The Detroit Lions have been hard at work to improve their roster this offseason, and that will continue with the NFL now in the second wave of free agency. One area of need that fans wanted the team to focus on this offseason was edge defender. Of course, Detroit has Aidan Hutchinson, but the defense would benefit from giving him some help.
That's why Lions fans were hoping the team would land a star like Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson. Detroit missed out on both guys, but there are still some free agents the team can go after. There aren’t any available players the caliber of Crosby of Hendrickson, but there are a few intriguing options the Lions can look at for depth roles.
One of those players is Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, a veteran edge defender who most recently played with the Chicago Bears.
Lions could explore signing veteran edge defender Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
Tryon-Shoyinka, a 2021 first-round pick of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, had a promising start to his career in Tampa. Starting just six of the 17 games he played in as a rookie, Tryon-Shoyinka recorded four sacks as a rookie.
He repeated that number in 2022, when he first became a full-time starter, and improved to five sacks in 2023. However, playing 15 games in 2024, his sack production dipped to just two sacks, and the Buccaneers let him walk in free agency.
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The defender joined the Cleveland Browns in 2025, but he was traded to the Chicago Bears after eight games and just nine total tackles. Tryon-Shoyinka didn’t do much with Chicago either, recording just 13 tackles in another eight games. Now, he’s available and looking for a new team again.
While he isn’t a signing that will move the needle, Tryon-Shoyinka will only turn 27 in April, and he has flashed the ability to be productive in this league.
The Lions don’t have to sign him with the expectation that he’ll be a key member of the defense, but considering the unit’s lack of depth at the edge position, it’s worth seeing what Tryon-Shoyinka can add to unit. The Lions recently added veteran edge defender D.J. Wonnum, but there is still room for Joe Tryon-Shoyinka as well.