Brad Holmes has made it clear that his spending in free agency on an edge rusher was intentional - or rather, the lack of spending on that position was intentional.
The Detroit Lions, according to him, had to invest a lot more into their offensive line than at that position. That's why they spent on center Cade Mays, and why they've been pretty lopsided in their spending on depth pieces along the O-line. However, that's not a really satisfying conclusion for Lions fans hoping to have seen some urgency behind replacing Al-Quadin Muhammad for 2026.
Well, free agency isn't over just yet, and the Lions are still operating with some cap space thanks to Jared Goff's contract restructuring. Most of that is set to be likely allocated to their draft picks at the end of April, but the Lions can probably still swing a smaller, one-year deal on an available veteran edge rusher: A.J. Epenesa.
The former Buffalo Bill was set to sign with the Cleveland Browns this offseason, but per ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi, Epenesa's physical was a concern for the Browns as they've decided to pull out of that deal. That opens the door wide open for Holmes to take a swing on a potential low-cost edge with plenty of experience.
Holmes sees perfect low-buy edge rushing candidate land in his lap
Epenesa had a down year with Buffalo in 2025, which could be a silver lining for Detroit's pockets. With just 2.5 sacks but three batted passes, 28 pressures, and six quarterback hits, he could be another nice depth piece next to D.J. Wonnum for the Lions in camp.
The one-year deal worth up to $5 million that Epenesa and the Browns had agreed to feels like a Holmes-esque contract, too.
With questions now set to be raised around his physical, that price could drop. Wonnum seems like a nice, young fit next to Aidan Hutchinson, but you'd like to see some more veteran depth added to the team with the loss of Muhammad in free agency. Assuming Detroit is taking an edge rusher pretty high in this year's draft, you like the idea of a veteran added there even more.
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As of now, the Lions' only depth at the edge includes Tyler Lacy (a likely practice squad candidate), Payton Turner (see above), Wonnum, Trevor Nowaske (again, practice squad-bound), and Ahmed Hassanein.
Hassanein is a huge wild card considering he was injured so early on into his rookie development in 2025, but it's safe to assume he won't be a big factor for the Lions' defense this season barring a hugely impressive camp.
That leaves Epenesa as a really intriguing option for Holmes on the market. Of course, there's concern if a deal was completely nixed due to his physical, but when has a little injury history stopped Holmes from taking a swing?