By NATE ATKINS -- natkins@mlive.com

Bob Quinn said he would go after the second and third tiers of free agency, and he has. It's been a way to spread out the remaining money after franchise tagging Ezekiel Ansah to add one more hefty cap hit to the books in 2018.

Detroit's free agency has been active but not altogether lively as a result. The Lions are left with a couple of major needs, and the market happens to still feature some players who fit them in those spots.

They also happen to be hometown guys. Tight end Luke Willson grew up right across the river in Windsor, Ontario, and he grew up a Lions fan before he played college ball at Rice and then spent five years with the Seahawks. Defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins grew up in Dearborn Heights, playing at Southeastern High School right in the city of Detroit, before he played at Ohio State and then spent four years with the Giants and two with the Colts.

Can Detroit lure a top name back home the way it did TJ Lang a year ago? Here's a look at each player and what the Lions are working with:

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Luke Willson

Willson, 28, is an athletically gifted tight end who measures 6 feet 5 inches and 251 pounds and ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at his pro day before he entered the draft. Five years in, he has yet to reach his potential.

That profile might sound familiar to Eric Ebron, the tight end the Lions just released, creating this hole in the first place. The question with Willson, though, is why he hasn't gotten there yet, and the answers are far more football-related than they ever were with Ebron. Willson joined the Seahawks when they were a run-first offense with Marshawn Lynch, and then he became second-fiddle to Jimmy Graham when the All-Pro arrived in Seattle in 2015. Willson has had some splash plays, but he has yet to top 400 yards or four touchdowns in any season. The Lions met with him Saturday, though he left without a deal in hand.

It was never surprising to those who've spent time in Allen Park that Detroit would move on from Ebron, but not having a replacement lined up was a little confounding. The 'F' tight end role has been central to both the Jim Bob Cooter offense and to the way the Patriots have played. It's a spot that forces certain looks from the defense and clears out space for players like Golden Tate and Theo Riddick. Rookies take so long to develop at the position, and so a flex-combo option like Willson should intrigue.

The Lions might be waiting for prices to drop, and some mix of Willson's lacking production, lower market appeal, continued availability and hometown connections could get him into a range they like. Spotrac estimates his market value at two years and $7.1 million, which would be very much in Detroit's wheelhouse.

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Johnathan Hankins

Every year, someone hits the market that you never saw coming. Hankins is that player so far. He's 26, seemingly healthy and just signed a three-year, $27 million deal one year ago. But the Colts are changing to a 4-3 base defense with the hiring of Frank Reich, and rather than pay the $4.5 million locked-in base salary Hankins was about to be due, they will likely find more of a penetrator with one of the many high picks they now own.

The former second-round pick out of Ohio State has been a dominant run defender when healthy, which he has been for 31 games the past two seasons. At 6 feet 2 inches and 325 pounds, he helped improve Indianapolis' run defense from 30th in yards per rush the year before he got there to eighth last season. The Giants had a drop-off of a similar effect right after he left. He finished 18th in the league in run-stop percentage, according to Pro Football Focus, but his impact is even stronger as a two-gapping lineman who allows the linebackers around him to make plays.

Detroit just signed two starting linebackers, including Hankins' former Giants teammate in Devon Kennard. A two-gapping defensive tackle who can add a little rush (12 sacks in 56 starts) would be a tremendous fit for what the Lions need next to A'Shawn Robinson in a hybrid defense.

As with everything, the money will be key, and Hankins' market is harder to predict now that he's joining a later stage of free agency after several other defensive tackles were signed and Ndamukong Suh is still out there. It seems unlikely Hankins would get the $9 million a year he earned last season, but he could get something close.

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What they have so far

The pieces have to fit together on a roster and under the salary cap in conjunction with what could come in the draft. Here's what the Lions have added so far:

LB Devon Kennard (3 years, $17.25 million)

LB Christian Jones (2 years, $7.75 million)

CB DeShawn Shead (1 year, $3.35 million)

RB LeGarrette Blount (1 year, $2 million)

OL Kenny Wiggins (2 years, $5 million)

They also re-signed these players:

SS Tavon Wilson (2 years, $7 million)

CB Nevin Lawson (2 years, $9.2 million)

WR TJ Jones (1 year, $1.9 million)

LB Nick Bellore (unknown contract terms)

RB Zach Zenner (unknown contract terms)

DE Kerry Hyder (1 year, $555,000)

LS Don Muhlbach (1 year, $1.05 million)

QB Jake Rudock (1 year, $630,000)

DT Christian Ringo (1 year, $630,000)

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What they have left to work with

The two prominent cap figure sites, Spotrac.com and OverTheCap.com, both list the Lions with around $19 million. That's before the additions of Blount, Zenner and Bellore, plus some additional structure details with a couple other deals. Those players will replace some other salaries in the cap, so it's safe to assume the Lions have around $17 million to work with, with $5 million of it needing to be saved for the incoming draft class.

That could be enough for a Hankins addition and some other small moves. If they're able to escalate his contract to keep this year's cap hit low, that could open up the possibility of getting him and Willson, since next year's cap is set up to be more flexible. It largely depends on how strong these markets end up being.

Detroit has the money for at least one of these players. Adding one would answer a need before the draft arrives.

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Others on the radar:

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DT Sylvester Williams, 29, Titans

Williams was another surprising release, though it is likely so the Titans can make a stronger run at Ndamukong Suh. At 6 feet 2 inches and 313 pounds, he's a run stuffer all the way. He never lived up to his first-round billing as a result, but he can settle down the inside of a line.

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DT Shamar Stephen, 27, Vikings

The Vikings' big push in free agency has made some talented players expendable. The 6-foot-5-inch, 310-pounder was tremendous against the run up until he injured his knee in the playoffs. His medicals will mean everything to his market as well as Detroit's interest, but the Lions did reportedly meet with him.

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DT Bennie Logan, 28, Chiefs

Logan chased an opportunity when he left the Eagles for the Chiefs last offseason, and an underwhelming year in Kansas City might mean he's better suited for the 4-3 than a true nose tackle spot. At 6 feet 2 inches and 315 pounds, he's worth considering for a hybrid defense given his experience in both techniques.

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TE Brent Celek, 33, Eagles

The Lions need a tight end of some sort after cutting Ebron and losing Darren Fells to Cleveland. Celek is much more the Fells blocking type than a flex variety, as he hasn't topped 200 receiving yards in two years. He'd be more of a simple signing for blocking help at this point.

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G/C Matt Slauson, 32, Chargers

The Lions signed one interior player from offensive line coach Jeff Davidson's time with the Chargers, but could they add another? The Lions scheduled a meeting with Slauson, who has center and guard versatility and loads of experience and leadership but is coming off a down year and a biceps injury. If he's healthy, he could be a spot starter at either left guard or center with Graham Glasgow at the other one.

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ST Matthew Slater, 32, Patriots

The Lions let top gunner Don Carey go this offseason, and the seven-time Pro Bowl one that Matt Patricia oversaw in New England is now on the market. Matthew Slater doesn't have forever left to keep running down punts, and he has missed 10 games the past two years. He'd fit a team that prioritizes special teams, and he'd help change some of the culture.

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TE Martellus Bennett, 31, Patriots

If the Lions want to really roll the dice at tight end, they can go with a polarizing player the Patriots successfully untapped once and then couldn't a second time. Bennett will bring catching, blocking and attitude when he's healthy, but those are all questions at this point.