Detroit Free Press

As the Miami Dolphins were bouncing around the top 12 of the NFL draft order last week, first moving below then jumping back ahead of the Detroit Lions, Brad Holmes’ phone stayed relatively quiet. Holmes, the Lions general manager, said he did not receive any phone calls about the team’s first-round pick, No. 7 overall,

So much for biting kneecaps. The Detroit Lions wrapped up their first wave of NFL free agency with a decidedly more muted tone than the one that kicked off the introduction of this new regime. Because let’s face it, the Lions’ free-agent haul this year has generated all the excitement of buying a discounted muffler.

The Detroit Lions did not make any major moves in free agency, but the incremental gains they made — on the field and in the locker room — should set them up nicely to make a bigger splash in the future. That is Dan Campbell’s hope, at least, after the Lions signed nine players in

A year after they let his predecessor walk because they did not believe in giving offensive guards big-money contracts, the Detroit Lions are ready to move one of their biggest free agent additions of 2020 to the interior offensive line. Lions coach Dan Campbell confirmed Monday that Halapoulivaati Vaitai likely will enter the 2021 season as

Brad Holmes  gave serious consideration to signing wide receiver Kenny Golladay to the franchise tag and then trying to trade him, but ultimately that scenario proved too risky for the Detroit Lions’ first-year general manager. Holmes made that revelation during a 20-minute video conference Monday to discuss the team’s many offseason moves. Golladay signed a

The COVID-19 pandemic has dominated almost every aspect of American life for the last 12 months. And the sports scene around these parts has been no different. The Detroit Lions, Detroit Pistons, Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Tigers, along with Michigan and Michigan State, have all changed how they work, travel and operate on a

Jessica Larmony sat in a second-floor ballroom at the J.W. Marriott in Indianapolis two years ago, amazed and excited by what she saw. Larmony had just finished her first year as Detroit Lions scouting operations manager after serving in a variety of roles in college athletics and with the Lions. She started as a recruiting

For the Detroit Lions, trading out of the No. 7 pick in the 2021 NFL draft might have just gotten more difficult. The Miami Dolphins made two big trades Friday that will have a ripple effect on the rest of the first round. According to reports, the Dolphins traded the No. 3 pick to the

The last thing the Detroit Lions need is another tight end. T.J. Hockenson is coming off a Pro Bowl season, Josh Hill is a productive veteran, and the value of the position does not merit a top-10 pick, let alone one for the third time in seven years. But Kyle Pitts is different, and that’s

Micah Parsons did not play a down of football last fall, opting out of the college season due to the coronavirus pandemic. And the Penn State linebacker looked none the worse for his decision on Thursday. Parsons had an impressive showing at Penn State’s pro day, running a 4.39-second 40-yard dash in a time provided

Something’s been gnawing at me ever since the Detroit Lions introduced quarterback Jared Goff. It’s a feeling I’ve had that I haven’t wanted to admit to myself. Here it is: I don’t think the Lions will draft a quarterback with the seventh overall pick in the NFL draft. And I want you to know I’ve

Show Caption Hide Caption Detroit Lions shaping up to be better than people may expect in 2021 Detroit Lions reporters Carlos Monarrez and Dave Birkett discuss March 17, 2021, Michael Brockers and Jared Goff as well as Lions’ free agency moves. Carlos Monarrez and Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press With the first wave of free

A week into the new league year, the Detroit Lions have finally found some help for their thin linebacking corps. The Lions agreed to a free agent contract with linebacker Alex Anzalone on Wednesday. The one-year deal is worth up to $1.75 million, a league source said. Anzalone, 26, played the past four seasons with

Jared Goff should have two seasons to prove he is a quarterback the Detroit Lions can build around. The Lions strengthened their commitment to Goff on Wednesday by doing a simple contract restructure. ESPN reported the Lions converted $20 million of Goff’s $25.65 million base salary this fall into a signing bonus. That moves frees

Now that Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones are officially gone, does anyone really think the Detroit Lions will enter the 2021 season with a top 3 receiver room of Tyrell Williams, Breshad Perriman and Quintez Cephus? If you don’t, then look no further than April 29, when the Lions — led by first-year general manager

The Detroit Lions have a new return man. Kalif Raymond agreed to a one-year contract with the Lions on Tuesday, his agency, EnterSports Management, announced on Twitter. Raymond, 26, takes the place of Jamal Agnew, who signed a three-year deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars last week. He served as the Tennessee Titans’ primary return man

It all makes sense now. As the Detroit Lions cut several veterans with bloated salaries and who were non-scheme fits from their roster last week, they kept one potential cap casualty around. Defensive tackle Nick Williams agreed to a pay cut for the 2021 season, according to NFL Players Association records. Williams will make a

He is a self-admitted “nerd” with an infectious personality who is nothing if not honest, so when new Detroit Lions running back Jamaal Williams was asked Monday if he was upset the Green Bay Packers let him go in free agency, he was refreshingly forthright with his answer. “Of course,” Williams said in his introductory video

DeVonta Smith‘s weight is a mystery no more. Smith, the Heisman Trophy-winning Alabama receiver who could be in the mix for the Detroit Lions with the No. 7 pick in next month’s 2021 NFL draft, said Monday he weighs the “same thing I’ve been weighing,” 170 pounds. Smith’s thin frame and light weight are the

Detroit Lions owner Sheila Ford Hamp might want to log in to her LinkedIn profile and add a new skill: defensive line coach. She would certainly get an endorsement from new defensive end Charles Harris. The former first-round pick said he met Hamp at the team facility while signing his free-agent deal, and she gave