The Detroit Lions haven't made a huge splash in free agency, but some of their moves have been seen as sneaky good in the court of public opinion as the period has moved on into its second week.
Detroit's first move, and arguably only big move, was signing center Cade Mays away from the Carolina Panthers. While Mays was certainly seen as a solid move, given the high-dollar contracts flying around elsewhere, it could be seen as under-the-radar.
When it comes to those who pay attetion, the addition of Mays is a winner for the Lions. That includes NFL.com's Bucky Brooks, a former scout in the league. Brooks believes Mays has an underrated fit with the Lions, and thinks his addition could pay quick dividends in 2026.
"The 2022 sixth-round pick showed the football world that he was a capable center in Carolina last season, logging 12 starts as an emergency fill-in -- and looking like a 10-year veteran, protecting Bryce Young in the pocket and blowing open holes for Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle."
"The Lions have been seeking stability at the pivot since the 2025 retirement of stalwart Frank Ragnow. This marriage between a rough-and-rugged franchise and a trench warrior who has not allowed a sack in his last 21 starts (including playoffs), per PFF, looks like a perfect fit."
Mays has the kind of physical attributes that appeal to the Lions, and he's been remarkably consistent during his time in the NFL thus far. In a situation like Detroit, he can shine in a bigger way given the additional attention that will be set to come toward him within the team's offense.
Mays believes he fits Lions' play style well after meeting with team
In terms of Mays, it's easy to look at video and see his fit with the Lions. It's a whole other thing to contextualize it as a player. After meeting with Detroit's brass and leadership, the center feels even better about his choice to join the Lions for the next three years.
As Mays explained, Dan Campbell as well as Detroit's brand has been rock solid for the last few seasons, which is something that opened his eyes firmly to the possibility of joining the team and finding a fit when free agency opened.
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"You look at what you want as a player, as a person, and obviously coach Dan (Campbell), he's my kind of guy and I feel like I'm his kind of guy. So you look at stuff like that, you look at the brand of football they play, like I said, (I'm) hard-nosed (and) want to move people vertically and get the run game going. So all that stuff kind of goes into play."
Mays has been a durable, tough young player thus far in his career. While there's been plenty of signings lately across the league landscape that have seemed more earth shattering, it's wise not to forget about how good this one can be once the season begins.