‘We’ll Be Smart:’ Breaking Down Brad Holmes’ Plan for Lions’ Offseason

Brad Holmes

Getty Lions general manager Brad Holmes on the field during training camp in 2021.

The Detroit Lions finished off the 2021-22 season and as part of the wrap-up phase, the team’s general manager Brad Holmes met with the media on Tuesday, January 11 to put a bow on the season.

Holmes has finished off his first season as the team’s general manager, and admitted that he learned a lot along the way that will help him in the future. Before the start of the offseason, Holmes had over a half an hour to speak with the media and had some intriguing morsels of information within that shed plenty of light on his offseason plans for the team.

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As always, Holmes was an insightful listen for Lions fans, and provided plenty of great information on where the team could be trending in the future and what the plan is for the offseason period.

Here’s a look at some of the top takeaways from what Holmes had to say to the media about the 2021 season and where things seem poised to go in the future.


Young Players Will Continue to See Priority

The Lions were notable this season for how much they were able to ride young players and how they seemed to ignore the aging veteran names on the waiver wire. When the decision came to either sign a veteran or a young player, the Lions far more often went the developmental route, and it served them well most of the season. Don’t think for a minute that will change in 2022, even if the team manages to get even a little bit better on the field and in the standings. Holmes admitted he is not backing down from the plan even as things change.

“We’ll still stick to our plan and we wont be scared to play those young guys,” Holmes said in the press conference when asked directly about his approach and how the team plans to use it again in 2022.

Obviously, that helps prove that the Lions will continue to give the younger players the first chance at cracking the roster and sticking in the future. That should be good news for fans, who watched several exciting young talents emerge before their very eyes this year. More of that development seems on tap for 2022.


The Lions Honestly Feel Good About the Future

A general manager press conference is never going to be anything other than sunshine and rainbows, but Holmes always seems to offer a good balance of positivity and reality. This year, there was a lot more positivity from Holmes as he described his readiness to do the job and turn things around. Perhaps the best statement was about the fact that Holmes is very unhappy about how the season went even though he was pleased with the finish. That shows the Lions know the arrow is pointed firmly in the “up” direction for the future. Holmes as well as head coach Dan Campbell seem to be perfectly aligned as leaders at this point in time, and Holmes had a hopeful tone about not only his own approach to the job, but how he evolved and what has to happen in the future for the Lions to be consistent.


Jared Goff Seems Solidified as Detroit’s Starter for 2022

Holmes couldn’t say enough good things about Goff as it related to the way the quarterback fought through the 2021 season. As a result, it seems tough to envision the Lions cutting Goff, trading him or making any type of move other than keeping him on the roster and keeping things status-quo in terms of Detroit’s starter for 2021.

“You talk about will, you talk about grit, that’s why he fit in (from) the get-go. He had some tough patches, some adversity he had to fight through. He stayed the course,” Holmes told the media on Goff. “Some tweaks were made, some changes were made, but he played really good football down the stretch. It wasn’t a surprise, but I was more proud of he showed that resiliency, that mental toughness to push through.”

The Lions may well add a quarterback via the draft, but it doesn’t seem as if the team is going to be threatening Goff’s position with the team as the starter. Holmes seems committed to Goff, and seems to like what he brings to the mix for the team. That much is true after listening to him speak.


Jeff Okudah Will Get Another Chance

If there was a player that many fans and pundits alike have been quick to identify as a bust early on in his career or someone the Lions should or could give up on, it’s Okudah. Many have believed that it’s only a matter of time before Detroit pulls the plug on Okudah, but it looks as if that isn’t going to be the case this offseason. Holmes had a lot of positive things to say about Okudah, and said he is progressing well within his injury recovery this offseason.

“What I love about him is that he wanted to stay engaged and be around as much as possible,” Holmes told the media. “I just hated for him when he got the injury. He was such a good place mentally and physically, and when he got hurt it was devastating. It was another part of what we had to live with next man up. We expect Jeff to be back with us and I know he is right on track and in a good spot.”

Watching to see how Okudah recovers off injury and not if he returns is the biggest point of emphasis now. It’s obvious the cornerback isn’t going to be a part of the purge and the Lions still think that he can be a player who is part of the mix for the team overall on defense. Don’t write Okudah off as a contributor for the Lions just yet at all.


Lions Will Be Smartly Aggressive Within Free Agency

Within the neighborhood of $40 million to spend before cuts, the Lions have the space and capitol to be aggressive on the market, and it sounds like that is what Holmes is planning in order to help the team improve. Multiple times in the presser, he referenced Detroit’s ability to have more flexibility with regards to spending this offseason as well as decision making.

“We’ll have a little more resources to use than last year, but at the same time, we’ll be smart. Hopefully, the word is spread about what we’re building here. Not sure if it’s a selling point, but hopefully, it’s evident. I think it’s evident about how hard we play,” Holmes told the media about the free agency approach and what outside players may be seeing.

No matter what players can be lured, Holmes can be counted on to add the right ones to the team, as he referenced multiple times in the presser. Overall, with Holmes, the Lions seem to be in very capable hands for the future.

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