Following a disastrous 2021 season, the Detroit Lions had plenty of holes on their roster that they needed to address. One of those most glaring needs came at the wide receiver position and general manager Brad Holmes addressed it by signing DJ Chark, who previously played for the Jacksonville Jaguars, to a 1-year, $10 million deal. Now, Chark is set to become an unrestricted free agent, and according to ESPN, he is one of the Top 50 free agents in the class of 2023.
DJ Chark named Top 50 free agent by ESPN
On Tuesday, Matt Bowen released his Top 50 free agents for 2023, and Chark came in at No. 36 on the list. Chark was the only Lions player to make the cut.
Here is what Bowen said about Chark:
Chark, a vertical stretch target, averaged 16.7 yards per catch in 11 games for the Lions this season. He can be schemed to attack intermediate windows on deep in-breakers. At 6-foot-4, he has the ability to win outside matchups as a boundary target. He has 18 touchdowns over five seasons.
Why it Matters
With Chark set to become a free agent, Brad Holmes will have to decide whether or not he wants to offer him a contract extension. During the final six games of the season, Chark had 21 catches for 388 yards (18.5 yards per reception) and a touchdown. Chark was clearly starting to become a solid down-field threat for Jared Goff and the Lions' offense, and it seems likely that Holmes will try to get a deal done to keep him around.
