The Detroit Lions addressed a glaring need at wide receiver on Tuesday morning. And they did so by keeping a familiar face in town. Per Apex Sports Group, the Lions have inked Josh Reynolds to a two-year extension. Per reports, it’s a near $12M max deal.

Detroit Lions fans should be thrilled with this deal. In eight games last season with the Lions, Reynolds caught 19 passes for 306 yards, and two touchdowns. His production was nothing to write home about, but the Lions’ offense was in flux last season. Reynolds joined the Lions during the middle of that flux. The then-offensive coordinator, Anthony Lynn, received a demotion in duties. And Dan Campbell, along with Ben Johnson, were figuring out their chemistry with the play-calling. On top of that, Jared Goff missed a few games during the back end of the season.

Factoring in all of that, along with getting to know new coaches and a new system, Reynolds had a lot to work with.

However, if you look at his prior season (2020) with the LA Rams, while playing with Goff, Josh Reynolds had a respectable outing. In 16 games (13 starts), he caught 52 passes for 618 yards, and two touchdowns. That’s the guy the Detroit Lions anticipate will show up next season. If he isn’t, they would not have signed him to this deal.

With the NFL’s free agency period starting next week, signing Reynolds could affect how they pursue other big name free agents. Detroit-native, Allen Robinson, is a name that’s floating around as a possible target for the Lions. However, with keeping Reynolds in town, what will be the Lions approach to signing a veteran? Along with that, how much would they be willing to spend? Many expect guys like Robinson to command a big payday.

Regardless of what the Detroit Lions decide, keeping Josh Reynolds in town is another step in the right direction for the immediate future of the franchise. A productive player that knows the system and wants to be in Detroit. Sounds like a win.

Follow Kory Woods on Twitter at KoryEWoods.