3 worst free agent signings made by Lions general manager Brad Holmes

1. WR Breshad Perriman

To be fair, in equal part due to dead money left behind by trading Stafford and starting the rebuild, Holmes was not going to spend big on anything or anyone in 2021 free agency. But the signings of Williams and Perriman, to however optimistically provide a couple credible wide receivers for Jared Goff that year, could not have gone worse.

Perriman, who's father Brett was a pretty good receiver for the Lions, had already shown himself to be a first-round draft pick bust over five seasons for four teams. But a one-year, $2.5 million deal ($2 million guaranteed) was a reasonable flier to take, on a receiver who still had the enticing combo of size and speed.

But Perriman did not make it through final cuts before the 2021 season started, losing a battle for a roster spot with such luminaries as Geronimo Allison and Tom Kennedy. A hip injury was also a factor in his not making it to the season, as head coach Dan Campbell noted during that camp that Perriman had just not been practicing enough. That he played in the preseason finale was telling, and he had two drops in that game to seal his fate.

Perriman latched on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers later in 2021, and he stuck with them in 2022. He signed with the Indianapolis Colts in June of 2023, before being one of their roster cuts before last season. He was out of the league after that, and his NFL career is probably over.

(Dis)honorable Mentions: WR DJ Chark (2022); Re-signing Charles Harris (2022), Romeo Okwara (2021), QB Tim Boyle (2021 and 2022)