The trenches are where champions are born as of late in the NFL.
If you can manage to piece together a great offensive line that is just as effective at pass-blocking as it is at run-blocking, you've got yourself the foundation for a contending team. Couple that with a great quarterback, several reliable receivers, and a superstar running back, and you're hard pressed to think of what can hold a team back from a Super Bowl berth.
That team could exist in Detroit, if the Lions are ready to spend big to make it happen. That, according to ESPN analyst Ben Solak, is what Brad Holmes and the Lions should be expecting to face down once free agency kicks off. Starting talent is going to be hard to come by on this market, which is going to drive everyone's price way up - especially the price of offensive linemen.
"This is a fair description of free agency overall. Elite players don't make the open market, but teams have money to spend, and competition drives contracts up. But each year manifests its overspending a little differently, and this year, my suspicion is that the offensive line will be the group to benefit."
Lions might need to spend big for O-line help in free agency
Solak listed off almost every target the Lions should be considering once free agency opens up on Monday in this piece, which should be concerning if you're Holmes. Sure, Tyler Linderbaum always seemed like a pipe dream knowing just how much money he's expected to net, but now Connor McGovern and even Cade Mays may break the bank for Detroit.
In addition to potential center targets, the Lions might be tapped out of the competition for any starting guards on the market. If they do want to shift Tate Ratledge over to center, fine.
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But, they'd better be ready to spend on a guard to replace him on the line. Zion Johnson, David Edwards, and even Joel Bitonio could be anticipating decent paydays just because they're the exact kind of lineman that'll be hard to come by in the offseason - starting-caliber.
Detroit might look at this situation unfolding and opt to simply draft the best available linemen in this year's draft. It's a class that's expected to field quite a few decent starters, with one name to watch being Vega Ioane. But, you'd hope that they're at least competitive on the free agent market this year given their huge need to bounce back in the trenches in 2026.