2025 Detroit Lions: 0-0 Draft, FAs, trades? (21 Viewers)

[Zeppelin]

If you go back and read the "Who is the best team in week [X]?" threads, I said, it's the team that is the healthiest.

I would have loved to play you guys last year with us being healthy. That would have been a classic.

 

[Payne]

Last year, the Eagles didn't win because of free agents or trades. They built their core through the draft. They had a couple of key players acquired via free agency and trades, namely Barkley and Brown but they didn't destroy their salary cap.

The biggest difference between the Lions and Eagles last year is the Lions were decimated with injuries and the Eagles weren't. Correct me if I'm wrong but I can't think of one major injury they had to an important player.

I'm not taking anything away from them but they were the healthiest team in the NFL last year and the Lions were the least healthy team.

They lost Nakobe Dean in the playoff game vs. GB, but point taken. If you go back and read the "Who is the best team in week [X]?" threads, I said, it's the team that is the healthiest.

But to your initial point, their roster was a combination of good drafting and picking the right FAs. Zach Baun, Saquon Barkley and CJGJ were homerun FA signings. They changed the entire complexion of the team on both sides of the ball.

Those are the kind of smart free agent signing that good teams do. The contracts didn't break the bank and the players were very good. You guys have managed the cap the way you're supposed to and your GM is similar to Brad Holmes in that he knows how to draft.

Except one team traded for AJ Brown and signed a superstar RB.

I ask again, please tell me one case where Detroit did anything close to either of those deals.

 

[Zeppelin]

We have watched the Eagle go all in (AJ Brown trade), win a Super Bowl, rebuild and go all in a second time (Saquon) to win a Super Bowl.

If signing Saquon for 3/38 constitutes “going all-in”, then the Lions already went all-in with DJ Reed at 3/48.

If anything Barkley’s a good argument for careful spending and value hunting rather than just throwing money and picks around.

You just compared signing Saquon to signing a corner to replace a corner. Makes zero sense.

We had to replace Davis.

 

[Payne]

The Lions were 3-13-1 in Brad Holmes first year, then 9-8, 12-5, then 15-2 with 6 defensive starters on IR. If they were healthy they arguably had the best roster in the NFL and at one point were favored to win the Super Bowl.

This exactly why you make a big move or two. They are very close, do what it takes to get to the finish line.

There is no guarantee of getting to the finish line. If they would have made a big move last year (use Max Crosby as an example) they still wouldn't have won the Super Bowl. They would have blown a hole in their cap and signing Hutchinson would push them near the limit by himself. They would have very little flexibility to improve their roster in free agency and would also be down at least 2 firsts. That would be crippling.

Edit to add: Obviously there are exceptions. For example, if they could acquire a really good player with a salary in the $15-20 million range for one first round pick at a position with a glaring weakness then, depending on the situation, then maybe you make a move. It has to be manageable under the salary cap. But that would be the exception rather than the rule.

There are no guarantees no matter what, and it wouldn't ruin their cap. The Eagles are signing people all the time, the Chiefs just freed up 50 million, Cowboys freed up a bunch of money, the Saints are like 80 million over every year before the new league season starts.

Get a guy like Crosby last year wasn't a one year move. It would have been for last year and the next couple.

They can't only do the cheap stuff, they have take some risks.

Todays example

The Bills have restructured defensive tackle Ed Oliver's contract, per sources. The move saves just over $10M in cap space with void years added to the end of the deal as http://overthecap.com documented.

 

[Payne]

We have watched the Eagle go all in (AJ Brown trade), win a Super Bowl, rebuild and go all in a second time (Saquon) to win a Super Bowl.

If signing Saquon for 3/38 constitutes “going all-in”, then the Lions already went all-in with DJ Reed at 3/48.

If anything Barkley’s a good argument for careful spending and value hunting rather than just throwing money and picks around.

You just compared signing Saquon to signing a corner to replace a corner. Makes zero sense.

We had to replace Davis.

No kidding. Spartans Rule said signing a NEED was comparable to an "all in" move. It's not even close. Reed was simply a replacement.

The Eagles didn't NEED to replace their RB. They chose to pay for one to win a Super Bowl.
They didn't need a WR like AJ Brown, they traded for him because they knew he increased their chances at a Super Bowl.

How can I explain this any more clearly?

 

[Zeppelin]

In the next 2 years, the following players will be eligible for contract extensions:

Aiden Hutchinson
Kerby Joseph
Jameson Williams
Jahmyr Gibbs
Jack Campbell
Sam LaPorta
Brian Branch

Those are all great young players that are part of the core of this team. None of the teams mentioned have this many important players up for contract extensions in that short of a time frame. They are probably not going to afford all of them right now so spending a bunch of money would mean we lose even more of them. That makes zero sense.

 

[Zeppelin]

We have watched the Eagle go all in (AJ Brown trade), win a Super Bowl, rebuild and go all in a second time (Saquon) to win a Super Bowl.

If signing Saquon for 3/38 constitutes “going all-in”, then the Lions already went all-in with DJ Reed at 3/48.

If anything Barkley’s a good argument for careful spending and value hunting rather than just throwing money and picks around.

You just compared signing Saquon to signing a corner to replace a corner. Makes zero sense.

We had to replace Davis.

No kidding. Spartans Rule said signing a NEED was comparable to an "all in" move. It's not even close. Reed was simply a replacement.

The Eagles didn't NEED to replace their RB. They chose to pay for one to win a Super Bowl.
They didn't need a WR like AJ Brown, they traded for him because they knew he increased their chances at a Super Bowl.

How can I explain this any more clearly?

You didn't explain that clearly at all. Barkley signed for 3 years $38 million. Brown did not sign immediately after the trade and the Eagles didn't have a bunch of great players coming up for extensions. That's a huge difference.

 

[Zeppelin]

Last year, the Eagles didn't win because of free agents or trades. They built their core through the draft. They had a couple of key players acquired via free agency and trades, namely Barkley and Brown but they didn't destroy their salary cap.

The biggest difference between the Lions and Eagles last year is the Lions were decimated with injuries and the Eagles weren't. Correct me if I'm wrong but I can't think of one major injury they had to an important player.

I'm not taking anything away from them but they were the healthiest team in the NFL last year and the Lions were the least healthy team.

They lost Nakobe Dean in the playoff game vs. GB, but point taken. If you go back and read the "Who is the best team in week [X]?" threads, I said, it's the team that is the healthiest.

But to your initial point, their roster was a combination of good drafting and picking the right FAs. Zach Baun, Saquon Barkley and CJGJ were homerun FA signings. They changed the entire complexion of the team on both sides of the ball.

Those are the kind of smart free agent signing that good teams do. The contracts didn't break the bank and the players were very good. You guys have managed the cap the way you're supposed to and your GM is similar to Brad Holmes in that he knows how to draft.

Except one team traded for AJ Brown and signed a superstar RB.

I ask again, please tell me one case where Detroit did anything close to either of those deals.

The Eagles didn't spend crazy money for Barkley. They made a good trade for Brown but they had a good enough salary cap situation to do it.

 

[Zeppelin]

No kidding. Spartans Rule said signing a NEED was comparable to an "all in" move. It's not even close. Reed was simply a replacement.

Reed may have been a replacement for Carlton Davis but seeing the corners we had to play in the playoff game made it a need and a very important one at that.

 

[Snotbubbles]

If you go back and read the "Who is the best team in week [X]?" threads, I said, it's the team that is the healthiest.

I would have loved to play you guys last year with us being healthy. That would have been a classic.

