The Detroit Lions entered this offseason clearly hoping to bolster a defense that let them down in the postseason against the Washington Commanders and lost some key veterans like cornerback Carlton Davis III when spring began.
It was a tall task for the organization, though the team should generally expect to improve by virtue of getting All-Pro defensive end Aidan Hutchinson back from injury while adding Ohio State star Tyleik Williams in the first round.
Among their signings in free agency was 27-year-old defensive tackle Roy Lopez, who joins the roster after starting 16 games for the Arizona Cardinals. Unfortunately for the Lions, it looks like Lopez is already overpaid before he even plays a snap in Detroit.
Signing Roy Lopez to $4.65M APY would cancel out the 7th round 2026 compensatory pick the Lions had on the board for Ifeatu Melifonwu going to Miami. https://t.co/VDu4gpo4F8
— Nick Korte (@nickkorte) March 12, 2025
New Lions DT Roy Lopez Could Already Be Overpaid Before Playing a Snap
Lopez has shown promise in limited but it's hard to see how he fits into Detroit's defensive line rotation. Just on the inside, you've got Alim McNeill, DJ Reader, Levi Onwuzurike, Williams, Mekhi Wingo, and Brodric Martin are all on the depth chart, and it's theoretically possible that Lopez doesn't make the roster at all.
That's improbable, but he's on a one-year, $3.5 million contract that could be worth up to $4.65 million based on incentives. Should Lopez reach those incentives, he'll cost Detroit the seventh-round compensatory pick they were expected to receive in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Lopez has solid experience, though he ranked just 116th out of 219 qualified interior defensive linemen at Pro Football Focus. That's far from anything to write home about, and up to nearly $5 million for a player who could project as the fifth or sixth player in the rotation doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
The Lions are a team that needs to take a bit of a postseason leap to truly contend for a Super Bowl. That much was made evident earlier this year. Losing defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson hurts quite a bit. General manager Brad Holmes deserves the benefit of the doubt for his great work, yet this move may have been a mistake.
Hopefully, Lopez will prove this wrong and be a valuable addition. He wants to get into coaching long-term, so it sounds like he'll be a great locker-room presence and potentially a worthwhile investment down the road. For now, there's an opportunity cost that'll have to be paid.