Lions free agent countdown: No. 11 Don Muhlbach

The Detroit Lions have 20 pending unrestricted free agents, and we're spending 20 days counting down each player and examining how or if 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 March 2.

Don Muhlbach

Age: 33

Position: LS

Other LSs under contract for 2015: None

Other LSs entering free agency: None

How acquired: Signed as a free agent in November 2004

2014 stats: N/A

2014 salary: $955,000

The future: The long snapper fraternity in the NFL is a small one, and both the Lions and Muhlbach appear comfortable with their marriage. Muhlbach has played the last few seasons on one-year, minimum-salary-benefit deals, and there's no reason to believe that that will change in 2015. He wasn't perfect on his snaps last year, but he's still one of the quickest in the game and, especially if punter Sam Martin and kicker Matt Prater return, there's good reason for the Lions to keep continuity among their specialists.

Next up: Dominic Raiola

Previously :

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.