The Detroit Lions were aggressive in revamping the roster this spring, especially in the trenches. There was a clear effort to get younger, and the Lions were certainly able to turn their aging, declining veterans into younger contributors. Whether they got better compared to last season while doing so, however, remains to be seen.
That is why many Lions fans are still hoping for more moves in free agency. The splashy acquisition on the EDGE never came, and there are still questions about the defensive line. Especially considering that there are a few big free agents still on the market, there is some debate about whether the Lions should pursue an addition before training camp.
Lions are unlikely to make the move the fans have been asking for
Perhaps to the frustration of the fanbase, it is unlikely that the Lions will make a splash between now and the start of the season. There could obviously be injuries or unexpected developments over the summer, but the Lions' top brass seems content with bringing the current roster to training camp.
Lions insider Justin Rogers recently wrote that the free agents who would make Detroit's 53-man roster aren't "in the team's spending range." When asked specifically about whether the Lions would be interested in an elite pass rusher like Joey Bosa or Cam Jordan, the response from Rogers was, "Detroit simply isn’t in the market for a guy who plays 40 snaps and commands close to double-digit millions."
This is in line with the recent reporting out of Detroit. Lions beat writer Mike Payton similarly wrote last week that the team will not be chasing any of the "remaining big-name edge rushers." In addition to Bosa and Jordan, veteran defensive ends Leonard Floyd, Von Miller, Haason Reddick, and Jadeveon Clowney are also waiting to be signed.
Reading between the lines of everything Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have been saying, this is hardly surprising. The Lions expect big things from Ahmed Hassanein. They used a second-round pick on Derrick Moore and invested in DJ Wonnum. They believe that the group next to Aidan Hutchinson is good enough. Those four pass rushers could even be an upgrade over what the Lions had on the EDGE last season.
The Lions could potentially have more interest in adding to their interior defensive line, but the market for defensive tackles is less robust. There are aging veterans like David Onyemata, Larry Ogunjobi, and Jihad Ward still available, but they wouldn't be anything more than a depth piece at this stage of their careers. It would make sense for the Lions to go to training camp with the defensive tackles they have on the roster to properly evaluate the depth and talent.
Given that there are no other pressing needs on the roster, the Lions will not make a notable signing before training camp. That may disappoint the fans, but Holmes and Campbell have earned the benefit of the doubt, at least for another season.
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