The Detroit Lions have plenty of major needs pushing toward the 2023 offseason, and with free agency on the horizon in a few weeks, predictions are rolling in about what the team could do.
As the offseason continues to take shape, a major theme remains Detroit’s need to address a weak defense, specifically at the cornerback spot. That looks like the biggest need of the team right now relative to what they have on the roster and what happened in 2022 on the field.
Dallas Robinson wrote at Pro Football Network predicting some top free agent signings for every team. When it came to the Lions, it wasn’t a surprise to see a cornerback as the top choice for the team.
According to Robinson, the Lions will land James Bradberry as a free agent when things get going in March. As he said, that addition could bump the Lions’ defense up and turn the backfield into a strong spot.
“After finishing 30th in defensive EPA per dropback in 2022, the now-contending Lions can’t afford to have a glaring weakness at CB. James Bradberry was forced to settle for a one-year deal last offseason after getting cut in May, but he should require a significant multi-year pact this time around. Detroit has the cap space to add a veteran like Bradberry, who earned a second-team All-Pro berth and could instantly turn the Lions’ defensive backfield into a strength,” Robinson wrote in the piece.
Bradberry figures to be one of the top cornerbacks that is on the free agent market, and with a need at cornerback, the Lions figure to have plenty of interest in what’s going to happen in that group.
This projection has Bradberry coming into the mix with the Lions to improve a struggling group.
Bradberry’s Career Stats & Highlights
A 2016 second-round pick out of Samford, Bradberry got his start in the NFL with the Carolina Panther. Immediately, he became a hit for the team’s defense, posting 59 tackles and two interceptions as a rookie.
Bradberry would play three more years with the Panthers, posting six interceptions and two forced fumbles from 2017 to 2019 before signing with the New York Giants in free agency on March 26, 2020. While in New York, Bradberry had a solid two years, posting seven total interceptions with the Giants prior to a release in May of 2022.
Bradberry rehabbed his career in Philadelphia at cornerback in 2022 after being cut by the Giants en-route to a second-team All-Pro season. He has collected a total of 18 career interceptions, and also was voted to a Pro Bowl for his play in 2020.
Spotrac projects Bradberry’s market value to be a three year contract worth $45.5 million. That shakes out to a $15.1 million average annual salary.
Lions Have Deep Need at Cornerback
No matter whether they target Bradberry or someone else, the Lions need help at cornerback in a big way this offseason given their problems there during the season.
Detroit finished 30th in pass defense, allowing 26 touchdowns and over 245 yards per-game on average. Worse, they allowed a total of 4,179 yards through the air. That points to a group that simply didn’t get much going all season long.
Free agent Amani Oruwariye figures to be on the outs after a very tough season in 2022, and Mike Hughes may not have done enough to stick around as a must re-sign player. That could lead the Lions to prioritize the spot heavy in the draft.
Getting some veteran players along with a few more young bodies could be the key toward helping the Lions turn things around for the future. Early on, it seems as if the draft is going to fit the Lions and their needs in the defensive backfield in a big way.
Whether this changes the Lions plan remains to be seen, but at this point, most see the team as very interested in the cornerback market.
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Analyst Predicts Lions Will Sign Cornerback to ‘Instantly’ Fix Defense