Bob Quinn

Lions general manager Bob Quinn says he's interested in signing another big-money free agent.

(Michael Conroy)

INDIANAPOLIS -- Bob Quinn was mostly conservative in free agency during his first year at the helm of the Lions, refusing to hand big-money deals to aging stars while inking solid players to reasonable deals.



Then where he really needed help, he wasn't afraid to hand the year's biggest receiver deal to Marvin Jones.



Now heading into Year 2, Quinn anticipates taking a similar tact to free agency -- picking his spots for the most part, but willing to spend big where he thinks it'll help the club the most.



"I probably see it in a similar vein," he said Wednesday at the start of this year's combine in Indianapolis. "I think there's some of those top-end guys that we would like to take a shot at."

The Lions have needs all over, just like most teams that didn't win a playoff game last year -- or in the last 23 years, for that matter -- but their greatest needs are in the running game on offense and the front seven on defense.



Quinn is interested in adding a running back, but he's unlikely to spend big on aging brand names such as Adrian Peterson and Jamaal Charles. If he's going to hand out big bucks, it's more likely to happen up front, where he's focused his rebuild since arriving in Detroit, or perhaps at linebacker.



The Lions had the second-fewest sacks in the league last year, and their linebackers combined for no sacks, interceptions or forced fumbles. So a player such as Patriots linebacker Dont'a Hightower, one of the best pass-rushing linebackers in the league, could draw Quinn's eye.



It could help that Quinn also was in New England for the first four years of Hightower's career.





"I think we need more playmakers, bottom line," Quinn said, contradicting previous statements from coach Jim Caldwell, "whether that's on the offensive side of the ball or the defensive side of the ball."

Quinn warned the market could change based on who gets re-signed, and who gets cut, before free agency opens at 4 p.m. next Tuesday. But either way, it seems Detroit is ready to be active.



It has $36.4 million to spend, which ranks 18th in the league.



"We've done our research, we've done a lot of work in the last couple months and even back during the season," Quinn said. "So I feel we're well-prepared whichever way we go."