Lance Moore is a great name. A distinguished name. It isn’t clear, though, if he is going to solve the Detroit Lions’ depth and slot issues at wide receiver.
Moore was one of the key pieces to a New Orleans offensive system the Lions hope to be able to replicate. But most of that is likely in the past.
If Moore makes the Lions -- no guarantee -- he’ll be 32-years-old when the season starts. He has also been in a sharp decline since 2012 with his numbers dropping precipitously from over 1,000 yards to less than 200.
The Lions are clearly hoping Moore has something left for one more season with this signing. For that reason, he’s worth taking a shot on as long as the price -- terms weren’t disclosed but it is probably close to the minimum -- makes sense.
The reasons why he is likely attractive to Detroit are his familiarity with Joe Lombardi’s New Orleans-based system and the cost-efficient salary. He can also theoretically mentor a group of young slot receivers in Detroit and teach them the nuances he picked up from his very productive career in New Orleans running a similar system.
Moore is also a slot receiver. He didn’t qualify on Pro Football Focus’ ranking of 110 receivers last season. He played just 249 snaps last season for Pittsburgh, primarily in the slot. He was not particularly effective there, dropping two of his 27 targets and catching 14 passes for 198 yards.
This is a long way from his only 1,000-yard season in 2012 that came in the heart of his prime.
This is somewhat of a homecoming for Moore, though. He grew up in Westerville, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus. He played college football less than an hour away from Detroit at Toledo.
Combined with his familiarity with Detroit’s offensive scheme and with Lombardi, this feels like one last gasp for a talented receiver somewhat close to where he grew up.
This, of course, if Moore even makes the team. He joins a mediocre-depth receiving group including Ryan Broyles, Jeremy Ross, Corey Fuller, TJ Jones, Andrew Peacock and Skye Dawson.
Of those players, only Ross has significant experience in the slot, so this is where Moore could assist the Lions.
He automatically becomes the oldest receiver on the roster and third oldest player on the offense after offensive lineman Manny Ramirez and, by a few days, quarterback Dan Orlovsky.
That could help when it comes to mentoring the receiver corps. If Moore can rediscover his form, he could end up being a short-term solution for Detroit. Beyond that, it would be difficult to expect anything more.