I didn't think your offensive gameplan against Washington was very good.

 

[Zeppelin]

If you go back and read the "Who is the best team in week [X]?" threads, I said, it's the team that is the healthiest.

I would have loved to play you guys last year with us being healthy. That would have been a classic.

I didn't think your offensive gameplan against Washington was very good.

I agree, it was terrible and I don't get it, but even with all the turnovers we still scored 31 points.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

If you go back and read the "Who is the best team in week [X]?" threads, I said, it's the team that is the healthiest.

I would have loved to play you guys last year with us being healthy. That would have been a classic.

I didn't think your offensive gameplan against Washington was very good.

I agree, it was terrible and I don't get it, but even with all the turnovers we still scored 31 points.

Considering what a hot HC prospect Ben Johnson was, it wasn't his best game plan, plus Goff had a terrible day.

 

[Moonlight]

If you go back and read the "Who is the best team in week [X]?" threads, I said, it's the team that is the healthiest.

I would have loved to play you guys last year with us being healthy. That would have been a classic.

I didn't think your offensive gameplan against Washington was very good.

I agree, it was terrible and I don't get it, but even with all the turnovers we still scored 31 points.

Score 31 points you are in position to win. Defense was in wet noodle mode. Just didn’t see how they could make it through the playoffs with the defense being so undermanned.
Lions did well to earn the top seed. Quite an accomplishment after decades of being a non factor or just plain bad. Holmes and Campbell have striven to make the Lions a perennial playoff team. Now we need to smack Ben Johnson in the nose and make him regret staying in the division.

 

[BobbyLayne]

A lot of things went sideways in the Division Round, plenty of blame to go around. IMO the single biggest factor was Glasgow giving up 9 pressures, 7 to Jonathan Allen (whose season high was 3.) The team gave up 15 pressures in 44 snaps - 60% by one OL.

I don’t get why so many come in here crapping on the team or Holmes. For the majority of last season they were 1st or 2nd in Power Rankings and the SB favorite. 21 players on IR was obviously a factor, but give them some credit for 15 wins including 11 straight (8 straight after Hutch went down.)

Expected level of turnover at the coordinators level, personally I’m encouraged by the fresh voices in the staff. Very solid core. Still early in the offseason, we are literally on Day 1 of the new league year today.

IDK what the local talk radio is shoveling these days but I can’t believe how little credit Sheila, Brad & Dan have achieved after 4 years. I have waited my 58 seasons for a team this well run.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

For those who like to bet where it's legal, here are Draftkings future odds:

Superbowl:

Philly +650
KC +700
Buffalo +700
Baltimore +700
Detroit +900
SF +1400
Washington +1800
Cincinnati +1900
GB +2000
Rams +2200
Chargers +2200

NFC

Philly +300
Detroit +425
SF +700
Washington +900
GB +950
Rams +1000

NFC North

Detroit +140
GB +260
Chicago +400
Minnesota +425

As always, remember to bet irresponsibly.

 

[BobbyLayne]

this dropped about an hour ago

NFL Media presents: 2024 Detroit Lions mini movie

(it’s a little over 15 minutes)

2025 Inside the Den episode 1: Assembling the Coaching Staff

I’m an old man & easily confused - this dropped last night

 

[Leroy Hoard]

A lot of things went sideways in the Division Round, plenty of blame to go around. IMO the single biggest factor was Glasgow giving up 9 pressures, 7 to Jonathan Allen (whose season high was 3.) The team gave up 15 pressures in 44 snaps - 60% by one OL

This is why I'd like to either bring back Zeitler or a suitable replacement at one guard position with Mahogany at the other. If there is room maybe have Glasgow stay as a swing backup for the interior 3 OL positions where he does have the experience at least. The whole team goes as the o line goes so imo this is an important priority.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Lions adding a special teams-heavy linebacker in Grant Stuard. Has spent the past three seasons with Indianapolis, logging 1,267 career snaps on special teams across four seasons, contrasted against fewer than 300 on defense, although he did see a few starts last season.

JRM replacement signed

 

[msudaisy26]

A lot of things went sideways in the Division Round, plenty of blame to go around. IMO the single biggest factor was Glasgow giving up 9 pressures, 7 to Jonathan Allen (whose season high was 3.) The team gave up 15 pressures in 44 snaps - 60% by one OL.

I don’t get why so many come in here crapping on the team or Holmes. For the majority of last season they were 1st or 2nd in Power Rankings and the SB favorite. 21 players on IR was obviously a factor, but give them some credit for 15 wins including 11 straight (8 straight after Hutch went down.)

Expected level of turnover at the coordinators level, personally I’m encouraged by the fresh voices in the staff. Very solid core. Still early in the offseason, we are literally on Day 1 of the new league year today.

IDK what the local talk radio is shoveling these days but I can’t believe how little credit Sheila, Brad & Dan have achieved after 4 years. I have waited my 58 seasons for a team this well run.

No one in here is crapping on anyone. We all want the Lions to win the Super Bowl and there seems to be a pathway that leads to success.

Have a good coach - check
Have really good drafts - check
Make playoffs and learn to win in the playoffs - check
Make bold move to help get the team to the big game - hasn't happened

Obviously it doesn't always work this way, but it seems to be the most common.

Super Bowl windows don't stay open for long. Ask the 49ers, or Bengals so do everythint possible to win one now and then worry about the cap for 2027 when the time comes, or becoming a dynasty.

I would much rather be the 90's Redskins that won a title and really didn't do much of anything else, then the 90's Bills.

 

[BobbyLayne]

A lot of things went sideways in the Division Round, plenty of blame to go around. IMO the single biggest factor was Glasgow giving up 9 pressures, 7 to Jonathan Allen (whose season high was 3.) The team gave up 15 pressures in 44 snaps - 60% by one OL

This is why I'd like to either bring back Zeitler or a suitable replacement at one guard position with Mahogany at the other. If there is room maybe have Glasgow stay as a swing backup for the interior 3 OL positions where he does have the experience at least. The whole team goes as the o line goes so imo this is an important priority.

Yeah we had a few OL injuries the past two years - nothing major, game or three here and there.

2023 we went 11-1 with the starting 5 (2-0 in playoffs) and 3-5 with replacements (lost NFCCG.)

2024 the starting 5 went 10-2, 5-1 in games we had backups start (Skip - 3, Kayode - 1, Christian - 2.) Starting 5 played in both regular season losses, Mahogney had their best grade in DP loss.

 

[Zeppelin]

As always, remember to bet irresponsibly.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Levi Onwuzurike appeared primed to cash in this week. Instead, the Lions were able to re-sign their former second-round pick for another season. The relatively modest agreement is reportedly worth up to $5.5 million, according to the NFL Network.

 

[Zeppelin]

Lions re-sign Levi Onwuzerike for 2 year $5.5 million. That's a really good deal for the Lions. There is still a lot of upside there.

Edit: 2 minutes late.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Pressure rate among free agent DTs:

Milton Williams: 12.5%
Tershawn Wharton: 8.2%
Javon Kinlaw: 6.9%
Levi Onwuzurike: 9.7%

APY:

Williams: $26 million
Wharton: $18 million
Kinlaw: $15 million
Onwuzurike: $5.5 million

 

[Zeppelin]

Pressure rate among free agent DTs:

Milton Williams: 12.5%
Tershawn Wharton: 8.2%
Javon Kinlaw: 6.9%
Levi Onwuzurike: 9.7%

APY:

Williams: $26 million
Wharton: $18 million
Kinlaw: $15 million
Onwuzurike: $5.5 million

That's unbelievable value. I believe there is a really good chance Levi turns more of those pressures into sacks. He really hasn't played much. I think there's a ton of untapped potential.

