GREEN BAY, Wisc. -- The Detroit Lions thought they were going to compete for a title this year. Instead, they just wrapped up their worst season since 2012 with a 31-0 win Sunday against Green Bay.

Now, GM Bob Quinn must figure out how he wants to nip and tuck at this roster. That starts with figuring out what to do with his 16 unrestricted free agents, plus five others who are restricted or exclusive rights free agents.

That's 21 players who can hit the open market when the new league year begins on March 13. That's 40 percent of the roster.

Here are all those pending free agents, ranked by their importance to the team.

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16. Don Muhlbach

Position: Long snapper

2018 cap hit: $720,000

Outlook: Death. Taxes. Don Freaking Muhlbach. You could set your watch to this guy. Heck, he went 14 years between botched snaps. That's longer than any other player has even been with the team. But he did botch a snap on a point-after try against Buffalo, which proved to be the difference in a one-point loss. Don't be surprised if Muhlbach is back -- he can clearly still do the job. But don't be surprised if the Lions part ways with him either. After all, he turns 38 next year, and Bob Quinn has already tried to do it before.

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15. Marcus Cooper Sr.

Position: Defensive back

2018 cap hit: $392,647

Outlook: Just a guy signed midseason to help a short-handed secondary make it through the season. With Jamal Agnew returning to health, plus anticipated upgrades coming at the position, a veteran like Cooper is highly expendable.

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14. DeShawn Shead

Position: Cornerback

2018 cap hit: $697,058

Outlook: Had some good years in Seattle. Did not have a good year in his debut with Detroit. Was limited to package-based roles that matched him up with bigger receivers and tight ends. Could return in such a role, but you have to figure Detroit will go looking for defensive backs who are, like, better.

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13. Andrew Donnal

Position: Offensive tackle

2018 cap hit: $539,123

Outlook: Didn't play a snap this year, but the Lions do like him as a developmental offensive tackle.

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12. Kelvin Sheppard

Position: Linebacker

2018 cap hit: $333,529

Outlook: The sort of gadget player with whom Matt Patricia likes to populate the back end of his defense. Played a lot on special teams too.

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Mike Mulholland | MLive.com

11. LeGarrette Blount

Position: Running back

2018 cap hit: $2 million

Outlook: Was trumpeted as a power complement for Kerryon Johnson. But he averaged just 2.7 yards per carry, the worst season of his 10-year career, and found himself playing behind Zach Zenner down the stretch. At 32 years old, his best days figure to be behind him. Expect the Lions to try to go in other directions for the No. 2 job behind their budding star in the backfield.

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10. Matt Cassel

Position: Quarterback

2018 cap hit: $720,000

Outlook: Was brought aboard to provide some veteran savvy behind Matthew Stafford in the film room, and by all accounts, he has filled that role well. Matt Patricia really likes him, too. But he does nothing special on the field, and the Lions could use their anticipated scheme change as an opportunity to go in another direction -- perhaps a younger one. Remember, Bob Quinn says he likes to draft a quarterback about every other year. And he didn't draft one last year for the first time.

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9. Luke Willson

Position: Tight end

2018 cap hit: $2.5 million

Outlook: Bob Quinn liked Luke Willson a lot. Thought his production in Seattle was limited only because he was playing behind Jimmy Graham. Figured he could replace Eric Ebron, and save a bunch of money by doing so. Figured wrong. Willson finished with a career-low 13 catches for 87 yards, even though he also played the third most snaps of his career. (While Ebron finished with a league-high 13 TD catches in Indianapolis.)

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8. TJ Jones

Position: Receiver

2018 cap hit: $1.9 million

Outlook: Emerged as a quality backup for Matthew Stafford in recent years, then was thrust into an expanded role this year because of injuries and attrition. And suddenly, he didn't look so good. Finished with just 19 catches for 190 yards, even though he played a career-high snaps. Maybe he's back next year, but Detroit will lose little if he's not.

