Detroit Lions fans continue to make their voices heard on the Lions' underwhelming offseason, coming off a last-place finish in the NFC North. But what do other NFL executives across the league think of the Lions' offseason? Those "in the room where it happens" that can offer a perspective that fans don't have?
Well, suffice it to say, they're underwhelmed, too.
Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke with various NFL executives about the moves each NFC team made this season. One anonymous executive was unfazed by what the Lions did to upgrade two out of the three units.
"To me, they did not do anything notable from a personnel standpoint outside of some special teams guys they added, which I think were pretty good for them."
"Anything notable" might be too harsh when it comes to the team's bigger signings like center Cade Mays and Nickel corner back Roger McCreary, who are seen as firm upgrades over their predecessors. In Mays' case, he was arguably the second-best C on the market, and the Lions got a great deal for him, given how many teams were also in the market for a C. It also keeps second-year guard Tate Ratledge at RG, further solidifying the interior.
That executive is on point with special teams, which has seen the most wide-ranging turnover of the three units. Sando highlights the Damone Clark signing, saying Clark "made eight solo tackles on special teams last season, more than anyone else currently on the Lions. Exciting, right?"
For the most part, that anonymous executive's sentiment echoes that of the Lions' faithful, who believe the team was in a position to make aggressive moves like signing C Tyler Linderbaum or pass-rusher Trey Hendrickson, or spinning a trade for fellow pass-rusher Maxx Crosby.
Instead of making a big quality splash, the Lions focused on quantity to fill out depth. They made a lot of signings. They're just not as exciting as fans had hoped, and not enough to impress at least one executive.
There's still the NFL Draft to target that pass rusher or RT of the future, so the jury's still out in this offseason. However, this anonymous executive's opinion offers some degree of validation for Lions fans who are also underwhelmed. Someone who knows how the sausage gets made not being impressed by what Holmes is cooking could be seen as a big red flag for what's to come this season.
Then again, without knowing who this executive is and what front office they're a part of, their words could just as easily be a green flag, instead.
Everyone's in wait and see mode with the new offensive coaches
It's not just the on-field personnel who will look different next season. Perhaps the biggest move the Lions made this offseason was (officially) firing offensive coordinator John Morton and hiring Drew Petzing to replace him.
Lions fans had a strong reaction to the Petzing hire and the fact that he wasn't a big name like Mike McDaniel. Sando spoke with a different executive, who is taking a more cautious approach to the new hires:
"The biggest questions with Detroit remain on the coaching staff. Let’s see what Petzing and (Mike) Kafka are able to infuse in terms of better ideas, better execution, more creative play calling, or whatever."
The Lions absolutely have the talent on offense to take the team far, and drag the defense kicking and screaming there, but they did so last year, as well. The offense greatly lacked those ideas, execution, and creativity from Morton and, to a lesser degree, head coach Dan Campbell after he took over.
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Petzing, along with second-year defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard, may be the two most important people in the Lions' organization in 2026. If they end up being more of the same from 2025, then no splashy free agency move would carry this team to a deep playoff run.
Much like the players Holmes acquired, the coaches are "wait and see" as well. This year's draft class will also fit that mold. For a fanbase hungry for a Super Bowl, who have done a lot of waiting and seeing already, the sentiment from these two executives isn't going to help quell any anxiety over the direction of the team.
The Lions entered last season as one of the Super Bowl favorites, and fell flat on their face to a 9-8 record. With vibes not as high this offseason, maybe this season will have the opposite result. If not, then executives are going to have a lot more to say about the Lions next offseason.