Last week, we explored some of the best deals that Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has executed in his nearly six years with the Lions. He deserves a ton of credit for his measured, strategic approach.
But like any general manager in the NFL, he hasn’t been perfect. Whether it be free agency or even internal extensions, some of Holmes’ best-laid plans have not turned out as had hoped. So for today’s Question of the Day, we’re going to explore some of those missteps.
Today’s Question of the
Day is:
What is the worst contract of Brad Holmes’ career as Lions GM?
My answer: If you need reminder of the kind of deals Holmes has helped negotiate, here is recap of every Lions offseason under him.
Holmes tends to sign some very modest deals, so there aren’t a lot of huge swings and misses… but there are a few.
At the very beginning of Holmes’ tenure, he traded for Michael Brockers, then proceeded to sign him to a three-year, $24 million extension. While he undoubtedly helped set the culture in Detroit, his play on the field wasn’t great. He played in just 22 games, tallied 56 tackles and a single sack before being released after two seasons. Detroit essentially paid $14 million for Brockers, which isn’t terrible, but certainly wasn’t maximization of the cap.
The 2023 offseason was arguably one of Holmes’ worst in free agency. He gave Emmanuel Moseley a one-year, $6 million deal. He wasn’t ready for the season—coming off a torn ACL—and when he finally returned, he tore his other ACL. That offseason, Holmes also signed Cam Sutton to a three-year, $33 million deal. Sutton played one mediocre season before legal troubles led to his release. Even C.J. Garnder-Johnson’s one-year, $8 million did not turn out well. (Though to be fair, David Montgomery’s contract was a steal.)
DJ Reader probably deserves to be in the conversation, as well. While Reader was okay in his time with Detroit, I don’t think he lived up to the two-year, $22 million deal he signed. Notably, he just signed a two-year, $12.5 million contract with the Giants—nearly half the value.
Then there are a few extensions that did not work out as hoped. Tracy Walker’s three-year, $25 million deal turned out to be a disaster, because the safety tore his Achilles three games into the deal and never rebounded. But it’s hard to call that a bad contract because it’s more just bad luck. Same goes with Alim McNeill’s four-year, $97 million extension—which was quickly derailed by an ACL injury. However, McNeill certainly has an opportunity to change the narrative on that deal given that there are still three years left in the deal.
What do you think was Holmes’ worst contract? Share your thoughts in the comment section.