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7. Bruce Ellington

Position: Receiver

2018 cap hit: $296,471

Outlook: Signed midseason to help replace Golden Tate, and became the rare receiver not named Kenny Golladay who actually contributed down the stretch. Caught 23 passes for 123 yards in four games before re-injuring his hamstring. The Lions have a lot of decisions to make at the position, and Ellington was one of the few guys who did enough to warrant a look in 2019.

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6. Eli Harold

Position: Linebacker

2018 cap hit: $1.9 million

Outlook: Racked up three sacks in the first three games, then cooled considerably and eventually lost his role on defense. Was a staple on special teams though, which could make him a candidate for a return.

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5. Nick Bellore

Position: Fullback

2018 cap hit: $720,000

Outlook: Lost fullback snaps to an offensive lineman (Joe Dahl) down the stretch, but remained one of the club's best special teams players. Don't overlook that.

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4. Ricky Jean Francois

Position: Defensive tackle

2018 cap hit: $720,000

Outlook: No position group improved more this year than defensive tackle, where Da'Shawn Hand had an impact rookie season, A'Shawn Robinson finally looked like he was worth a second-round pick and Snacks Harrison changed the whole complexion of the defense after arriving in an October trade. Francois was the fourth man on that totem pole, but also played a key role up front. The longtime veteran was leading after-practice drills in a matter of days after his signing, and was pivotal to bringing along young guys like Hand and Robinson in camp.

Francois' future with the club is unclear because of his age (32) and the depth of the position, but there's no doubt he added a lot of value in 2018. If Detroit moves on, there will be a leadership void to fill.

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3. Zach Zenner

Position: Running back

2018 cap hit: $402,941

Outlook: Perhaps no player improved his stock more down the stretch than Zenner. He broke his back in two places in the preseaosn finale, then was eventually cut loose as he returned to health. But returned to the fold midseason, eventually worked his way into the running back rotation and Ill be damned if he wound up averaging 4.8 yards per carry for the season. That was more than every tailback not named Kerryon Johnson. With Blount showing his age, Zenner has proven he has a place on this team in 2019 as a reliable backup on offense and core special teams player.

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2. Levine Toiolo

Position: Tight end

2018 cap hit: $1.5 million

Outlook: It says a lot about the strength of the Lions' free agent class when a blocking tight end ranks second on this list. But Toiolo did add muscle to the blocking game, and his pass blocking was especially good, ranking second at the position according to ProFootballFocus. Hey, he even led the Lions' tight ends with 21 catches for 263 yards. He's not going to be mistaken for Gronk anytime soon, but he was better than expected this year, and that can't be said about any other Lions tight end. Detroit has to re-sign him, or have another void to fill.

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Mike Mulholland | MLive.com

1. Ezekiel Ansah

Position: Defensive end

2018 cap hit: $17.143 million

Outlook: The Lions didn't have much choice but to gamble on Ansah because of the thin crop of pass rushers available in free agency and the draft. But they lost, and they lost big. Ansah started just two games and appeared in seven overall because of a pair of shoulder injuries. He played just 146 defensive snaps, or roughly the same as fellow defensive lineman Sylvester Williams. And the Lions cut Sylvester Williams on Oct. 25. Woof.

All told, the Lions got just 11 tackles, four sacks and two starts for their $17.143 million. And while Romeo Okwara did some nice things in his stead, Detroit really missed having a pass rusher who could impose his will on an offense. Now the club heads into the offseason with pass rusher atop its wish list once again. Ansah could be a part of that mix, although he's probably going to find more money and more years in free agency than the Lions are willing to give him. Expect Ansah to be elsewhere next year, and the Lions look abroad for ammo for their pass rush.

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Restricted free agents

In addition to the 16 unrestricted free agents, the Lions also have three restricted free agents in defensive linemen Kerry Hyder, Romeo Okwara and Mitchell Loewen. The club can reach a deal with any of these players like usual, or place a qualifying offer on him. There are three types of offers: First, second and original round. If Detroit were to lose the player, it would be compensated an extra draft choice in the round it designated.

The Lions also have two exclusive rights free agents in linebacker Steve Longa and special teams ace Charles Washington. These players can be offered one-year deals that are not guaranteed, which means there's no real downside for the team. These players are basically locked in for next year if the Lions want them back.