Detroit Lions Mailbag: Do the Lions have any shocking cuts coming soon?
Answering some of the burning questions Lions fans have this week
The Detroit Lions have a new offensive coordinator in town, and everyone kind of freaked out there for a minute. Now they have questions. Let’s answer some of them.
Did the Lions hire Mike McDaniel because he was the cheaper option?
No, I don’t think that’s the right read on this situation. I think it’s crystal clear that the Lions liked McDaniel, but really liked Petzing, and I encourage everyone to really look at what Petzing can do for the Lions. You’ll see that the fit is strong, and he gives the team exactly what they were looking for in every way.
The money used to sign players and the money used to sign coaches come from two different places, and they have no bearing on each other. The Lions could have hired the most expensive OC in NFL history, and it wouldn’t have affected their cap space or what they choose to do with it.
Where does the center problem get solved?
It’s going to have to be in free agency or via trade. There are some options in the draft that maybe the Lions could choose to go with to develop off the bench in short order, but right now, this team needs a veteran center with starting experience. Who is going to be available is going to be the big thing to find out. I know everyone wants Tyler Linderbaum or Connor McGovern, but those guys are long shots to make it to the market at this juncture.
Is Christian Mahogany the guy at left guard?
I think the Lions are pretty set at guard. Mahogany played fairly well ahead of his injury. Pro Football Focus had him graded out at 68.3 before the injury. His run blocking grade of 72.9 was the eighth highest in the league among starting guards. After the injury, I think it’s safe to say he came back a little early. But moving forward, Mahogany and Tate Ratledge are a strong duo.
This is why the importance of finding the next center is so high. Having the right guy in the middle makes the guards play even better.
Should the NFL add an extra bye week?
Should there be a mandatory bye after Week 13. I find it unfair the NFL is pushing so many short weeks late in the year. The Dallas Detroit game had Branch and Lamb go down in prime time, how is that good for the product?
— jgerardi.bsky.social (@jgerardi.bsky.social) January 21, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Yes, there should be. As a matter of fact, the NFL should just move the Pro Bowl to an in-season thing when people might actually care. It’s not like they’re playing a real game anymore, so it’s safe. Make it like the NBA, where teams take a week off, and they make a weekend out of the All-Star festivities. This gives every team a week inside the season to just get healthy and plan for the stretch to the playoffs.
How do the Lions address the backup quarterback?
I think the way to go is to kill two birds with one stone and find your quarterback two and quarterback of the future in the draft. At one point in time, this looked like it was going to be a really deep quarterback draft, but it doesn’t really look that way anymore. So part of me thinks they may wait an extra year and just sign Kyle Allen back, but we’ll see. There are some options here; it just depends on how high the Lions want to go with it.
Sleeper quarterbacks the Lions could get in the later rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft
Well, for starters, there’s Miami’s Carson Beck. I know some Lions fans don’t like him, and I think that’s mostly because of the last college football game they watched, but he’s played in pro style offense, and he’s done fairly well in it. Others I like are Cole Payton from North Dakota State. We are not related, by the way. Kansas’ Jalon Daniels might have something.
The problem is that the lower you get, the older you get. The older you get, the harder it is see a long-term future.
Who oversees the overseer?
The fact is that Sheila Ford Hamp and Rod Wood are the people who evaluate Brad Holmes’ performance, and I have to be honest, I sincerely doubt they see any real issue with a guy who’s drafted several All-Pro players who have gone on to help this team win two Division titles and make it a half away from the Super Bowl. One bad season is not going to make them look at him differently.
This is no different from the way every team evaluates its GM. What could make you feel a little better is that Chris Spielman is essentially Rod Wood and Sheila Ford Hamp’s eyes and ears. So they do have someone with a lot of football experience in the building.
What young injured players could have a big year in 2026?
It’s Ennis Rakestraw. He’s had injury issues, and that sucks, but I do believe Lions fans have moved a bit too fast to start calling him a bust. In 2026, provided he’s healthy, I think you’ll see a big step forward for Rakestraw. I’m not saying he’s going to come out and start right away or anything like that, but I think he proves to be a solid depth cornerback who is on route to a bigger role. Keep in mind, this would technically be his rookie year.
Who’s the Lions’ most shocking cap casualty?
There’s really not going to be anything super shocking coming this off-season. The most shocking possible move would be trading away or cutting David Montgomery. At this point, we don’t know if that’s happening.
There is one guy who could be cut that you didn’t see coming. Brock Wright is one of them. If the Lions cut him with a post June 1st designation, they would save $7 million. I don’t believe that with the hiring of Drew Petzing, the Lions could be looking to revamp their tight end room a little bit.
The Lions also have some good cap-saving opportunities with the possible retirements of Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow. They can save up to $20 million if those guys walk away.
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The thing Cardinals fans hated so much about Drew Petzing illustrates exactly why the Lions hired him
The Lions are built to run the ball the way Petzing likes. They’ve been doing it for years.
