The high from the Detroit Lions‘ 2024 season, when they won the NFC North crown with a historic 15-2 record, failed to carry over into the following season, as their divisional standing was drastically different. After a 9-8 finish, the Honolulu Blues not only lost the plot completely in 2025 but also stumbled to a disappointing last-placed finish.
To flip the script in the 2026 campaign, Dan Campbell needed to make major moves in the offseason, starting with the draft, continuing with trades, and going into free agency. While they took several decisive steps to bolster the squad, the ESPN analyst Seth Walder recently gave his honest assessment of their offseason efforts, rating them a “B”, which can be termed average.
For each franchise, he outlined the best and worst moves this offseason. According to Walder, the Lions’ best offseason moves were getting Blake Miller in the first round and trading David Montgomery to the Houston Texans in March. On the other hand, he was not sold on the massive $81 million contract extension of linebacker Jack Campbell, calling it the move he ‘disliked’ the most.
Why Blake Miller’s Addition and David Montgomery Trade Stand Out as the Lions’ Biggest Offseason Wins
GettyDavid Montgomery with Lions
Blake Miller, the Lions’ sole first-round pick from the 2026 NFL Draft, was chosen as a replacement for long-time left tackle Taylor Decker, who parted ways with the franchise. With All-Pro tackle Penei Sewell switching to his natural left tackle, Miller will be handling duty at the right tackle. The combination of the duo is expected to boost the Lions’ offense significantly next season.
Trading David Montgomery was definitely a home run for the Lions this March, as they got maximum return for an aging star, while also creating much-needed salary cap space, which helped in the roster building after the previous dismal campaign.
“Perhaps Detroit’s best move of the offseason was dealing Montgomery for a fourth-round pick, seventh-round pick, and OL Juice Scruggs,” noted Walder. “Any time a team can get that type of draft capital for a 29-year-old backup running back, it has to jump at the chance.”
Campbell struck gold with the trade deal because he was far from his heyday last season, starting no games despite featuring in 17. He was a secondary running back option to Jahmyr Gibbs. In return for the trade, they had two draft picks alongside the 26-year-old Juice Scruggs, who has the potential to be a future starting offensive lineman.
Moreover, Montgomery’s Lions contract was valued at $18.25 million, and with the deal, they saved millions. Instead, they got another young backup running back, Isiah Pacheco, through free agency for a much lower price of $1.81 million.
Why Jack Campbell’s Contract Extension Was the Worst Move This Offseason
GettyLinebacker Jack Campbell
Linebacker Jack Campbell had his maiden Pro Bowl season in 2025, which was a reason he was awarded an expensive contract of $81 million for four years, paying him $20.25 million annually. But considering he is a linebacker, he might have been overpaid.
“The Lions also locked up Campbell to a four-year, $81 million extension, securing the linebacker for years to come,” added Walder. “That strikes me as a little rich for Campbell, but not wildly out of line.”
Given he had a career-best 5.0 sacks and 176 tackles from 17 starts last season, the big-money contract makes sense. However, offering the deal after just one year of performance could be jumping the gun. Traditional off-ball linebackers like Jack Campbell do not create enough pressure on the quarterbacks, so a yearly pay of over $20 million has very little logic to make him the second-highest paid LB in the league behind the San Francisco 49ers‘ Fred Warner ($21 million).
Lions’ Best and Worst 2026 Offseason Moves Revealed by NFL Analyst