Following the Detroit Lions' cutdown day, general manager Brad Holmes and assistant general manager Ray Agnew spoke with media to comment on some of their roster decisions, as well as to answer quite a few questions about Terrion Arnold.
The Lions are still 11 days out from their first game of the year, but there are plenty of questions regarding their depth on this 53-man roster that'll keep things interesting up until kickoff. Specifically, questions hanging over their secondary, offensive line, and running back room are sure to keep the Lions busy before Week 1.
Here, we'll be diving into the more interesting points made by Holmes and Agnew during their morning availability.
Everything Holmes, Agnew said in first availability following cutdown day
Holmes feels DB room is set following Terrion Arnold's release
Holmes was asked multiple times throughout this press conference about Terrion Arnold's release, the timeline of it, and how it affected the teams' movements on the cornerback market this offseason. Holmes was adamant about the Lions having located what they think is the best room they could possibly piece together sans Arnold, which is debatable.
"Kid made a mistake," were Holmes' words on the multiple robbery and assault charges that Arnold is facing down.
As of now, Detroit's cornerback room consists of D.J. Reed, Rock Ya-Sin, Roger McCreary, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., Keith Abney II, Khalil Dorsey, and Christian Izien. Reed is an obvious starter anywhere in this league, but he dealt with injuries for much of 2025. Aside from him, the rest of this room is, for lack of better words, being propped up as starters when they're truly backups being forced to start.
It'd be amazing to see a leap from Ya-Sin and Rakestraw this year, specifically, as McCreary and Abney are likely to be utilized at the nickel this year. They need the help on the outside more than anything.
Isiah Pacheco's injury status feels murky
Pacheco landed on the IR Tuesday, leaving the Lions' running back room even thinner than it had been to start the year. After trading David Montgomery away this offseason, the team added Pacheco as a flier who could potentially bounce back from a down year in Kansas City, as well as from an injury-riddled few seasons there.
Holmes told reporters that he didn't want to put a timeline on that return for Pacheco, and when asked if he expected him back this season, he said, "that's the hope."
To the untrained eye, that's executive-speak for "he's not coming back." But, in Brad Holmes speak, it could literally just mean the hope is that Pacheco will be good after the mandated four weeks on the IR. He said the same thing about getting an extension done with Jahmyr Gibbs, and that did get done, so we'll just have to wait and see how he recovers from this recent stint on the IR and his back injury.
Holmes' comments on Greg Dortch's release
Dortch was brought in this offseason to compete for the Lions' open returner role, given his speediness and great work at that position while under Drew Petzing in Arizona. It was, therefore, surprising to see him released amid the Lions' roster cutdown. He hadn't been reportedly struggling in training camp, and he showed some promise here and there with opportunities in preseason on special teams.
Dortch told Buffalo Bills reporters a few days after signing to their practice squad that he'd also been surprised by the cut:
"I've been through that situation before, getting cut and released, but this one was a little bit different. It caught me off guard. I didn't think I was gonna be put in that position."
Holmes told reporters in his availability that Dortch was simply victim to a very tough competition in camp, but with the team only carrying four wide receivers into the year, it feels like there might have been an opportunity carry Dortch into the season.
READ MORE: Lions' plans for Jahmyr Gibbs in 2026 could make one prediction a lot more realistic
Extension talk
Two big names remain up for extensions with the Lions - Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta. Branch is still recovering from an achilles tear and is starting the year on the IR, while LaPorta is ready to go for Week 1 after missing much of 2025 with a back injury. Both are injury risks, unfortunately, which throws a wrench into the math for their extensions compared to those done for Jack Campbell and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Holmes told reporters he wants "to keep both around." We'll see how that plays out, but on the outside looking in, it feels like that Detroit wants "prove-it" seasons from both core players before dedicating even more cap space to either or both.
Youth movement
Holmes was excited to compliment players like Eric O'Neill, Skyler Gill-Howard, and their young offensive line in this conference, telling reporters of O'Neill that he was a UDFA they "really, really wanted to get." He impressed in preseason and throughout camp, and absolutely deserved a roster spot with how experimental Detroit is trying to get with their edge rusher depth.
On Gill-Howard, he said that his "violence" on the line makes his run defense valuable for Detroit, in addition to adding to their pass rush.
The offensive line, now anchored by Penei Sewell (25 going on 26 years old) and Blake Miller (22 years old), feels fully overhauled for their future. It felt constructed with multiple stop-gap solutions in 2025, but now, you can tell that the Lions have intentionally constructed an offensive line for their future.
"I'm really excited about that group, obviously we got a lot younger. Guys had a lot of opportunity to grow, and we're all excited for it."
Holmes' messaging from this press conference was fairly clear - the team is looking ahead to Week 1, and isn't really concerned with the fact that their roster still doesn't feel 100% set thanks to thinness at cornerback, safety, and running back.
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