Lions coach Jim Caldwell’s final year on the Colts sideline went up in smoke in large part because the team didn’t have a capable backup to quarterback Peyton Manning, who missed the year after neck surgery.
He’d like to avoid finding himself in the same position should something happen to Matthew Stafford this season. Shaun Hill has been in the second spot on the depth chart for the last four years, but General Manager Martin Mayhew said that the team will be looking at other options this offseason.
“We’ll get into the free agency market and see what it looks like and see if there’s a veteran out there that’s right for us, that we feel comfortable with,” Mayhew said, via MLive.com.
Matt Cassel and Matt Flynn are a pair of free agents with experience in the NFC North and there are other options like Chad Henne with recent starting experience, although the lack of any shot at competing for a starting job in Detroit may limit their options. Kellen Moore is expected back with the team, but Mayhew said he hasn’t had enough experience to “say that you just roll with him and you feel great about it.”