Allen Park — It’s premature to suggest the Detroit Lions are finished adding pieces via free agency, but it would seem the heavy lifting is done as the team waits for the remaining market to come to them after the league’s hectic first wave of moves. And if you’re left feeling underwhelmed by Detroit’s initial batch of signings, that’s certainly understandable.
General manager Brad Holmes, at his end-of-the-season press conference in January, told us this offseason would be better. He specifically mentioned free agency, noting the team had more resources to work with compared to a year ago.
Instead, he’s followed the same blueprint from his inaugural offseason with the franchise. The team’s two biggest signings, both this year and last, were a big, fast receiver coming off a season-ending injury and retaining a young, defensive starter to a multi-year deal.
It’s a curious blueprint for a team that finished with the second-worst record in the NFL last season. Meanwhile, the only team lower in the standings, the Jacksonville Jaguars, have gone on a spending spree.
Mind you, the Jaguars had a bit more cap space, but they’re throwing around cash as if they recently hit the Powerball jackpot back-to-back weeks. After slapping the franchise tag on offensive tackle Cam Robinson — a $16.6 million expenditure — they’ve added wide receiver Christian Kirk, guard Brandon Scherff, linebacker Foyesade Oluokun and cornerback Darious Williams to massive multi-year deals, while snagging tight end Evan Engram for one year at a fully guaranteed $9 million.
That flurry of activity is fun if you are trying to win headlines in March, but it rarely translates to success in the fall.
The Lions have been there and done that. In 2019, the team splurged on the open market, awarding edge rusher Trey Flowers the biggest contract that offseason, while also paying good money to lure cornerback Justin Coleman and tight end Jesse James to Detroit. The latter two lasted two years before they were cut, while Flowers exits after three seasons with injuries submarining his production each of the past two.
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We shouldn’t be surprised. History has shown the biggest spenders on outside free agents typically fall well short of getting a return on that investment. Maybe not in such comprehensive fashion as Detroit’s 2019 crop, but for all the paths to contention in the NFL, going all out in free agency is one rarely traveled. In three years, odds are good we’ll similarly look back at most of these Jaguars’ signings as a mistake.
And while there’s nothing to ensure the Lions will be in a better place, maybe we should acknowledge there’s some value to the practical approach. During a rebuild, we regularly talk about the importance of building a foundation. Well, Holmes is taking it a step further, giving time for the foundation’s concrete to cure. He’s attempting to build something that will last. And in the NFL, that’s best done through establishing a culture and building through the draft.
Although it has yet to translate to wins, the culture in Detroit is in a surprisingly good place a year into the current regime. Listen carefully to every player who has signed or re-signed with Lions this offseason. There’s a genuinely appreciation for how the coaching staff relates to the players. And with the personnel being added and retained, there’s a continued emphasis on grit, hard work and chemistry.
Obviously, those traits without talent has limits. The Lions need a lot more talent, but Holmes is making it clear he will bank on the draft to stock those cupboards.
In his first draft, he successfully found key pieces to the puzzle, most notably offensive tackle Penei Sewell and wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown. Nose tackle Alim McNeill also has the look of a solid addition, while the rest of the class needs more seasoning before we can fully assess their capabilities. This year, Holmes has a chance to select an even more impactful class. Not only should he be able to secure a premium asset with the No. 2 pick, but there’s room to land multiple starters through the first three rounds, where the Lions hold five of the first 100 selections.
And Holmes has made it so the Lions aren’t caged into addressing any specific positions. Nothing they’ve done in free agency, including the addition of wide receiver DJ Chark, alter the team’s long-term needs for talent at nearly ever spot. The same can be said at quarterback, where Tim Boyle and David Blough’s one-year contracts don’t preclude the team from further targeting the position.
Without having to reach for a specific position, the team can continue to draft the best talent on their board.
The Lions obviously could have done more in free agency. They had the money to spend, and maneuvers such as simple restructures of Taylor Decker or Jared Goff’s contract to create even more cap space. Holmes could have made a bigger push to sign a star like safety Marcus Williams or even trade a low-level draft asset as the Tennessee Titans just did to take on Robert Woods. But the GM is adhering to the idea slow and steady wins the race.
If all goes to plan, there will be a better time to spend in the near future. Of course, no fan base wants to be preached patience, particularly one that hasn’t tasted a championship in 6½ decades, but that’s what is presently required to break the cycle of failed patchwork solutions.
jdrogers@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @Justin_Rogers