The Detroit Lions have been hard at work this offseason trying to maintain a strong foundation that's turned them into two-time defending NFC North Champions despite having failed to make it to the Super Bowl yet.
Head coach Dan Campbell is obviously the right man for this job, though he faces his stiffest test yet without offensive coordinator Ben Johnson or defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. This roster has already undergone significant turnover, though there's still more to come.
Unfortunately for Lions fans, there's clearly a pair of players who won't be on the roster once the calendar turns to May.
1. Za'Darius Smith, DE
The former Green Bay Packer standout whom Detroit managed to land midseason didn't quite work out for the Lions, though he's still one of the more sought-after defensive free agents among this free agent class.
Smith is a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time former All-Pro, yet at 32 years old, he's clearly entering the twilight of his career. This is a player whom could be formidable alongside capable fellow stud defenders, yet Aidan Hutchinson's injury unfortunately led to discouraging production during Smith's limited time with the organization.
Maybe he'll come back, yet reading the tea leaves suggests the possibility is slimming.
Now that the front office hasn't made him a priority re-signing, the writing is on the wall. Smith was likely a short-term rental and now will be looking for a new team in 2025.
2. Jalen Reeves-Maybin, LB
A forgotten-third star, linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin played on at least 78% of the Lions' special teams snaps over each of his two seasons with the team. He hasn't made an impact on defense, yet he's still someone who established himself as a valuable contributor that should have a place on any competitive roster.
It's thus surprising that Detroit hasn't re-signed him yet and as more days go by, it becomes clearer and clearer that he won't return. Considering the damages that the Lions are likely to take on both offense and defense, losing someone like Reeves-Maybin hurts. He ranked only 131st out of 189 qualified linebackers at Pro Football Focus, yet his larger impact comes in an area that most don't pay attention to.
If Detroit gets worse at offense, defense, and special teams, that's obviously a large problem that will set the organization back. Hopefully, Campbell has a plan to turn this around despite losing both of these contributors in all probability.