonville
Tight end Darren Fells – Cleveland
Ngata is really the big one here. His departure leaves the Lions light along the interior of their defensive line. They could look for help in the second wave of free agency and the draft.
