The Lions made their second free-agent signing of the offseason Monday, inking tight end Michael Gaines to a four-year deal.

Gaines, who spent last season in Buffalo after three years in Carolina, will compete with Dan Campbell for the starting spot once Campbell is healthy. Campbell missed most of last season with an elbow injury and the Lions never found a suitable replacement last year.

"My mentality is I'm an old-school tight end," Gaines said. "I like to block and I like to catch the ball, too. I'm not looking to catch 100 balls a game, I'm not looking to be like a Tony Gonzalez, but I'm looking to be an old-school, just grimy, get-after-you tight end."

Last week, the Lions signed free-agent safety Dwight Smith and re-signed their own free-agent cornerback Keith Smith.