The Facts:
GM Martin Mayhew called Pettigrew "definitely" a priority free agent on Friday and while he didn't rule out using the franchise tag on the tight end, he didn't seem too high on using it on Pettigrew, either. "Never say never," Mayhew said. "You never know how these things are going to go. If we chose to do that, we could create the room to make that happen."
Reported by ESPN.com
Fantasy Football Diehards Line:
As ESPN.com's Michael Rothstein notes, Pettigrew's value comes from his ability to both catch passes and block, an increasingly rare skill in an era where tight ends in college and in the NFL are more viewed as pass catchers than guys who can both line up on the line of scrimmage and split out wide or in the slot. Often, players can do one of the two things well, but being able to do both is something that will make him valuable if he ends up hitting free agency next month and doesn't re-sign immediately with Detroit. ... Meanwhile, if Pettigrew doesn't return, the Lions might go with a committee approach. They have Joseph Fauria, who is more of a receiving tight end who can line up outside or in the slot, but isn't as effective as a blocker on the line of scrimmage. Michael Williams was on injured reserve last season but is more of a blocker and never really had a big pass-catching season in college at Alabama.
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