Pros and Cons of Lions Signing WR Tyler Boyd

Could Lions benefit from adding Tyler Boyd?

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd (83) / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

With Josh Reynolds signing with the Denver Broncos, the Detroit Lions are in the market for help at the wide receiver position. 

The Lions have an All-Pro slot receiver in Amon-Ra St. Brown, but will need to find reliable secondary options. Jameson Williams is an obvious breakout candidate ahead of his first full NFL season, while other secondary options such as Kalif Raymond and Donovan Peoples-Jones could take steps forward.

However, the departure of Reynolds leaves a hole at a specific area. He provided the Lions with a big target out wide, so the Lions will need to search for a new vertical threat with a big frame. 

If the Lions want to add a veteran, an option still available is Tyler Boyd. After eight seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, Boyd is on the open market searching for a new team. According to a report from The Athletic earlier in the week, the Lions were among the teams that showed preliminary interest in the wideout. 

The veteran had previously been linked to the Pittsburgh Steelers in free agency, but a report indicated that a potential deal had fallen through. 

Boyd would be an interesting fit within the Lions' offensive scheme. With the Bengals, Boyd was predominately a big slot receiver. Despite standing 6-foot-2, the veteran held a role that many teams fill with smaller, shifty receivers. 

Boyd has played 81 percent of his career snaps in the slot, with his percentage out wide taking a dip in recent years. The most snaps he's played in a season lined up out wide was in 2019, when he played 238 snaps as an outside receiver. 

Because he has been prevalent as a slot, he'd have to change around his role if he were to ink a deal in Motown. He wouldn't usurp St. Brown, who has quickly become one of the league's best at his position since entering the league just three years ago. 

Boyd has two 1,000-yard seasons to his name, surpassing that total in both 2018 and 2019. However, he had become a secondary option with the emergence of Tee Higgins. 

The Pittsburgh product has had at least 600 receiving yards in seven of his eight NFL seasons, with an injury shortened 2017 campaign being the only exception. This level of proven production is appealing. 

For a potential agreement between Boyd and the Lions, it would likely come down to terms of the contract. Lions' general manager Brad Holmes has done a good job keeping the Lions out of unfavorable contracts, prioritizing team-friendly deals and acquiring many players on short, prove-it contracts. 

It is unclear whether Boyd would be willing to ink a deal like this, but Detroit has become a much more attractive destinations for free agents. 

He'd also have to spend more time out of the slot, as Ben Johnson would likely utilize him more on the outside opposite Williams. Still, his proven ability gives him the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the difficulty of doing so. 

Boyd would have to play a new role should he sign with the Lions, but there is a pathway for him to be successful in Johnson's offense.