Bob Quinn said he would go after the second and third tiers of free agency, and he has. It's been a way to spread out the remaining money after franchise tagging Ezekiel Ansah to add one more hefty cap hit to the books in 2018.
Detroit's free agency has been active but not altogether lively as a result. The Lions are left with a couple of major needs, and the market happens to still feature some players who fit them in those spots.
They also happen to be hometown guys. Tight end Luke Willson grew up right across the river in Windsor, Ontario, and he grew up a Lions fan before he played college ball at Rice and then spent five years with the Seahawks.