The announcement on March 8 of wide receiver Calvin Johnson’s retirement confirmed speculation of the departure of the All-Pro phenom, yet filling the receiver slot only one day after Johnson’s announcement was a welcomed surprise.
On March 9, the Lions announced they had signed 25-year-old Marvin Jones from the Cincinnati Bengals to a five-year, $40 million contract. Jones, praised as one of the top receivers in the free agency class, is coming off of an 816-yard season where he totaled 65 receptions. An understudy of Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green, Jones is a fresh shift from Johnson and will become a consistent contributor to the offense alongside receiver Golden Tate.