Anquan Boldin wasn't going to be on the market for long, especially with so many teams struggling to find depth at wide receiver.
In the end, it was Jim Caldwell and the Lions who made the strongest push, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport.
Boldin joins a group of receivers currently led by Golden Tate, Marvin Jones, T.J. Jones and Jeremy Kerley. Boldin caught 69 passes for 789 yards and four touchdowns a year ago.
The remarkably consistent veteran will enter his 14th NFL season having played a majority of his games in each campaign. In all but one season -- 2007 with the Arizona Cardinals -- Boldin was targeted over 100 times. Entering the downside of his 30s, Boldin caught 237 passes for 3,030 yards and 16 touchdowns over his age 33, 34 and 35 seasons.
The signing gives another nod to the Lions' plan post-Megatron: Replace production with possession. While the Lions might never be able to adequately recover from the loss of a 6-foot-6 behemoth and once-in-a-generation matchup nightmare, they have lined up a solid three-tiered receiving corps that should keep momentum moving in the right direction. Per Rapoport, the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints also showed interest.