 

[nysfl2]

Lions re-sign Levi Onwuzerike for 2 year $5.5 million. That's a really good deal for the Lions. There is still a lot of upside there.

Edit: 2 minutes late.

I've seen 1 year, 5.5 million, which makes a ton more sense to me. Glad to have him back for at least one more year.

 

[Zeppelin]

Kevin Zeitler signs with Tennessee for 1 year $9 million. I would have loved to have him back but that's a bit much given he will be 36 years old.

 

[jon_mx]

Brad Holmes was named Exective of the Year last season, which was well deserved. Brad Holmes has executed 4 of the top 6 drafts in Lions history. When was a Lions GM ever considered the best in football? Pretty safe guess is never. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have been the best thing ever to happen to the Lions organization and a large number of fans still constantly criticize and second guesses them. Pretty amazing.

While I agree, is it not ok to question them? Building a team is one thing. Winning a Super Bowl is another.

I'm amazed how many Lion fans are content with just being very good.

I am not a big fan of people who have constant negativity when people are working their butts off and doing an outstanding job. I would prefer to be supportive. Not saying you can't have some criticism or questioning their decisions as everyone makes mistakes and can improve.

That said, Brad/Sheila/Dan re-built this franchise from being a dumpster fire into one of the best franchises in football. They did it with a vision of building a culture of character and work ethic and doing it mostly through the draft while filling in with some bargain FA. That is their vision and it has worked tremendously.

So, yeah, I don't see it as respectful to what they have worked hard to build to suggest they abandon their vision. Things like forget about character, they need to draft the player i like. Or let's go all in on a a few FA and make it so we can't extend the players we drafted and love. Things like being quick to call picks a bust before they have a chance to blossom. Things like questioning Holmes ability to draft because he might have missed on a couple players, when every other GM wiffs on about 80% of their picks, not 20 percent. They have produced the results to deserve a benefit of the doubt. This process and this team can win championships and contend for the next 5 years, or really as long as Dan and Brad hang around.

Yeah, I am a very positive person when people are working hard and producing amazing results. I don't like constant negativity from the hind-sighted peanut gallery that seems to believe it is impossible to win unless they abandon what made this team great and a joy to watch.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Lions re-sign Levi Onwuzerike for 2 year $5.5 million. That's a really good deal for the Lions. There is still a lot of upside there.

Edit: 2 minutes late.

I've seen 1 year, 5.5 million, which makes a ton more sense to me. Glad to have him back for at least one more year.

yeah it's a 1-year deal

he just turned 27 so this gives him another shot at an 8 figure, multiyear deal

missed all of 2022 after they fused his back, team brought him along slowly in 2023 (10 g 132 snaps), then 635 snaps last year - more than his first '21-'23 combined

probably always going to hard for him to command full value, but I remember him saying two years any more football was a bonus for him - the spinal fusion was necessary to increase his quality of life

these guys have narrow windows to get a decent bag, and everything has to come together - vast majority of the NFL is 1-year at or near the minimum with no GTD

in 2022, there were 112 fully GTD contracts amongst 2000+ players

super rare for anyone to see the full reported value of their contract, they almost always get restructured or cut before the term runs out

 

[swabs]

Scherff would be a nice consolation to losing Zeitler.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Kevin Zeitler signs with Tennessee for 1 year $9 million. I would have loved to have him back but that's a bit much given he will be 36 years old.

35

good for him - hope he has another great year, glad he's going back to the AFC

would love It if half of their 8 draft picks are IOL, DI and ED

 

[BobbyLayne]

Scherff would be a nice consolation to losing Zeitler.

for sure

Lions still have Christian Mahogany and Graham Glasgow at Guard and have options galore.

Free Agents

• Brandon Scherff
• Will Hernandez
• Shaq Mason

Draft

• Day 1 Grey Zabel NDSU
• Day 2 Tyler Booker Alabama, Donovan Jackson Ohio State, Georgia C Jared Wilson
• Day 3 Jonah Savaiinaea Arizona, Cameron Williams Texas, Tate Ratledge Georgia, Marcus Mbow Purdue

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Scherff would be a nice consolation to losing Zeitler.

Interesting player I wasn't familiar with, rare to see a guard drafted that high.

"Former Iowa Hawkeyes guard Brandon Scherff has carved out a nice ten-year career in the NFL after being drafted fifth overall by the Commanders in 2015. Scherff was a high school quarterback before transitioning to the offensive line in his junior season."

Also sounds like a good replacement for Jamo throwing the ball on trick plays.

 

[BobbyLayne]

The Athletic wrote this piece about the Lions newest LB & STer, Grant Stuard, in 2024.

Heavy stuff, what an amazing journey. Easy guy to root for, he’s been through it.

---

‘I lied about everything’: An NFL player hid his family trauma until he saved them — and himself​

Jul. 24, 2024

While the waves crashed against the rocks beneath him, Grant Stuard readied himself for the fall. He was closer now, inches from the edge. He yanked the headphones from his ears and stared into the darkness.

More than anything, he didn’t want it to hurt.

Everything he’d lived through — everything he’d tried to block out and bury for years — was finally catching up to him, smothering him, suffocating him, pushing him here, to the end of this pier past 2 a.m. one night in Galveston, Texas, gazing at the jagged rocks below, convinced if he jumped all his pain would vanish in an instant.

He’d always tried to be Superman, the star athlete and A student, all while secretly keeping a broken home together. But the older he got, the more his life fell apart.

He wasn’t Superman. He was 20 years old, and he was slipping, becoming what he loathed most. He started skipping classes. Then meetings. Then practices. Coaches wanted to kick him off the team. A girlfriend called him out. “You’re just like your dad,” she told him, “and your brother and sister are gonna be just like you.”

For weeks, he couldn’t shake those words from his mind.

Just like my dad? Just like me?

So he jumped in his Mustang late one night and drove, cranking the volume on his speakers. He parked next to the pier. He deleted every social media account he had. Finally, he started walking toward the water.

“I just wanted to be gone,” he says now. “I wanted to erase myself.”

He scoped out the scene. He saw no one. Beneath him, the rocks jutted out into the Gulf.

He told himself it’d be over fast.

He peered over the edge, heart racing, hands trembling. He took out his headphones, scribbled in his notebook and envisioned the fall.

Then he heard something.

---

Before he tried to be Superman, Grant Stuard thought he was Spider-Man. Inside his family’s living room in Spring, just north of Houston, “he’d jump from the couch to the recliner and from the recliner to the couch all day long,” his mom says.

Laurel Montgomery’s oldest was a ball of endless energy. As a kid, Grant smashed into everything in sight, typically leaving a distinct trail of destruction: holes in the wall, holes in the furniture, holes everywhere.

“There’s no finesse to me and there never has been,” says the Indianapolis Colts linebacker and special teams star. “I don’t have the best coordination, per se, but I could always run and hit something.”

Dad wasn’t around much. Dawayne Stuard was arrested dozens of times between 1995 and 2020 and served multiple stints in prison. But when he was, he rarely missed a practice or game. A former semi-pro football player, he pushed Grant relentlessly. He screamed. He motivated. At times, he insulted.

“Are you OK with him talking to your son like that?” other parents would ask Laurel on the sideline. “I was so young I didn’t know any better,” she says.

Tears and tantrums followed. Grant would throw his helmet if he didn’t win every rep.

“My dad pushed me a lot harder than most kids would’ve been OK with,” Grant says. But quickly, he came to crave the attention football provided. “It was the only place I felt seen.”

