The Lions kicked off free agency Friday morning with the signing of tackle Rick Wagner. Wagner, who is entering his fifth season after four years with the Ravens, connects with Detroit's blue collar mentality.
"I'm a real quiet, laid back kind of guy," Wagner said in a conference call with media. "And I've always had to work for everything. I was never given anything. I walked on at Wisconsin. Was drafted the last pick of the fifth round. So I had to prove myself my entire life and that doesn't stop here.
"Now I have to prove to everybody and I have to earn this contract. I'm very thankful for the opportunity to let that happen."
After addressing the offensive line with Wagner, the Lions switched to defense with the signings of two defensive linemen and a linebacker.
The linemen, defensive tackle Akeem Spence and defensive end Cornelius Washington, are both looking forward to Detroit's attacking scheme.
"I chose the Lions because they fit my style of defense," Spence said. "The way they attack, get up field and it's definitely a place I wanted to get to.
"Coach Kris (Kocurek)is a high energy guy, just like one of my coaches I had in Tampa Bay, Joe Cullen, high energy guy, loves his players, wants guys to work hard and build that camaraderie here and that's something I felt like I wanted to be a part of."
For linebacker Paul Worrilow, he's looking for a chance to compete.
"That's all I want," Worrilow said. "Not being promised anything. I want a chance to go play good ball."
Teams rarely stand pat after the first couple days of free agency, so it will be interesting to see what other moves the Lions make in the coming days and weeks.
STAYING LIONS
In addition to signing new free agents, the Lions also re-signed some of their own players.
The team announced Wednesday that they tendered three exclusive rights free agents: Defensive end Brandon Copeland, defensive end Kerry Hyder and wide receiver TJ Jones.
On Thursday, the team re-signed defensive tackle Khyri Thornton. Thornton returns to Detroit for his third season, after originally joining the Lions via waivers from New England in 2015.
COMBINE CONCLUDES
The 2017 NFL Scouting Combine wrapped up Monday with impressive performances by the defensive backs. Some prospects saw their draft stocks rise, shaking up the mock drafts across the league.
Let's take a look back at some of the highlights from the week in Indianapolis:
OTHER NOTEWORTHY ITEMS:
- Bob Quinn is excited to see how second-year offensive lineman Joe Dahl continues to improve.
- Take a look back at the best photos from last year's free agency period.
