It’s not hard to see that as the Detroit Lions enter free agency on Monday, the vibes around the city are a little off. It’s been a turbulent offseason already with the divorce from David Montgomery, the recent release request from Taylor Decker, and Terrion Arnold’s legal situation—all in the past two weeks.
That has left the Lions facing an offseason more difficult than any other they’ve faced under this regime. With limited salary cap resources and just two top-100 picks in the draft, Lions general
manager Brad Holmes must find ways to fill starting roster holes at tackle, guard/center, defensive end, linebacker—and possibly both a starting cornerback and safety. That’s not the end of it, either. They now need an RB2, a TE3, a primary reserve EDGE, all of the linebacker depth, and maybe a even starting nickel cornerback.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
Can Brad Holmes pull this off?
My answer: My confidence level is probably right around a five out of 10.
While Holmes has a reputation of being just a good college scout, I actually think he deserves some credit for savvy free agency signings as well. Last year alone, he found Rock Ya-Sin, Roy Lopez, Grant Stuard, and Avonte Maddox. They year before, it was Kevin Zeitler and Amik Robertson. Ironically, it’s been the big swings he’s mostly missed on. DJ Reader, Cam Sutton, and (so far) D.J. Reed did not live up to their contracts.
While the Lions could always take a big swing or two this free agency, the fact of the matter is with all of these holes, Holmes will have to find more diamonds in the rough—where he has at least a somewhat decent track record.
The reason I’m only at a five out of 10, though, is because it just seems like this offseason is more daunting than any he’s faced. While Holmes has had around 2-4 decent external free agency signings per year in Detroit, he may need to hit on 5-6 this offseason. Sure, the Lions can rely on the NFL Draft to fill some holes, but that’s not how Holmes likes to approach the draft. Entering April NEEDING to add a left tackle or defensive end is a great way to put yourself in a position to reach or overpay for a trade up/down.
I believe this will be the offseason we figure out whether Holmes is a good general manager or a great one.
What is your confidence level in Brad Holmes getting the Lions through a difficult offseason? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
