It’s been a week now since the official start of free agency on March 13, and Detroit general manager Brad Holmes has certainly been busy.
He’s added players at numerous areas of need, including EDGE, cornerback, defensive tackle and guard. And, his work this offseason doesn’t appear to be done quite yet, either.
Without further ado, here are three burning questions presently facing Holmes and the Lions.
Where do the Lions still have roster holes?
Presently, I’m going to go with the offensive side of the ball – and specifically at wide receiver.
Even with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jameson Williams, Kalif Raymond and the recently re-signed Donovan Peoples-Jones in the fold, the Lions still have a clear-cut void in their receivers room. And, to me, they’re lacking a truly reliable No. 3 wideout.
Detroit could address this need in a variety of ways. It could re-sign Josh Reynolds, a go-to target of Jared Goff who had a productive campaign in 2023. Plus, it could target a pass-catcher in this April’s NFL Draft. Texas’ Adonai Mitchell and Xavier Worthy are intriguing targets for the Lions at No. 29 overall. Meanwhile, USC’s Brenden Rice, Rice’s Luke McCaffrey and Michigan’s Cornelius Johnson are among the potential mid-round finds at the position for the Lions’ front office.
Additionally, Holmes could opt to further beef up the team’s offensive line depth. Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson and Duke’s Graham Barton are a couple of first-round possibilities. Meanwhile, Kansas State’s Cooper Beebe is an interesting Day 2 target for Holmes & Co.
Which free agent was Detroit’s best signing?
As much as I like defensive tackle D.J. Reader, I’m going to go with interior offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler.
Zeitler, coming off his first career trip to the Pro Bowl, is a high-level pass-protector, and instantly fills the void at guard that was created by Jonah Jackson’s departure in free agency.
Detroit Lions right guard Kevin Zeitler
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I’m also going with Zeitler because of his durability. The 34-year-old has played in 15-or-more games in each of the past nine seasons, including a full season’s worth of games in six of those seasons.
Signed to a very cost-effective one-year deal (base salary of $6 million), I think Holmes potentially struck gold with this acquisition.
Which free agent might struggle to succeed in Detroit?
I don’t think he will struggle, but because I have to answer this question, I’ll go with EDGE Marcus Davenport. And, I’ll say Davenport because he battled the injury bug a season ago, and only played in four games with the Minnesota Vikings. He also recorded a career-worst Pro Football Focus grade of 55.4.
The Lions are certainly hoping Davenport returns to being the productive player that he was during his time in New Orleans. Davenport spent five seasons with the Saints, including three that overlapped with Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn being members of New Orleans’ coaching staff (2018-2020).
Outside of Davenport, I would say another player that might struggle to succeed in Detroit is Peoples-Jones. A midseason acquisition of the Lions last year, the Detroit native never found his footing in 2023. In eight games with the Lions, he finished with just five receptions for 58 yards. It’ll be interesting to see if he has a more active role in the Lions’ passing attack this upcoming season.