Laurel was 16 when she first snorted cocaine, 17 when she lied about her age to land a job at a gentleman’s club in the city, and 18 when she became a mom. She made $300 on her first shift and $800 on her second. She grew addicted to the money, then the drugs. Coke became Adderall. Adderall became Oxy. Oxy became heroin, meth. Twenty years went by. She lost control. She lost her job, then another, then another.

She’d vanish for weeks — no call, no warning, no nothing. When she did make it to one of her son’s games, she’d sneak into the bathroom every half hour for another hit.

Laurel’s mom, Janet, was around, filling in some of the gaps, but at home Grant carried most of the burden. He’d swipe the food stamps card from Laurel’s purse so she couldn’t sell it for drug money. He’d scrounge up dinner for his brother JoJo and sister Samaria, even if it was week-old Little Caesars pizza or cereal for the third night in a row. Sometimes, they’d have to settle for a bowl of uncooked Ramen noodles.

As he grew older, he started to hide his home life from everyone he knew. One lie became two. Two became 20. After football practices, Grant would ask his friends’ parents to drop him off a few houses down so they wouldn’t get suspicious and call Child Protective Services. When he missed school, he’d call and say he was sick. “The reality was I didn’t have a way to get my brother to school,” Grant says, “and I wasn’t gonna leave him at home by himself.”

He learned to drive at age 11, his head peeking over the steering wheel in his grandma’s beige Chevy Cavalier. He’d drop JoJo and Samaria off each morning, and when a teacher would ask how they got there, Grant would shrug and say, “We rode the bus.”

When friends would come over, they’d pepper him with questions.

“Where is your food?”

“Why are your floors so sticky?”

“Why are you wearing the same clothes you had on two days ago?”

By the time he was a teenager, he couldn’t ignore it. The insults he heard on the playground. The stacks of bills on the nightstand. The residue he found on his mom’s bathroom counter. The racy calendars with her picture plastered on the cover that she’d stuffed into her closet, thinking no one would find.

Grant would grow furious, leaving Post-It notes over her face. “PLEASE STOP!” he’d write.

Finally, one night, after another overdose, Laurel came clean. “I’m a drug addict,” she told her son from a hospital bed.

“I know, mom.”

She was stunned. She thought she’d been hiding it.

“How did you know?” she asked.

“Mom, look at your arms.”

She stared at the needle marks. The bruises. The scars.

“I feel like I neglected him as a person,” Laurel says now, choking back tears. “I hate to say that, but that’s how it was. I wanted to be a good mom. I just wasn’t.”

---

 

[BobbyLayne]

Dawayne Stuard was better at hiding his vices. He hid his infidelity from his wife — “Don’t tell your mom,” he’d warn Grant in private — and hid his pill addiction from his children.

But he couldn’t hide from the police. Over the years, he was arrested on charges of theft, forgery, fraud, credit card abuse and organized criminal activity. He popped in and out of Grant’s life for more than a decade, a fleeting figure whom his son slowly came to resent.

“As I got older, I was like, ‘This is bullsh–,’” Grant says. “I was emotionally devastated.”

On the football field, Grant yearned for his father’s approval, the validation every young athlete chases when following in dad’s footsteps. His games were the only times the family would all be together. He didn’t want to disappoint.

“When I played well, it felt like I was being a good kid, like I was fulfilling my purpose,” he says.

But he always wrestled with the hypocrisy staring him in the face. Dawayne was a licensed minister, a self-proclaimed Jesus freak, the dad who poured himself into his son’s blossoming football career. He was also a serial criminal living a double life.

“There would be great moments with him, but they were few and far between,” Grant says.

So as a teenager, Grant made a vow to himself.

“I decided I wasn’t gonna smoke weed when everybody else was,” he says. “I wasn’t gonna get drunk when everybody else was. I didn’t wanna do anything they did, because everything they were doing wasn’t getting us out of the situation we were in.”

He threw himself into his schoolwork. (One of the few times he got a B, in fifth-grade English, he was left in tears. “I’m still pissed,” Grant says now. “I wrote a good paper.”) But when he’d walk through the door with his report card, anxious to show it off, no one would even ask to see it.

At Oak Ridge High he became a standout in football and track, known for the scraggly long hair that dangled past his shoulders and a motor that always revved at top speed. Colleges started to show interest. Yale called. Grant committed. Before his senior year, the coach who’d recruited him told him if he didn’t maintain an A average, the scholarship wouldn’t stand.

“No problem,” Grant assured him.

But his home life was unraveling. He was bouncing from home to home, living with his mom one month, his grandma the next, his dad the next. “Nothing was stable,” says a former coach at Oak Ridge, Kevin Goodwin. “I can’t tell you the number of houses that boy lived in from 2015 to 2019.”

Grant knew he needed a different environment, and quick.

“Who can you call about a place to stay?” Goodwin asked.

“Nobody,” Grant told him.

“OK, let’s go,” Goodwin replied. “You’re staying with me.”

Grant showed up at his coach’s door with his life in a trash bag. He stayed for most of his senior year. He ate healthier, dropped weight, kept his A average and helped Oak Ridge’s 4×400 relay team finish third in the Texas state championship, diving head-first across the finish line in a school record time. Goodwin still has a picture of it saved on his phone.

Then, just before Grant was ready to sign with Yale on a football scholarship, his hometown school called. Houstonwanted him. In the end, he couldn’t leave JoJo and Samaria behind.

So he stayed, and life started to crumble. Mom wasn’t around. Dad wasn’t either, until he was, suddenly showing up for practices at Houston, planting himself two feet from Grant’s position coach for the entire workout. “That was the first time I was like, ‘I get it,’” says former Cougars assistant Blake Gideon. “There was this looming shadow.”

Grant was trying to climb the depth chart on defense, trying to keep his grades up and trying to make sure JoJo and Samaria were safe back home.

“He literally had to raise his mom and dad and his brother and sister,” Goodwin says. “Imagine doing that as a teenager.”

Grant was driving back to Spring every week. He was missing classes, workouts and meetings because of it. “My mind wasn’t there,” he admits. He started lying to cover himself. He cheated on his girlfriend, then lied about that.

“All my life I lied about everything that was happening at home,” he says.

For years he’d tried to bury it, the anger and resentment and shame he’d bottled up inside. But it was always there. He’d never fully processed his childhood. He’d never acknowledged how much the trauma lingered. He’d never been honest with himself.

He felt alone. He grew selfish. He lashed out.

His girlfriend told him all he ever did was hurt people.

For a while, he started to believe her.

Then he asked himself a question: If he was gone, would everyone’s life around him be better?

The sound he heard on the pier that night, the sound that stopped him from throwing himself onto the jagged rocks below, was laughter. A little boy laughing.

Wait a minute, Grant asked himself, wasn’t I the only one here?

He stepped back. He looked behind him. A hundred yards away, he saw a father and son. They were fishing.

In the middle of the night?

He stared at them, stunned. The boy laughed again. Grant thought about his little brother.

Who’s JoJo gonna have if I go through with this?

He walked back to his car, his heart oddly at ease.

“I told myself, ‘I don’t have a plan, I don’t have a sense of what I’m going to do next, but I owe them enough to try.’”

 

[BobbyLayne]

Six months later, inside a church that sat in a strip mall, wearing an Iron Maiden T-shirt, shorts and sandals, Grant Stuard’s life changed. He’d gotten in another fight with his girlfriend the night before, then sat in his car alone, as lost as he’d ever felt. He sped back to Spring, slept on his dad’s floor, then drove to his cousin’s church for a morning service. He parked his Mustang a few blocks away. The back right tire was flat.

