Open thread: What should the Lions prioritize in free agency this year?

What does Brad Holmes and the Lions need to do in free agency to keep them in the conversation for a title next season?

After getting their first playoff win since 1991 and nearly making a Super Bowl appearance, the Detroit Lions are in unfamiliar territory as they look to build upon last year’s results and use the offseason to take an already very good roster to the next level. And the first step towards making that happen is NFL free agency.

Brad Holmes has made it clear that he isn’t going to make any big splash free agency moves just to make them, and it’s all about acquiring the right players that fit what they’re all about. In his first two years, you saw Holmes find a lot of bargain deals and sign a lot of short-term contracts to fill out the roster. Last year was a little bit of the same, but then you add in some longer-term deals like the Cam Sutton and David Montgomery signings, as well as tying up one of the bigger names out there in C.J. Gardner-Johnson to a one-year deal.

I expect 2024 to be more of the same. Holmes is going to find his bargain deals, but we may see him get slightly more aggressive now that their roster looks much closer to being championship material. Just don’t expect him to be going after every big name at every position of need.

Also, the cap is going to entirely depend on who the Lions want to re-sign, and we’ve seen in the past that the Lions love to reward their own guys for performing well.

Today’s Question of the Day is…

What should the Lions prioritize in free agency this year?

My answer: I like what the Lions did in free agency last year by attacking their biggest need in the secondary. Unfortunately, it continued to be their Achilles heel last year, but they at least got things right at safety. Having the setback with Emmanuel Moseley’s ACL recovery, and then losing him on one of his first snaps back was extremely unlucky, and Sutton’s struggles at the end of the year were very untimely, but the thought process was there prior to the season starting.

I’d like to see the Lions do the same thing this year. If they do not address the cornerback position via free agency, then they’re left with no backup plan and would have to rely on hitting big with one or more of their NFL Draft picks. Cornerback is a very tough position to make the transition from college to the pros, so ideally, you don’t want to throw a rookie straight into the fire, unless you luck out and get another Brian Branch.

This year’s FA CB class isn’t exactly the best we’ve seen, but there are some decent options out there for the Lions to consider. If the Lions want to make a big splash, then stealing Jaylon Johnson away from the Bears would be a slam dunk move for them. Johnson has a knack for getting his hands on the football and is fantastic in single coverage. Another solid, but expensive option would be L’Jarius Sneed.

If the Lions want to find some more bargain deals to fill out the roster, then they have plenty of names to look at. They could bring back Emmanuel Moseley. Or they could take a look at some names like Kendall Fuller, Chidobe Awuzie, Stephon Gilmore, Steven Nelson, among many others.

If the Lions are serious about trying to get back to competing for a Super Bowl, they need to be very serious about upgrading the CB position, and it all starts in free agency.