Grading the Detroit Lions early free agency moves

Summary

A big criticism of the first week of free agency is that Bob Quinn has made moves that haven’t changed much in terms of building a core of players that can be the foundation for the future. That seems accurate by us, as well. While most of the signings address needs of the roster, they are needs that have been filled by less proven options or older players than the player that they replaced.

While a couple of options like Collins and Daniel do represent an upgrade, the Detroit Lions haven’t addressed holes or depth concerns that existed prior to free agency starting, with the exception of safety.

Even there, they seem to just be replacing Wilson and Killebrew, instead of finding additional help.  It is, though, just the first week of free agency and Quinn may have more moves to come that will help at running back, wide receiver, offensive guard, defensive end, and depth around the roster.

Grade: C+, no game-changing signings, no boost to the pass rush, no major improvement in the blocking, and some of the newly acquired players have a larger price tag than their 2019 counterparts. Hopefully, that means a big upgrade in performance, especially on defense. They netted some draft picks, an aspect of the week’s dealings that cannot be overlooked.

On the other hand, they lost some contributors including their most decorated defender. The Detroit Lions now have nine picks, including four in the top 85. It is up to this regime to show that they can maximize those picks and build a core to pair with existing players like Stafford to create a base of players who will win past 2020.

They have little time to build trust in their abilities to build a consistent winner and Detroit Lions fans are circling. While no one looks forward to another rebuild, another year of losing will be intolerable given the way Bob Quinn has attached himself to his hire and long-time friend.