2024 Detroit Lions free agent profile: Re-signing Donovan Peoples-Jones pros, cons

We are back again with another edition of our Detroit Lions free agent profiles series for the 2023-2024 season. For the first time in this series, I play both sides of the coin on whether the Lions should re-sign or let a player walk. That player today is wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones. Detroit has some question marks at the wide receiver position, depth-wise, and what they do to address it will be interesting.

Let’s look deeper at why Detroit should and shouldn’t re-sign Peoples-Jones.

Here’s a look at our previously written free agent profiles: WR Josh Reynolds, OG Graham Glasgow, OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai, EDGE Romeo Okwara, CB Emmanuel Moseley, K Michael Badgley.

Donovan Peoples-Jones

Expectations heading into 2023

2022 was a career year for Peoples-Jones with the Cleveland Browns. He finished with 61 catches for 839 yards, three touchdowns, 18 punt returns for 223 yards, and a touchdown. The reason for his big year, though, could be argued more about how weak the wide receiver room was in Cleveland in 2022, and outside of star wide receiver Amari Cooper, there wasn’t much help in there, and the team needed tight end David Njoku to elevate his game to assist.

The team addressed these issues, traded for wide receiver Elijah Moore, and drafted Cedric Tillman in the third round to help give the room some better options for their quarterback. The expectations weren’t high for Peoples-Jones in 2023 in Cleveland.

Actual role in 2023

Note: PFF grades combine regular season and playoffs and reflect a minimum 20% snaps at that position. Peoples-Jones did not hit this threshold.

TOTAL regular season stats — 15 games (6 starts): 511 offensive snaps — 13 catches for 155 yards on 25 targets, 13 punt returns for 84 yards

Regular season stats with Lions: 8 games (1 start): 72 offensive snaps — 5 catches for 58 yards on 7 targets

Playoffs — 3 games (0 starts): 11 offensive snaps — Four punt returns for 32 yards. 11 offensive snaps

PFF Offensive grade: 52.7 (did not qualify for rankings)
PFF Receiving grade: 53.4 (DNQ)
PFF Run Blocking grade: 52.1 (DNQ)

With the additions of Moore and Tillman, along with Njoku having a career year, Peoples-Jones did fall down the depth chart, and his production was the lowest ever. After playing in all 17 games and getting 14 starts in 2022, Peoples-Jones played seven games and only got five starts with the Browns. With that, the Browns traded him to the Lions for a 2025 sixth-round pick.

In Detroit, he was acquired to help the wide receiver room out a bit and give them a little more depth on the team, with wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. needing to step away to focus on his family.

Peoples-Jones had only a few catches for the Lions, but some were big plays for the team. Against the Chicago Bears, he caught a 17-yard pass on fourth down, and in the first game against the Minnesota Vikings, he had an 11-yard catch on third-and-long. In the season finale, he had back-to-back catches against the Vikings, one on third down for 5 yards and one on fourth down for 20.

In the playoffs, with wide receiver and punt returner Kalif Raymond injured, Peoples-Jones was on punt return duties and saw his role on the offense diminish.

Outlook for 2024

Contract status: Unrestricted free agent

The case for keeping Peoples-Jones

The Lions need depth at wide receiver, with Peoples-Jones and Josh Reynolds both up for contracts this year. Right now, the Lions have Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Raymond, and Antoine Green under contract from their 53-man roster. Peoples-Jones can return for cheap after having the worst season of his career in 2023, so a vet minimum contract or something slightly above that price could be fair. He could also provide valuable depth at punt and kick returner.

Peoples-Jones could be moved up the depth chart to the third or fourth spot in the wide receiver room, depending on what offensive coordinator Ben Johnson does with Raymond. He is still a young veteran with experience that can help the room out, and his chemistry with Jared Goff would only continue to grow. The staff wouldn’t ask Peoples-Jones to do much in return, and if someone better comes along, he could be an easy person to let go.

The case for letting Peoples-Jones go

The uncertainty of how Peoples-Jones would get used in the offense is why letting him go makes sense. The Lions could draft a wide receiver in the back half of the draft, and that move would be cheaper and better for the team in the long term than keeping Peoples-Jones for a one-year deal. Detroit also needs to add a big-body wide receiver to the roster, and while Peoples-Jones is tall at 6-foot-2, the team could use someone who is a couple inches taller and is better at jump balls.

If Reynolds doesn’t re-sign with the Lions, Detroit will need a playmaker to step in as the number three wide receiver, and they don’t have that in any of the other wide receivers on the roster.

Is there interest from both sides?

I believe there could be interest from both sides in reuniting in 2024. Peoples-Jones is a local player, went to high school at Cass Tech in Detroit, and played college football at the University of Michigan. He would love to continue playing for his home state professional team and the Lions, like one-year “prove it“ deals for players. That said, his change-of-scenery in Detroit didn’t exactly result in a ton of opportunity for the 24-year-old receiver.

Peoples-Jones would have to understand his role on the team wouldn’t be as prominent as it was in Cleveland for the first few years. If Peoples-Jones wants to bet on himself and go elsewhere to have a more significant role on an offense, I don’t think the Lions would be upset with that and understand.

What do you think the Lions should do with Donovan Peoples-Jones?