Lions free agent countdown: No. 6 C.J. Mosley

The Detroit Lions have 19* pending unrestricted free agents, and we're spending three weeks counting down each player and examining how or whether he fits 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 March 2.

C.J. Mosley

Age: 31

Position: DT

Other DTs under contract for 2015: Caraun Reid, Xavier Proctor, Roy Philon, Jermelle Cudjo

Other DTs entering free agency: Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley, Andre Fluellen

How acquired: Signed as a free agent in April 2013

2014 stats: 15 GP, 8 GS, 26 tackles, 2.5 sacks

2014 salary: $1.55 million

The future: The Lions met with Mosley's representatives at the NFL combine last week and expressed interest in bringing him back. But there's nothing to suggest an imminent return, as the Lions are still waiting on a Suh deal and have told others that they plan to sign a free agent defensive tackle. Mosley started eight games in place of Fairley last year and played well, for the most part. The team did suspend him one game for smoking marijuana in London, and seeing as he'll play next year at 32 years old, he's in line for a short, low-money deal.

Next up: Matt Prater

* Previous versions of this series showed the Lions with 20 unrestricted free agents, but the Lions and NFL Players Association are at odds over defensive end George Johnson's status. The Lions said they planned to tender Johnson an RFA contract this week. Johnson, who could draw interest as an RFA from other teams, depending on his tender level, will appear later in this series.

Previously:

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.