The Detroit Lions have not made a huge splash in free agency yet, but is that because of the competition or just who they are targeting?
The Detroit Lions have certainly helped themselves at linebacker and in the secondary so far in free agency, but they still have a glaring hole at defensive tackle.
The game plan that general manager Bob Quin and head coach Matt Patricia have stuck to has been one of finding pieces that fit their new multiple defense which will shift from a 3-4 to a 4-3 depending on opponent, in-game adjustments or possibly even which way the wind blows.
Yet almost every game is won in the trenches and so far the Lions have done nothing to fortify the defensive tackle position which became a weakness after Haloti Ngata went down to injury this past season, then left town for Philadelphia as a free agent just a few days ago.
The position was thin to begin with, but it isn’t getting any better at the moment.
As free agency drags on, the market has gotten considerably thinner at defensive tackle too. There are still plenty out there, but now it’s becoming a matter of finding one or two that the Lions brass sees more potential in than the market deems them worth.
Although most Lions fans would be ecstatic to see Detroit sign any defensive tackle right now, even if he isn’t that good, just as long as he’s a warm body.
But plain and simple there are two factors at play right now that have caused free agency to fall the way it has for the Lions so far. The first is that the Lions are trying to get the most out of the second tier of free agents to stretch their dollars and the second factor is that free agency may be even more competitive than game day in the NFL.