New Lions GM, head coach should cast wide net in free agency

With new Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes officially in place, all eyes will turn to a busy offseason full of important roster decisions. And even though the temptations are sure to loom, he would be well-advised to avoid the personnel pitfalls that sunk the previous regime.

Holmes’ former employer, the Los Angeles Rams, was eliminated from the 2021 postseason after a 32-18 loss to the Green Bay Packers this past Saturday. This began to shift the focus to a number of Rams players that are upcoming unrestricted free agents, some of whom could fill important positional needs for the Lions.

Safety John Johnson, receiver Josh Reynolds, and linebacker Samson Ebukam were all draft picks by Los Angeles, and they could all fill important roles in Detroit. Holmes also had a major say in their selection thanks to his time as the Rams’ director of college scouting from 2013-2020.

It makes too much sense for the Lions to pursue them, right? Don’t be so sure.

Under former general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia, the Lions worked feverishly to acquire players that had previously played under them with the New England Patriots. It seemed like as soon as one of them became available, Quinn was relentless in his efforts to corral them, despite some issues that may concern other squads.

Getting up there in age? No problem. We need to overpay them? Not an issue. On the downside of their career? We’ll make it work.

Needless to say, it didn’t work. At all. The Lions’ roster is now cluttered with those players, many of whom may not fit under a new regime and coaching staff.

Any new general manager will want to acquire players with whom they are familiar or have relationships. Holmes undoubtedly has such connections with many players on the Rams and when it comes time to shape the Lions’ roster for 2021, there could be mutual interest between the two sides.

The Lions must exercise caution in these pursuits, however. As their recent win-loss records show, loading up on familiar and safe players didn’t come close to making the desired impact.

However, Holmes and freshly-hired head coach Dan Campbell could be at a disadvantage when it comes to player acquisition due to their inexperience, and this could hamper them in their attempts to construct the type of roster that fits their vision. This might prompt them to stick to their connections and contacts from their former teams.

Also, while they would likely prefer to build the team primarily through the draft, the Lions will have scant resources with which to do so this spring; they currently have just five picks in this year’s selection event. They can’t necessarily count on major returns from their draft class in 2021.

Compounding the issue will be the likely reduction of the salary cap due to lost revenue stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. They will need to be frugal, strategic, and patient, as well as open-minded when scouring the league’s free agency ranks.

In addition to the Rams, Campbell’s previous team, the New Orleans Saints, also has a number of players with expiring contracts that could interest Detroit in free agency. Still, Holmes and Campbell need to be cautious to avoid falling into the same comfort zone that doomed the last regime. If they aren’t, we could be having this discussion again in three years.