Grading the Lions’ first week of free agency: Sorting through the panic and the plan
The Lions had a good week, but they’re playing a dangerous game
Ok, one week of free agency is in the books for the Detroit Lions, and it’s time to take a look at what they did and give out some grades. First, let’s recap who the Lions signed:
- Center Cade Mays
- OT Larry Borom
- RB Isiah Pacheco
- QB Teddy Bridgewater
- DB Christian Izien
- TE Tyler Conklin
- CB Roger McCreary
What we like about the Lions’ new signings
The Lions very clearly wanted to get younger, and they wanted to get value. There is no question that they did both. All of these players are in their 20s, and they all came at a low cost. Getting Mays signed to a three-year, $25 million contract, while the Raiders are paying Tyler Linderbaum, who is not that much better than Mays, $27 million in year one, is a huge value for Detroit.
The Lions got better in the secondary. There should be no doubt about that. They got a starting slot corner in McCreary, and they got a guy who can do anything in the secondary in Christian Izien. He can even compete for that slot job with McCreary. Bringing back Rock Ya-Sin gives the Lions even more depth. With Thomas Harper already on board and Kerby Joseph looking like a guy who is playing Week 1, the Lions’ secondary is in good shape.
On offense, Pacheco fits the Lions like a glove in theory. We just have to see if Detroit can get enough out of him to make the juice worth the squeeze. Luckily, the squeeze is not a very expensive one. Tyler Conklin might have been the Lions’ best offensive signing outside of Mays. He adds another weapon for Detroit and another good blocker.
What concerns us about the Lions’ first week of free agency
I understand the Lions’ moves on the edge if it goes the way I see it going. Grabbing a good veteran edge and then surrounding him with high draft picks. There is absolutely a world where that works out for the Lions and Brad Holmes looks like a genius because of it.
With that said, I don’t like it. It’s too risky. The Lions didn’t have to go after Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson. I never once believed they would, and frankly, I didn’t believe they should. But this team could have afforded Kwity Paye or Boye Mafe. They absolutely could have afforded Joseph Ossai at $11.5 million a year.
I fully understand that the Lions are not going to add a bunch of All-Pros and Pro Bowlers because they already have a bunch of All-Pros and Pro Bowlers, and you have to pay those guys. You should pay those guys. But I can’t understand why Holmes won’t spend a little more money to add someone opposite Hutchinson who has a trusted ability to get home.
Now again, I’ll eat all these words if the Lions draft a guy and wind up being a baller. We’ll all eat our words. But right now, there’s some reason for panic, and Holmes is taking some gigantic risks on defense.
Apart from that, there should be a little, and I mean little, concern that the Lions see Larry Borom as their starting right tackle, and because of that, they may not look to find the best tackle they can get early, and may look to find a guy who can sit for a year. While I do think what Borom did down the stretch last year was impressive, it’s time to find your next guy.
Final Grade for the first week of free agency
A lot of attention will be paid to the players lost and what the Lions didn’t do. I don’t think the Lions lost as much as it might seem, and I think that the reaction to these losses is just fans reacting to the losses of guys they’ve grown really accustomed to being around and not so much noticing that those players had declined and gotten older.
I think all of the Lions’ signings that they did make were good. Outside of the small Borom concern, the Lions scored on all of these moves. Even Borom if the plan is for him to be a swing tackle. I have nothing bad to say.
With that said, I think Holmes is playing a very dangerous game on defense, and it has the chance to blow up in his face. Again, I’ll be the first to say I was wrong if it doesn’t. But this doesn’t look good right now. This is going to drag an otherwise positive grade down.