Brad Holmes downplays the idea of Lions having to urgently replace DJ Chark

With the loss of wide receiver DJ Chark in free agency, Lions general manager Brad Holmes doesn’t seem to see the need for great urgency to replace him.

During free agency this year, the Detroit Lions and general manager Brad Holmes have pivoted quickly when faced with replacing someone notable. When talks were stalled with Jamaal Williams, a quick pivot to David Montgomery came. When it became clear Evan Brown was going to sign elsewehere, bringing Graham Glasgow back to Detroit happened quickly.

As the second week of free agency wound down, wide receiver DJ Chark indeed left the Lions for a one-year deal with the Carolina Panthers. At this point a thin class of free agent wide receivers is even thinner, and the Lions may have an internal replacement for Chark anyway in Jameson Williams.

Brad Holmes doesn’t seem to see great urgency to replace DJ Chark

Among the topics Holmes addressed during his media session at the league meetings Monday was replacing Chark.

Via Jeff Risdon of Lions Wire:

"I’ll say that that’s still a position we will still monitor,” “You can never really have enough of those guys (receivers). Just to add more competition. But whether it’s Chark’s skillset or a different flavor, if it’s just the right football player — we’ll definitely continue to monitor it.”"

Holmes did dismiss the idea of pursuing Odell Beckham Jr., if only based on cost/his rumored asking price, but via Justin Rogers of the Detroit News the idea of adding a wide receiver is not out of the question.

"(But no) just from a position standpoint, obviously, we don’t turn our nose any player that can improve our football team. We look at everything.”"

Holmes was surely not caught off guard by Chark’s departure, which seemed more likely than him re-signing with the Lions all along. That a fairly quick move to replace Chark did not come speaks to a thin remaining free agent market of receivers as much as anything, and points toward the stronger possibility of the Lions drafting someone if they want to add competition to the position next month. Unless Holmes has another notable move on his radar…