Two days after saying goodbye to Calvin Johnson, the Lions have officially agreed to terms with Marvin Jones, who many believe was the top receiver available.
While Jones certainly isn't expected to replace the Hall of Fame production Johnson gave the Lions over the course of nine seasons, acquiring him is still a good start for new Lions general manager Bob Quinn.
Jones, 25, is coming off the best season of his career. He set career highs for both catches (65) and receiving yards (816) with the Bengals in 2015. He also chipped in four touchdowns as the No. 2 receiver to Pro Bowler A.J. Green.
In Jones, the Lions have acquired a player with good size (6-2, 198) and speed (4.46) who should fit right into Jim Bob Cooter's offense here in Detroit.
Cooter's offense is based on getting the ball out of quarterback Matthew Stafford's hands, and allowing receivers to make plays after the catch.
Golden Tate is a perfect example of that. He led the league by breaking or avoiding 30 tackles last season, per Pro Football Focus stats.
Jones ranked in the Top 16 in that category with 12, but his size and speed will also allow him to make some plays down the field. He can be a dual threat in Cooter's scheme.
Quinn said both in his introductory press conference and at the Combine that he values versatility among his players. Jones offers that from the receiver position.
The Lions could still be on the lookout for at least one other pass catcher to add to the receiving corps, but with the signing of Jones, that seems more likely to happen on Day 2 or Day 3 of next month's NFL Draft.
