Getty Dan Campbell yells on the field during a Packers game in 2021.
Thus far during NFL free agency, the Detroit Lions have taken a more cautious approach, hanging back and waiting until the wild times and big contracts dwindle down early.
Some have questioned whether or not the team is paying attention to their needs, while others think the Lions are being smart with a more measured approach to things. Either way, the team’s mindset has folks talking and creating some headlines as the NFL offseason enters its first full week.
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Though free agency isn’t close to being done, that has not stopped some folks from attempting to break down the early moves and rate them so far. While some see the negative side of things, Bleacher Report took a closer look at breaking down some of the positives for each team during the period. Writer Ian Wharton broke down some of the smartest moves for every team, and while Detroit has not been that active, it hasn’t burned them in the mind of some of the experts who see only good things coming as a result of the team keeping their core.
In Wharton’s piece, he cites the Lions’ smartest move as having a modest free agency, and explains that the team was right to avoid spending in dramatic fashion and instead bring back role players given the team might not be ready to do so.
“Recklessly spending money this offseason would have solved few problems considering the other holes on the roster. Detroit has maintained financial flexibility with short-term deals,” Wharton wrote in the piece. That about sums up what the Lions have done and where their focus has been so far.
While the Lions may not be getting rave reviews from some fans, it’s clear the team is once again being prudent, which could represent a significant plus for the team.
Lions Free Agency Approach This Season
Detroit has been conservative thus far with their spending, electing to bring back free agents to the team instead of go shopping outside the market for big-ticket items and it could be seen as a smart approach. Thus far, the only two players the team has signed from outside the family have been wideout DJ Chark as well as tight end Garrett Griffin. Those players offer depth to the offense, but the Lions have not made a single signing on defense, which is likely going to have to change as free agency gets into the second wave of action starting in late March and into early April.
As a whole, it’s tough to say the team’s free agency approach has changed things with regards to the draft. Detroit’s roster is so depleted in spots the team could stand to make bigger additions in both avenues and would likely be just fine. It’s tough to pair down the needs the team has too, given they went 3-13-1 in 2021 and are amid a multi-year rebuild for the roster. Obviously, there is heavy lifting for the Lions to be done on multiple fronts ahead of the 2022 season.
What Lions Could Do Next This Offseason
It’s fair to expect the Lions to have another round of moves that help to boost up the team’s defense, even if the signings aren’t big-ticket items or name plays. Detroit managed to see some of their middle-tier plays in free agency pay off during the 2021 season, so the expectation for the team should be for more of that to continue this coming year. The more players the Lions sign to boost their depth, the better off the team could be. The Lions struggled with players filling roles in 2021, so the more players they have to fill out their depth for next season the better off they will be. Help at linebacker, safety, defensive line and cornerback could all be had in free agency ahead of some longer-term fixes in the NFL draft in a month.
Fans could be upset that the Lions have not been bigger spenders so far, but in the minds of some, it’s a reasonable-sized win that the team has been prudent with their deals and not elected to spend bigger this offseason. That could help set the team up better for the future when all is said and done.
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