In the NFL, money and opportunity typically determine where a player goes in free agency.
The Lions offered both to former Cincinnati wide receiver Marvin Jones, so he chose to come to Detroit despite reportedly receiving interest from his former team and the Patriots. The Bengals have won the AFC North six of the last seven seasons, and New England earned the AFC East crown in 12 of the last 13 years.
The Lions, meanwhile, haven’t won a division title since 1993, but as they try to become contenders again, new general manager Bob Quinn — who spent the last 16 years with New England — said it hasn’t been hard to recruit players to Detroit.