The Detroit Lions will never be able to fill the void left by the departure of Calvin Johnson, the best wide receiver in the franchise’s history and arguably one of the best receivers in the history of the NFL. That’s a fact.
Here’s another fact. Signing Anquan Boldin is a damn good attempt.
The Lions are expected to agree to a 1-year deal with the 3-time Pro Bowl receiver, who’s spent the last 3 seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Though his 2015 campaign was rather meager by his standards, Boldin was a blistering force in his first 2 years with the team, catching 261 passes for 2,241 yards. Eye-popping numbers.
At age 35, Boldin does have some mileage on him, but he’ll be just the veteran presence at the position Calvin Johnson was to help steer gun-slinging quarterback Matthew Stafford in the right direction. Boldin can also bring a winning attitude to Detroit–he won a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2012, and went to another one with the Cardinals in 2009.
It should also be noted that Boldin sits at #13 on the all-time receiving yards list, ahead of guys like Hines Ward, Michael Irvin, and–you guessed it–Calvin Johnson.
Needless to say, good pick-up by Detroit.