The pastor spoke. He was an ex-felon and a former drug addict.

“Somebody didn’t want to come today, but they’re here,” he began. “Somebody is struggling with their job and can’t sleep at night, but they’re here. Somebody got a flat tire on the way this morning, but they’re here.”

Grant perked up. No one had seen his car. No one could’ve known he had a flat tire.

“Now I’m paying attention,” he says.

They broke into prayer groups. A man approached.

“The feeling you had last night, sitting alone in your car? That’s the reason you’re here,” he told Grant. “That was God telling you to keep coming back.”

At this point, Grant could barely speak. Tears welled in his eyes.

How could this man have known?

How could anybody have known?

“I hadn’t told a soul about the night before,” Grant says. “And for me, that was God showing me he existed. He was telling me he cared about me, like genuinely cared about me, something that was missing my whole life. For a long time football filled that void. Then girls filled that void. I always had this feeling I had to do everything for my siblings and everything for myself, and I always ended up feeling alone.”

A weight was lifted.

“He wasn’t there by accident, that’s what we kept telling him,” says Megan McCullum, who also spoke that morning. A former drug addict herself, McCullum worked in the same club as Grant’s mom a decade prior. After getting pregnant, she left the job and turned her life around. She got clean. She became a pastor. She started a family.

Grant saw the hope. In that moment, he clung to it.

Then he cut the toxicity from his life. He grew closer to God. He stopped lying, stopped cheating, stopped feeling like he had to be everything to everybody. He met the woman who’d become his wife, Josie, and proposed within a year. He came clean to his coaches and re-dedicated himself to football.

“He comes into my office one day in tears and tells me everything,” Gideon remembers. “I’m like, ‘Whoa, what?’ I’m sitting there watching a third down cutup, like that matters in that moment.’”

The coach listened. He counseled. He kept his phone on all hours of the night, urging Grant to call whenever he needed. Then he leveled with him. “The best version of you is good enough,” Gideon told Grant before his senior year. “Keep working and you could change everything for your brother and sister.”

Translation: The NFL wasn’t out of the question.

“Grant always had that strength in him,” Gideon says. “He just lost his confidence and his direction.”

After bouncing from running back to safety early on at Houston, Grant found a home at linebacker. As a senior he broke out, leading the Cougars in tackles and earning All-AAC first-team honors. “He played with his hair on fire every single snap, with no regard for his personal safety,” Gideon says. “Not one time did I have to ask, ‘Can you give me more effort? Can you play a little more physical?’

“He’s also the worst walkthrough player ever,” the coach adds with a laugh. “He can’t tone it down.”

The following spring, Grant waited 258 picks to hear his name called in the 2021 NFL Draft. With the last selection, the Buccaneers made him Mr. Irrelevant.

While the family celebrated back in Spring, Grant snuck into a quiet room for a video call with reporters. A few minutes later, Laurel popped her head on the screen. She waved. She smiled.

She was high on meth at the time.

She was arrested a few hours later.

---

For years and years, Grant had begged his mom to go to rehab. Twice, Laurel had relented. The first time she stayed sober for a month. The second time she was high 20 minutes after being released.

“I had just given up on a regular life,” she says.

Her addiction spiraled. She was living in hotels, stealing cars, stealing from store shelves, stealing anything she could. She was also overdosing every few months.

By this point Samaria was a freshman in high school, struggling the same way Grant had a few years prior. Mom was gone. Dad was back in prison. Friends were worried. They called Grant, begging for help. He decided to pursue custody to keep his sister safe.

Laurel would essentially have to sign over her rights as a mother. Grant called, demanding she show up at a Whataburger to sign the papers. For a full week, she made excuses, running off to hotel rooms, getting high.

“If you’re not there mom,” he told her at one point, “I’ll never speak to you again.”

Finally, she made it. She signed. She left in tears. And not long after that, Laurel overdosed for the last time. Paramedics had to administer her Narcan, a drug used to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses, and give her CPR for so long it bruised her ribs. For weeks Laurel couldn’t breathe without searing pain, a constant reminder of how close she’d come to never waking up.

A month later, she called Grant.

“I don’t wanna die,” she told her son. “I just don’t know how to stop.”

Within a week, she dug up the binder Grant had been keeping for years, the one with all the brochures from all the rehab centers he’d looked into for her. Laurel started making calls, asking if they had an open spot. Some were full. Some wouldn’t take her insurance. Some were too expensive.

She kept calling.

Finally, hope. A place called Turning Point, in Tampa, Fla., seven miles from the Bucs’ practice facility.

“Crazy, right?” Grant says.

For an early exercise, each patient was asked to write down how their drug use had negatively impacted their loved ones. Laurel hesitated.

She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t sure she’d ever be ready. She thought about her three children, about all those nights they’d been left alone while she was out getting high. She gazed at the front door. She considered sprinting right through it.

“There are no drugs in there, so all you’re left with are the things you’ve done,” she says. “It was so hard.”

She stared at the blank sheet of paper. Finally, she started writing.

She stayed 90 days this time, working through the shame she’d been carrying with her for decades. She found a way to forgive herself.

“I feel like I got my master’s degree in recovery,” Laurel says. “This time, it just clicked.”

After Turning Point, Laurel moved into a sober living home, counseling women in recovery, then started picking up shifts at Dunkin Donuts — her first job out of the sex industry since before Grant was born. Pretty soon, she was promoted to manager. Now she’s back at Turning Point, this time as an employee, working with addicts hoping to change their lives the same way she did.

She’s been sober since Dec. 11, 2021.

And she’s also a new grandma. Grant and Josie welcomed a baby boy, Elihu, on May 24. The family gathered in Houston, Laurel and her three kids, together in a way they’d never been before.

“I thank God every day they still wanna be in my life,” Laurel says. “And that they still love me, and they still want me in their lives.”

Laurel is almost three years clean. Dawayne, who did not respond to repeated interview requests for this story, has built a relationship with his son. JoJo is in college at Houston Christian. Samaria will soon be at Central Florida.

Grant is entering his fourth year in the NFL and third in Indianapolis, where he’s become one of the Colts’ top special teams weapons. Last December, in an overtime win over the Titans, he scooped up a blocked punt and returned it for a touchdown. On his feet that afternoon were black and red Nikes, emblazoned with the words “Stuardship Foundation,” Grant’s pick for the NFL’s My Cause My Cleats campaign. He and Josie started the organization to pour back into the community he came from, to show kids engulfed in trauma that there’s a way out, impossible as it can sometimes seem.

“They’re gonna be talking about Grant Stuard’s story back in Houston for a long time,” Goodwin says. “I remember thinking this boy’s life is gonna mean a whole lot to a whole lot of people someday — that is, if he’s able to make it through.

“I just thank the Lord he was able to make it through.”

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide or is in emotional distress, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by dialing 988 or at 988lifeline.org.

 

[BobbyLayne]

In the next 2 years, the following players will be eligible for contract extensions:

Aiden Hutchinson
Kerby Joseph
Jameson Williams
Jahmyr Gibbs
Jack Campbell
Sam LaPorta
Brian Branch

Those are all great young players that are part of the core of this team. None of the teams mentioned have this many important players up for contract extensions in that short of a time frame. They are probably not going to afford all of them right now so spending a bunch of money would mean we lose even more of them. That makes zero sense.

It was reported today that initial talks have begun with Joseph. Seems likely Hutch and Kerb will be the next two.

