Lions free agent countdown: No. 3 Rashean Mathis

The Detroit Lions have 19* pending unrestricted free agents, and we're spending three weeks counting down each player and examining how or whether they fit into the future of the team.

Free agency opens March 10, the Lions can re-sign any of their players before the start of the new league year, and they can use the franchise or transition tag on one player now through Monday.

Rashean Mathis

Age: 34

Position: CB

Other CBs under contract for 2015: Darius Slay, Nevin Lawson, Bill Bentley, Mohammed Seisay, Crezdon Butler

Other CBs entering free agency: Cassius Vaughn, Josh Thomas

How acquired: Signed as a free agent in August 2013

2014 stats: 16 GP, 16 GS, 51 tackles, 1 INT

2014 salary: $955,000

The future: Mathis has proved ageless in his two seasons with the Lions, playing at a high level and providing invaluable leadership in the locker room. Lions general manager Martin Mayhew said last week that he wants Mathis back, and Mathis said after the season that he thinks he has a couple years left in him and wants them to be in Detroit. The Lions wouldn't budge from their minimum salary benefit offer last year, and it's not likely that they'll go much higher this year, considering Mathis' age and their salary cap situation. At some point, the two sides should reach a deal, though Mathis' role could evolve to include more nickel duties, depending on whom the Lions add at the cornerback position.

Next up: Nick Fairley

* Previous versions of this series showed the Lions with 20 unrestricted free agents, as the team and NFL Players Association disagreed on George Johnson's free agent status. He since has been declared a restricted free agent and could draw interest from other teams, depending on his tender level.

Previously:

No. 4 George Johnson

No. 5 Matt Prater

No. 6 C.J. Mosley

No. 7 Isa Abdul-Quddus

No. 8 Darryl Tapp

No. 9 Rob Sims

No. 10 Dominic Raiola

No. 11 Don Muhlbach

No. 12 Jed Collins

No. 13 Ashlee Palmer

No. 14 Corey Hilliard

No. 15 Dan Orlovsky

No. 16 Cassius Vaughn

No. 17 Garrett Reynolds

No. 18 Andre Fluellen

No. 19 Kellen Davis

No. 20 Josh Thomas

Contact Dave Birkett: dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.