Selective and strategic.
That’s how Brad Holmes explained his approach to free agency at the NFL combine earlier this month.
“You still want to build through the draft,” Holmes said. “At least that’s what Dan (Campbell) and I talk about, in terms of building through the draft. You want to be selective and you want to be strategic in free agency. We did a lot of the one-year deals last year that kind of went in line with what our plan was and our process was at that time.
“And now we’re entering Year 2 of our plan. You’ve got a tweak here and there that’s going to be a little bit different. But as the years go on, you’ve just got to stick to your plan.”
The Detroit Lions’ plan will mature over time, and at some point, it will make sense for them to aggressively fill a need with a proven free agent who commands a significant contract.
But that time is not here yet, and that’s why it’s hard to find fault with what Holmes did, in mostly sitting out, during his second go-round of free agency.
Yes, the Lions are bringing back the bulk of their 3-13-1 team, re-signing players like Tracy Walker, Charles Harris, Alex Anzalone, Josh Reynolds, Kalif Raymond and Tim Boyle in recent days.
And yes, there’s little reason to think — in mid-March, at least — the Lions will be appreciably better in 2022 given the lack of roster upgrades they’ve made this offseason.
But building through the draft means letting your young players grow and develop on the field, and the Lions seem determined to do that for a second straight year.
Walker will start at one safety spot in Aaron Glenn’s defense this fall, and there’s a good chance the man next to him will be a rookie taken high in next month’s draft. Harris will try and defend his team sack title while perhaps ceding playing time to the No. 2 overall pick. And Anzalone? He projects to start at middle linebacker again, but his one-year deal certifies that he’s a placeholder until Derrick Barnes or whatever rookie the Lions draft is ready.
The Lions made one notable addition in free agency, signing Jacksonville Jaguars receiver DJ Chark to a one-year deal. Chark should bolster the Lions’ offense as a space creator if nothing else. He’s big and fast and wins his share of jump balls, which should create opportunities for Amon-Ra St. Brown and T.J. Hockenson.
But as a one-year rental, Chark’s value to the Lions is more than meets the eye.
Beyond what he brings to the offense, he gives the Lions a chance to get a more complete assessment of quarterback Jared Goff heading into his make-or-break season.
Campbell said on multiple occasions last year it was not fair to judge Goff given the sprinkling of talent around him, and the Lions have made a point this offseason to eliminate any gray area in their evaluation of their quarterback.
They kept intact one of the NFL’s 10 best offensive lines. Hockenson is one of the league’s best tight ends. They have a solid complementary duo at running back. And Chark gives them a more complete receiving corps, even if they still lack a big-time playmaker.
CLOSING IN: Alex Anzalone signs 1-year deal to stay in Detroit, says Lions ‘very close’ to turnaround
Perhaps the Lions find that missing piece in the draft, but even if they don’t, they won’t be able to pretend they believe in Goff anymore if he doesn’t deliver next season. The Lions restructured Goff’s contract last spring, making it essentially a two-year deal. They can move on from him after next winter with minimal cap ramifications, and if they don’t, they’re screaming toward giving him an extension.
Given their youth on defense — Walker, Harris, Anzalone and Romeo Okwara are their only projected defensive starters no longer on their rookie deals — and the lingering uncertainty at the quarterback position, the Lions remain in the throes of a methodical rebuild.
Long-suffering fans won’t want to hear this, but for teams that don’t have a superstar signal-caller, that’s the right approach: Load the roster with good, young, affordable talent, nurture those players and help them grow.
Walker said that approach is why he believes the Lions will be a better team in 2022, despite their ho-hum offseason.
At the news conference to announce his signing Tuesday, Walker cited the development of “guys (who) were not even supposed to be playing” last season and Campbell and his staff as reason to believe a turnaround is in the cards.
“My coaching staff,” Walker said. “I believe in them. I believe in these guys. Like I said, that had a huge role in me going to come back. I believe in everything these guys stand for and what they’re all about.”
The Lions are not done massaging their roster.
There’s a good chance they sign a No. 2 tight end in the second wave of free agency to help with the blocking (another possible excuse in evaluating Goff), and they still can afford some veteran insurance for their defense, especially in the back seven.
But Chark aside, the Lions’ biggest moves this offseason will come with the No. 2, 32 and 34 picks in the draft, where they should be able to land three day-one starters who more importantly project to have long-term futures in Detroit.
As Holmes said at the combine, that’s the essence of his plan.
A few final thoughts on what the Lions did and where they stand:
• It would be easy to say signing Chark was the best move the Lions made in free agency because he’s the only veteran addition of note. But I think retaining Walker on a three-year deal was even more important.
Part of building through the draft is being able to re-sign and retain key homegrown players when their contracts expire. Walker was a Bob Quinn draft pick, and it would have been easy to let him walk in free agency. But he’s an important and influential voice in the locker room, and the Lions’ decision to keep him — and his decision to stay — should reverberate in a young secondary room.
Walker easily could have found greener pastures had he tested the open market, but his deal was done by the time the free agent negotiating window officially opened Monday morning. By staying, he showed his faith in what Holmes and Campbell are trying to build, and Holmes and Campbell proved to their locker room they are for real about keeping good, young players around who provide value on and off the field, no matter their personality.
• When you give out mostly one-year contracts, there aren’t a lot of bad signings to grumble about. I would have liked to see the Lions do more in the back seven, and I expect another addition to happen at some point.
We’ll see where Allen Robinson’s deal comes in when he finally signs, and whether the Lions should have waited longer for the Detroit native’s market to settle. I thought Marcus Williams signed a reasonable deal with the Baltimore Ravens that I would have had no problem executing if I was the Lions (to pair him with Walker).
But to use a baseball term, I don’t know the Lions would have derived enough wins-above-replacement value from most of the attainable players on the market that it’s worth hand-wringing about any missed opportunity.
• So what’s left for the Lions to accomplish this offseason? Plenty, starting with identifying who they will take at No. 2 if Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson is off the board.
I suspect the Lions already have a good idea on that, even if Holmes is keeping it close to the vest. They had some draft meetings this week, and while a case could be made for Notre Dame safety Kyle Hamilton or Liberty quarterback Malik Willis, one of the pass rushing trio of Kayvon Thibodeaux, Jermaine Johnson or Travon Walker would be hard for me to pass up.
[ NFL mock draft 2.0: What do Lions do if Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson goes No. 1? ]
Beyond the draft, the Lions would be wise to work out contract extensions for Hockenson and cornerback Amani Oruwariye this offseason. Heading into Year 4, both players are eligible for new deals and since both project to be important parts of the Lions’ future, the smart play is to get both done early.
The Lions surely will exercise the fifth-year option on Hockenson’s contract if they do not get an extension done, and from Hockenson’s standpoint, the smart financial play is to see what contract terms franchise-tagged tight ends David Njoku and Dalton Schultz end up with.
For that reason, re-signing Oruwariye should be the Lions’ priority, and the cash outlay the Lions could be on the hook for with two new deals coming could also help explain their tepid approach to free agency.
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.