Jamo is going to be an interesting one. Don't think they'll do it early, will (obviously) exercise the 5th year option for 2026, probably deserves DeVonta Smith money (3-75m + inflation adjustment.) Might not be much left by the time it's his turn. LaPorta and Branch are both up after 2026 as well, while Jah and Jack will be on their 5th year in 2027.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Saw today that the Lions carried over $27m the 2024 Cap (today is the first day of the new league year); that's about $3m more than I expected, not sure where the adjustments came from.

BTW, we never got a final ruling / cap relief from the Cam Sutton voided contract, right?

Summary after Day 1 of the official signing period:

Additions​

Signed by the Lions​

• CB D.J. Reed— Signing three-year, $48 million contract
• NT Roy Lopez — Signing a 1-year $4.65 million contract
• LB Grant Stuard — One-year, fully-guaranteed deal

Players acquired via trade​

• None yet

Lions released​

• EDGE Za’Darius Smith — Saves $10.97M over two years
• LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin — Saves under $2 million

Lions traded​

• None yet

Lions’ free agents​

Re-signed​

• RB Craig Reynolds — 1-year deal
• OT Dan Skipper — 1-year deal
• G Netane Muti — 1-year deal
• EDGE Marcus Davenport— 1-year, $2.5 M deal
• DL Myles Adams — 1-year deal
• DL Levi Onwuzurike — 1-year, $5.5 million deal
• LB Derrick Barnes — 3-year, $24 million deal
• LB Anthony Pittman — 1-year deal
• LB Ezekiel Turner — 1-year deal
• DB Morice Norris — 1-year deal

Tender applied​

• None yet

Signed elsewhere​

• WR Maurice Alexander — Signed with Bears
• TE James Mitchell — Signed with Panthers
• G Kevin Zeitler — Signed with Titans, 1-year, $9 million
• CB Carlton Davis — Signing 3-year, $54 million deal with Patriots
• DB Ifeatu Melifonwu — Signing 1-year, $4 million deal with Dolphins

Remain unsigned​

• QB Teddy Bridgewater
• RB Jermar Jefferson
• TE Shane Zylstra (RFA)
• WR Tim Patrick
• WR Allen Robinson
• WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
• OT Connor Galvin (ERFA, not expected to be tendered)
• G/C Michael Niese (ERFA)
• G Kayode Awosika (RFA)
• EDGE Al-Quadin Muhammad
• EDGE Mitchell Agude (ERFA)
• DL John Cominsky
• DL Jonah Williams
• DL Pat O’Connor
• NT Kyle Peko
• LB Trevor Nowaske (ERFA)
• LB Ben Niemann
• LB Kwon Alexander
• CB Kindle Vildor
• CB Khalil Dorsey
• CB Emmanuel Moseley
• K Michael Badgley

Future deal signings​

• QB Jake Fromm
• WR Tom Kennedy
• WR Ronnie Bell — Signed from 49ers
• OT Jamarco Jones
• IOL Kingsley Eguakun
• DT Chris Smith
• EDGE Isaac Ukwu
• LB Abraham Beauplan
• LB DaRon Gilbert
• CB Stantley Thomas-Oliver
• S Loren Strickland
• S Erick Hallett

 

[Moonlight]

Levi Onwuzurike appeared primed to cash in this week. Instead, the Lions were able to re-sign their former second-round pick for another season. The relatively modest agreement is reportedly worth up to $5.5 million, according to the NFL Network.

Lions stood by him throughout all the injuries and unavailability. Campbell expressed his belief that he would contribute significantly one day. Don’t know what his market was but it’s really interesting that he chose to continue with the Lions.

 

[Zeppelin]

Levi Onwuzurike appeared primed to cash in this week. Instead, the Lions were able to re-sign their former second-round pick for another season. The relatively modest agreement is reportedly worth up to $5.5 million, according to the NFL Network.

Lions stood by him throughout all the injuries and unavailability. Campbell expressed his belief that he would contribute significantly one day. Don’t know what his market was but it’s really interesting that he chose to continue with the Lions.

I think it's part because they stood by him and part because he's comfortable with the scheme. This is the best place for him to succeed which gives him a shot at a nice contract next year.

 

[Zeppelin]

DeMarcus Lawrence signed with Seattle, 3 years, $42 million. He will be 33 next month. I wouldn't pay him that much for that long, especially coming off a lisfranc injury. I think it's crazy.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Recapping the start of the new league year, with thoughts on Zeitler's departure and the future of Detroit's o-line​

Allen Park — The NFL's new league year officially began Wednesday at 4 p.m., bringing a fresh flurry of deals, including a number of previously reported trades and high-profile releases becoming official.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and linebacker C.J. Mosley were among the veterans who formally hit the market in the afternoon.

The Detroit Lions also continued to make moves, most notably re-signing defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike and adding linebacker and special teams standout Grant Stuard.

But the move that most had fans in a tizzy was one the Lions didn't make: Allowing veteran guard Kevin Zeitler to depart. Despite a stated interest in returning to Detroit, the 35-year-old lineman accepted a one-year offer with the Tennessee Titans, reportedly worth up to $9 million.

What does this mean for the future of Detroit's offensive line? First and foremost, we must re-emphasize that this was the first day of the new league year. Today's roster won't be the roster in three months. The Lions have ample time to add another veteran via free agency or next month's draft.

But let's look at the picture prior to additions. As it stands, the team's starting guards are projected to be Graham Glasgow and Christian Mahogany. The only backup under contract is Netane Muti, who missed the 2024 campaign with a torn pec.

2023 fifth-round pick Colby Sorsdal is also still here, but the team shifted him to tackle last season. Could he switch back? Sure. Is he a threat to push for a starting job this offseason? Unlikely.

The concern with Zeitler's departure centers around the undisputable fact Glasgow was the weak link up front last season. Shifting to the left side to accommodate Zeitler, Glasgow struggled to replicate his 2023 season, which earned him a three-year, $20 million extension.

Injuries were a factor, particularly late in the season when he was playing through knee and ankle issues. In a December loss to Buffalo and the team's playoff defeat at the hands of Washington, Glasgow surrendered three sacks and a staggering 20 total pressures. He also committed a penalty in each game.

Some believe the solution is moving Glasgow back to the right side, where he thrived a year earlier. But that's probably short-sighted. First, he actually gave up more pass-rush pressure in 2023. It just wasn't as concentrated and perceptions weren’t clouded by the recency bias of a dreadful finish. However, he was undoubtedly better as a run blocker in 2023. That said, how much of that can be attributed to better health and/or playing next to Penei Sewell, who is an otherworldly mauler in the ground game?

Additionally, despite Mahogany performing well at left guard in the one game Glasgow missed, the young lineman is far more comfortable on the right side, where he started three years in college. As a long-term solution, why wouldn't you want to play him where he can be at his best?

A healthy Muti could push Glasgow for a starting job, but that's a short-term solution. The ideal play would be using an early-round draft pick on a long-term answer at left guard. The group of prospects in that mix includes Tyler Booker, Donovan Jackson or Gray Zabel.

Realistically, Glasgow won't be on the roster beyond this season. His cap hit in 2026, the final year of his contract, swells to more than $8.4 million with only $2.875 million in dead money.

Finally, before shifting gears to the lengthy list of the day's moves around the league, I wanted to briefly go back to Stuard. He's had a hard life, and his journey to the league is remarkable. It was chronicled by The Athletic last year, a feature well worth your time.

Like cornerback D.J. Reed, Stuard's hard path is marked by an unmistakable grittiness and competitive fire that will mesh well in Detroit's locker room.

