The Detroit Lions have been at free agency for two weeks, and they've been very active in terms of adding players. The signings have started to come in bunches as the market for big names has slowed down.
It makes sense that the Lions would be more involved during this portion of free agency, because they are usually averse to handing out huge contracts. The trouble is finding the balance for a team that seemed to need a few bigger names to get over the top, but also needed quality depth.
So far, Detroit has decided to bank on those depth additions more than anything, choosing to stockpile draft picks and perhaps make bigger moves come April when the selection meeting gets underway. That approach hasn't left many people confident in what's played out thus far.
ESPN analyst Eric Woodyard recenly was tasked with analyzing whether or not the Lions have been successful early in free agency. As he wrote, the answer to the question is a complicated one given it seemingly can go either way.
As Woodyard said, the answer to whether or not the Lions hit their free agency goals was both yes and no. That's because the level of player they added wasn't a massive upgrade over those already on the roster.
"The Lions did address their team needs on the offensive line, at running back and with a backup quarterback. But were any of those moves truly game-changing to take them over the hump? On paper, it certainly doesn't appear that way, but GM Brad Holmes has always prioritized drafting and development over free agent spending."
It's fair to remember that Holmes has long been a believer in financial responsibility in free agency. Even though that's the case, it's also fair to point out that it felt as if Detroit needed a few big moves to take the jump back to serious contender status. Thus far, those moves haven't happened, leaving some very underwhelmed.
Holmes must have a better draft to justify his passive offseason
For Holmes, the path to rectifying an average offseason now revolves around the NFL draft. The Lions have built their resurgence around success in April, but have run into issues the last few years as their brain trust has made reach picks for players that haven't completely panned out.
Detroit's last two drafts have been short on impact players. The 2024 class has been famously inconsistent, with sixth-round guard Christian Mahogany looking like the best player thus far. Cornerback Terrion Arnold has struggled, and fellow defensive back Ennis Rakestraw Jr. hasn't been healthy enough to start his career.
Last year, the Lions found a winner in guard Tate Ratledge, but first-round pick Tyleik Williams didn't enjoy a huge role at defensive tackle. Controversially, the Lions gave up a third-round pick to move up for wideout Isaac TeSlaa. While TeSlaa was a solid player, he wasn't counted on nearly enough for a third-round selection.
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In 2026, the Lions must have a draft like they did in 2023. They need to find high-end starters from the first-round into middle rounds. They can't take major risks on developmental players, and need to find high upside picks that can translate to the league immediately. They also need to fill many defensive holes outside of prioritizing an offensive tackle.
The story about whether or not the Lions can salvage this offseason will be told by their ability to have an elite draft. It's clear free agency and the trade market haven't provided the desired answers thus far, and don't figure to in the days ahead.