With the calendar officially flipping to March, all eyes in the Motor City will be on the Detroit Lions and what they will do in free agency. A strong showing after the tampering period opens on Monday, March 9, could help get this Detroit team back on track after it failed to make the most recent postseason.
One of the most pressing issues for the Lions heading into free agency is the lack of depth on the defensive line. At pass rusher, Detroit hopes to re-sign veteran Al-Quadin Muhammad, who is coming off a breakout year, along with adding 1-2 more options.
At defensive tackle, the Lions have to figure out what to do with D.J. Reader and Roy Lopez, who are both scheduled to be free agents. In a perfect world, they would like to bring both guys back, but it might not happen, as other teams might already have their sights set on them.
Luckily, for the Lions, the Minnesota Vikings could do them a big favor with the pending release of one of their defensive linemen.
On Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the Vikings have "informed" defensive tackle Javon Hargrave that he’ll "be released at the start" of the new league year unless a trade occurs.
Javon Hargrave Could Be on Lions' Radar as Vikings Release Looms
The Lions likely didn’t have veteran defensive lineman on their radar beforehand, but now that the Vikings are saying goodbye to him, it opens up a new opportunity for Detroit.
The 33-year-old Hargrave didn’t have an overly spectacular 2025 season in Minnesota, which was his first year after getting released by San Francisco. But he still had 52 combined tackles, 10 QB pressures, six quarterback hits, four tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, and a forced fumble in 16 games (15 starts).
According to Pro Football Focus, Hargrave was effective as a pass rusher, posting a 70.0 grade, but left much to be desired in stopping the run with a 57.3 grade. That said, one thing the Lions could use much more of next season is generating pressure from their defensive tackles.
Reader recorded a 71.8 pass rush grade, Lopez was at 63.6, and rookie Tyleik Williams had a 69.1 grade. However, Alim McNeill had a 60.6 pass rush grade coming off an injury, while Levi Onwuzurike missed the entire 2025 season because of an ACL injury.
Therefore, if the Lions were to lose both Reader and Lopez this offseason, they would be in a not-so-good position, which is where Hargrave fits in. Given that this will be his second offseason when he’s been released, the veteran defender won’t cost much.
According to OverTheCap, Hargrave’s valuation is $5.8 million, which isn’t terrible, given his age and production this past season. If that’s the going rate, the Lions should keep tabs on the vet, as he likely won’t be one of the top options off the board to kick off free agency.