In terms of his role in Detroit, he's a special teams standout, above all else. Some will want to think of him as a direct replacement for Jalen Reeves-Maybin, who was officially released on Wednesday, but that better describes Ezekiel Turner. That’s not just my opinion, it’s something coordinator Dave Fipp said late last year.

Stuard, meanwhile, can help backfill some of Ben Niemann's workload, assuming the Lions don't re-sign him. The newcomer can also help the team navigate Malcolm Rodriguez's potential early-season absence after he suffered a torn ACL in November.

In Stuard's four-year career, he's logged more than 1,200 special teams snaps, compared to 286 on defense. Most of the latter came last season when he started five games for the Colts.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Wednesday’s agreements​

Quarterback​

• Mac Jones with San Francisco (2 years, $7 million)
• Marcus Mariota re-signing with Washington (1 year, $8 million)
• Kyle Trask re-signing with Tampa Bay (1 year, $2.8 million)

Best remaining: Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Gardner Minshew

Running back​

• AJ Dillon with Philadelphia (1 year)
• Rico Dowdle with Carolina (1 year, $6.25 million)
• Khalil Herbert with Indianapolis (1 year)

Best remaining: J.K. Dobbins, Nick Chubb, Kyle Juszczyk, Gus Edwards

Wide receiver​

• KhaDarel Hodge re-signing with Atlanta (2 years, $6 million)
• Van Jefferson with Tennessee (1 year, $2.5 million)
• Jalen Reagor re-signing with the Los Angeles Chargers
• Marquez Valdes-Scantling with Seattle (1 year, $5.5 million)
• Tylan Wallace re-signing with Baltimore (1 year, $2.25 million)
• Mike Williams with the Los Angeles Chargers Chargers (1 year, $6 million)

Best remaining: Cooper Kupp, Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Tyler Lockett

Tight ends​

• Evan Engram with Denver (2 years, $23 million)

Best remaining: Tyler Conklin, Mo Allie-Cox, Stone Smartt

Offensive line​

• Stone Forsythe with the New York Giants
• Josh Myers with the New York Jets (1 year, $3.5 million)
• Chukwuma Okorafor with the New York Jets
• Danny Pinter re-signing with Indianapolis (1 year)
• Greg Van Roten re-signing with the New York Giants (1 year)
• Kevin Zeitler with Tennessee (1 year, $9 million)

Best remaining: Cam Robinson, Tyron Smith, Jedrick Wills, Andre James, Mekhi Becton, Brandon Scherff, Teven Jenkins

Edge​

• L.J. Collier re-signs with Arizona (1 year)
• Cam Jordan re-signing with New Orleans
• DeMarcus Lawrence with Seattle (3 years, $42 million)
• Cam Sample re-signing with Cincinnati (1 year)
• Casey Toohill with Houston (1 year)
• Deatrich Wise Jr. with Washington (1 year, $5 million)

Best remaining: Za’Darius Smith, Azeez Ojulari, Von Miller, Dennis Gardeck, Dante Fowler Jr., Charles Omenihu

Defensive tackle​

• Myles Adams re-signing with Detroit (1 year)
• Maliek Collins with Cleveland (2 years, $20 million)
• Greg Gaines re-signing with Tampa Bay (1 year, $3.5 million)
• Eddie Goldman with Washington (1 year)
• Javon Hargrave with Minnesota (2 years, $30 million)
• Dre'Mont Jones with Tennessee (1 year, $10 million)
• Larry Ogunjobi with Buffalo (1 year, $8.3 million)
• Levi Onwuzurike with Detroit (1 year, $5.5 million)
• Neville Gallimore with Indianapolis (1 year)
• Dalvin Tomlinson with Arizona

Best remaining: Calais Campbell, Morgan Fox

Linebacker​

• Tyrel Dodson re-signing with Miami (2 years, $8.75 million)
• Troy Dye re-signing with the Los Angeles Chargers (2 years, $5.5 million)
• Kenneth Murray traded from Tennesse to Dallas
• Denzel Perryman re-signed with the Los Angeles Chargers
• Christian Rozeboom with Carolina (1 year)
• Justin Strand re-signing with Denver (1 year, $2.7 million)
• Grant Stuard with Detroit (1 year)
• Ben VanSumeren re-signing with Philadelphia (1 year)

Best remaining: Kyzir White, Eric Kendricks, E.J. Speed, Jerome Baker

Cornerback​

• Kaiir Elam traded from Buffalo to Dallas
• Mike Ford with Atlanta (2 years, $4 million)
• Jonathan Jones with Washington (1 year)
• Isaiah Oliver with the New York Jets
• Darius Slay with Pittsburgh (1 year, $10 million)
• Kevon Seymour re-signing with Commanders
• Benjamin St-Juste with the Los Angeles Chargers (1 year)
• Tavierre Thomas with Minnesota

Best remaining: Asante Samuel Jr., Rasul Douglas, Stephon Gilmore, Mike Hilton, Kendall Fuller

Safety​

• Darrick Forrest with Buffalo (1 year)
• Damar Hamlin re-signing with Buffalo (1 year, $2 million)
• Harrison Smith re-signing with Minnesota (1 year, $10.25 million)

Best remaining: Justin Blackmon, Justin Simmons, Jordan Whitehead, Juan Thornhill, Rayshawn Jenkins

 

[BobbyLayne]

Here are Detroit's current picks in the 2025 NFL Draft:

• Round 1, Pick 28
• Round 2, Pick 28 (60th overall)
• Round 3, Pick 38 (No. 102)
• Round 4, Pick 28 (No. 130)
• Round 6, Pick 20 (No. 196) from Buccaneers
• Round 7, Pick 12 (No. 228) from Cowboys
• Round 7, Pick 28 (No. 244)

The NFL Draft will be held April 24-26 in Green Bay.

NOTE: I'm slightly confused by this, because on the PFF mock draft simulator 8 picks for months. We had three 7th round picks (our pick at 244, the DAL pick at 228, and a third one that was three picks before or after the DAL pick....but 225 belongs to ARI (via NYJ, who traded it to KC for Mecole Hardman, who traded it to ARI for Cam Thomas)....and 231 belongs to MIA. It couldn't have been either of those...so I guess it was probably an error in the PFF Draft Simulator because we have 7 picks now per the simulator and the official order set by the League yesterday.

---

Craig Reynolds re-signs with the Lions after not being tendered as a restricted FA

---

Safety Kerby Joseph was among the players to receive a performance-based bonus from the NFL on Wednesday.

The NFL awards bonuses that factor in a players playing time and his salary. It allows players to earn more to compensate a potentially lower salary in relation to their playing time and how effective they are for their team.

Joseph was undoubtedly one of the best safeties in the NFL last season recording a league-high nine interceptions. He is still under his rookie contract and only received a total compensation of about $1.1 million this season. He is due to make about $3.4 million in 2025, the final year of his rookie deal.

Joseph received almost $1 million from the performance-based bonuses. His payment was six highest among all players and the top five all received at least $1 million. Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood received the most money at almost $1.1 million.

Given the way safeties are being paid, Joseph will soon get a much big raise, potentially up to $20 million per year.

---

We do not need a RB, we have four now. Two great starters, we don't even know what Vaki could be, Reynolds has always been solid, heck they still think Jemar Jefferson is worth a practice squad role.

