NFL free agency begins at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Here are five questions for the Lions:

1. Will they get Brandon Pettigrew, Willie Young and Rashean Mathis signed before the bewitching hour? All three were starters last season. All three might want to hit the open market. 

2. Can they sign who they want within reason? Salary cap space is not a huge issue for Detroit. The Lions have about $5 million more than they did at the start of free agency a year ago. They signed Reggie Bush (four years, $16 million), Glover Quin (five years, $23.5 million) and Jason Jones (three years, $9.5 million) at the start of free agency and also re-signed Chris Houston (five years, $5 million). There are ways. It doesn't matter that they have not signed an extension for Ndamukong Suh.

3. A year ago they signed Quin to start at safety. Can they get a safety of comparable talent to play opposite Quin at a reasonable price?  We’ll see. Guys like Malcolm Jennings and Chris Clemons could be a good fit.

4. Besides safety, the other huge need is at wide receiver. Will they sign anyone or wait until the draft?

5. While GM Martin Mayhew and the scouting staff remain mostly the same from last season, there’s a new coaching staff. Will we see some surprises? A fullback? Free agents familiar with coaches now on the staff like Lance Moore from the Saints?

Stay tuned.

(Follow @PaulaPasche on Twitter. Order her book,  “100 Things Lions Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die’’ here. It’s also available at bookstores.)