But Rutgers Kyle Monangai would be such a great addition. Perfect style for what Detroit likes to do in the run game. 5'8", 211, 4.60, "runs like the defense insulted his family before the game." Dude is rocked up, 20 pounds of muscle in a 10 pound bag.

fun highlights

draft profile

Definitely not a RB for every team. Has elusiveness but lacks long speed. What I love is he is so good at short jump cuts without losing his momentum. They didn't throw to him much but he has natural hands and can catch it in stride. In pass pro he will absolutely send LBs and DBs flying. Team captain, was 1st and 2nd in the Big Ten rushing the last two years, first generation emigrant from Cameroon who was a three time All Academic B1G team, phenomenal work ethic. It's the last thing they need right now but the dude is just such a perfect fit for the Lions. There is a skill to getting through traffic in short yardage and goal line; this kid has true upside at the next level if the landing spot it right.

 

[Payne]

Brad Holmes was named Exective of the Year last season, which was well deserved. Brad Holmes has executed 4 of the top 6 drafts in Lions history. When was a Lions GM ever considered the best in football? Pretty safe guess is never. Brad Holmes and Dan Campbell have been the best thing ever to happen to the Lions organization and a large number of fans still constantly criticize and second guesses them. Pretty amazing.

While I agree, is it not ok to question them? Building a team is one thing. Winning a Super Bowl is another.

I'm amazed how many Lion fans are content with just being very good.

I am not a big fan of people who have constant negativity when people are working their butts off and doing an outstanding job. I would prefer to be supportive. Not saying you can't have some criticism or questioning their decisions as everyone makes mistakes and can improve.

That said, Brad/Sheila/Dan re-built this franchise from being a dumpster fire into one of the best franchises in football. They did it with a vision of building a culture of character and work ethic and doing it mostly through the draft while filling in with some bargain FA. That is their vision and it has worked tremendously.

So, yeah, I don't see it as respectful to what they have worked hard to build to suggest they abandon their vision. Things like forget about character, they need to draft the player i like. Or let's go all in on a a few FA and make it so we can't extend the players we drafted and love. Things like being quick to call picks a bust before they have a chance to blossom. Things like questioning Holmes ability to draft because he might have missed on a couple players, when every other GM wiffs on about 80% of their picks, not 20 percent. They have produced the results to deserve a benefit of the doubt. This process and this team can win championships and contend for the next 5 years, or really as long as Dan and Brad hang around.

Yeah, I am a very positive person when people are working hard and producing amazing results. I don't like constant negativity from the hind-sighted peanut gallery that seems to believe it is impossible to win unless they abandon what made this team great and a joy to watch.

I just love how people are bashed for having a different opinion on things.

I love what they have done. Who doesn't. But why does that mean I can't question the lack of moves the team is making?

 

[Payne]

In the next 2 years, the following players will be eligible for contract extensions:

Aiden Hutchinson
Kerby Joseph
Jameson Williams
Jahmyr Gibbs
Jack Campbell
Sam LaPorta
Brian Branch

Those are all great young players that are part of the core of this team. None of the teams mentioned have this many important players up for contract extensions in that short of a time frame. They are probably not going to afford all of them right now so spending a bunch of money would mean we lose even more of them. That makes zero sense.

If Brad is as good as you think he is, why can't he draft replacements for a few of these guys over the next two drafts? Answer....he can.
So this is not a reason to avoid adding salary to acquire a player that could put you over the top.

Again, teams restructure all the time. Or, sometimes you have to let good players go. That's the cost of doing business.

I'm absolutely dumbfounded by the few of you content with just being very good the next 2-3 years.
I have news for you, everyone around you has gotten better. The Bears are better. We are not better.
We have almost an entire new coaching staff. We just lost a key player on the O Line.
The O Line has gotten another year older.

I want the Lions to win a Super Bowl and do whatever it takes to accomplish that.
Whatever. I give up. I guess I should just be a Brad Bot and believe the man can do no wrong.

I'm done with this conversation. Hope everyone has a good day.

 

[King of the Jungle]

In the next 2 years, the following players will be eligible for contract extensions:

Aiden Hutchinson
Kerby Joseph
Jameson Williams
Jahmyr Gibbs
Jack Campbell
Sam LaPorta
Brian Branch

Those are all great young players that are part of the core of this team. None of the teams mentioned have this many important players up for contract extensions in that short of a time frame. They are probably not going to afford all of them right now so spending a bunch of money would mean we lose even more of them. That makes zero sense.

If Brad is as good as you think he is, why can't he draft replacements for a few of these guys over the next two drafts? Answer....he can.
So this is not a reason to avoid adding salary to acquire a player that could put you over the top.

Again, teams restructure all the time. Or, sometimes you have to let good players go. That's the cost of doing business.

I'm absolutely dumbfounded by the few of you content with just being very good the next 2-3 years.
I have news for you, everyone around you has gotten better. The Bears are better. We are not better.
We have almost an entire new coaching staff. We just lost a key player on the O Line.
The O Line has gotten another year older.

I want the Lions to win a Super Bowl and do whatever it takes to accomplish that.
Whatever. I give up. I guess I should just be a Brad Bot and believe the man can do no wrong.

I'm done with this conversation. Hope everyone has a good day.

It can be somewhere in the middle as well, doesn’t have to be an extreme POV either way. I don’t think anyone is saying Brad can do no wrong, but it is okay to celebrate the guy for all of the right he has done. The franchise is now a contender after decades of not. Hard to argue with the majority of his moves. Yes, we can “go all in”, but does that guarantee a SB? The answer is no. They signed a player who many ranked as the best FA available and some are still not content. Let’s see what the draft brings and then judge Brad’s plan for this year. So far during his tenure he has transformed a bottom tier franchise into extreme relevancy. The Niners are a good example of going “all in” over the years and have nothing to show for it (recent years during that plan). They are now wiping the slate clean and essentially starting over. There is no right or wrong answer, it can only be judged by the final conclusion. We are all disappointed in the last few years results, but we have no idea if one more impact player would have got us a trophy.

 

[Zeppelin]

I'm absolutely dumbfounded by the few of you content with just being very good the next 2-3 years.

The Lions were 15-2 last year and before the injuries were favored to win the Super Bowl. But people complain that they didn't make a big move. Really? Holmes built a roster that did the above. You don't have to make big all in moves to have a great team. They proved that last year.

 

[BobbyLayne]

The Niners are a good example of going “all in” over the years and have nothing to show for it (recent years during that plan).

Trading three 1st and a 3rd to draft Trey Lance is one of the all-time worst draft day trades. Lucked out with Purdy a few years later but that’s a lot of wasted draft capital. Four more picks for CMC, which was a great outcome but still…8 picks “going for it”.

Four picks because you have to have a mobile QB on a rookie contract & four more because they’re only one or two players away from winning a Super Bowl.

Give them credit for having a terrific run, 4x in the NFCCG. But since neither move resulted in a ring, it’s fair to ask what the counter factual would be with those 8 D1/D2 picks.

“Going for it” doesn’t guarantee anything. Reckless spending & kicking the cap hit down the road doesn’t ensure you will having a Woodward Avenue parade. There is risk & considerable downside if you gamble and lose.

I’d prefer they stay the course. I have faith in them - they haven’t stopped improving since they got here. Every year has been better than the previous one four years running. That’s not blind faith, that is confidence that how they go about things is repeatable and works.

 

[msudaisy26]

Going for it” doesn’t guarantee anything. Reckless spending & kicking the cap hit down the road doesn’t ensure you will having a Woodward Avenue parade. There is risk & considerable downside if you gamble and lose.

Nothing is guaranteed, staying the current course doesn't guarantee anything. There is downside to every way, but there is a recent history that shows going bold gives the best odds.