2025 Detroit Lions: 4-1 Lions win battle of the big cats. (42 Viewers)

[Zeppelin]

Per ESPN / Schefter

The Detroit Lions are in talks with former Philadelphia Eagles EDGE Josh Sweat.

Sweat has played 16+ games the last three season and totaled 25.5 sacks in that stretch.

Just heard on the radio that Sweat is going to Arizona

 

[BobbyLayne]

Per ESPN / Schefter

The Detroit Lions are in talks with former Philadelphia Eagles EDGE Josh Sweat.

Sweat has played 16+ games the last three season and totaled 25.5 sacks in that stretch.

Just heard on the radio that Sweat is going to Arizona

same

 

[jon_mx]

Bad weekend for the Lions.

Hutch's price just went up
Crosby staying
Myles staying
Cut Smith
Resigned often injured Davenport

Hutch is getting a lot of money no matter what. I'm not worried one bit about it.

We were never trading for Crosby or Garrett. Tying up $70 million or more in 2 edge rushers would decimate their salary cap and was not feasible given the players coming up for contracts this year and next.

I think Smith's guaranteed money was too high to keep so I'm ok with him being cut. I also would have been ok with keeping him. I wasn't all that impressed with him, especially his run defense. He was nowhere to be seen in the playoffs game. He's also going to be 33 years old when the season starts.

Davenport's contract has a base salary of $1.35 million with a $300K signing bonus. That's not much more than end of bench veterans. The rest are in incentives. The man can play, he's just injured a lot. I loved the move given the small amount of guaranteed money (BL posted the contract details in the last post on the previous page). The guarantees are low enough that they won't have to count on him. It's a low risk high reward move.

It would be great if they could get an injury discount and sign him in the $35 million range. Because I would hate to see his market price if he has a 20 sack season while also dominating the league in QB pressures.

 

[Zeppelin]

It would be great if they could get an injury discount and sign him in the $35 million range. Because I would hate to see his market price if he has a 20 sack season while also dominating the league in QB pressures.

Hutchinson is getting paid and, injury or not, it will be in the $40 million range.

 

[Payne]

Well, end of day one and no pass rush help for Hutch. Would really prefer adding a DE or DT prior to the draft.

 

[Zeppelin]

Well, end of day one and no pass rush help for Hutch. Would really prefer adding a DE or DT prior to the draft.

The Lions will address the defensive line before the draft but they will wait for the insanity to subside. Some of the players that agreed to contracts today were ridiculously overpaid.

 

[Zeppelin]

As expected, the Lions are bringing back Dan Skipper for another year. He started a couple of games when Taylor Decker was out and was serviceable. Because of his story, he's one of my favorite players since I became a sports fan.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

As expected, the Lions are bringing back Dan Skipper for another year. He started a couple of games when Taylor Decker was out and was serviceable. Because of his story, he's one of my favorite players since I became a sports fan.

Good depth piece, OL is another position where I expect a FA and maybe also a draft pick to be added besides the obvious edge and defensive tackle room.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

News article detailing who's left in the open market:

Lions free agency: Top remaining targets after first day of legal tampering

Who else could be on the shortlist for Detroit following Day 1 of the legal tampering window? Let’s take a look.

www.detroitnews.com

 

[BobbyLayne]

Iffy signed with the fins for 1 yr, $4M

rooting for the guy - can really be an impact player when he's healthy

but he's never healthy so understandable why they let him walk (+ didn't really have a role for him with Amik, BB & Kerb around)

Levi still out there - will be interesting to see if he gets north of $8-10M or more than 2 years given his health concerns

 

[BobbyLayne]

Vikings backed up the truck for DI Jonathan Allen - 3 yrs/$60M

 

[Zeppelin]

Iffy signed with the fins for 1 yr, $4M

rooting for the guy - can really be an impact player when he's healthy

but he's never healthy so understandable why they let him walk (+ didn't really have a role for him with Amik, BB & Kerb around)

Levi still out there - will be interesting to see if he gets north of $8-10M or more than 2 years given his health concerns

I wouldn't pay Iffy that much unless it was structured like Davenport's contract with low guarantees and the rest in incentives.

 

[BobbyLayne]

resigning RFA Myles Adams to a 1 yr deal

solid run defender (75.9), good rotational piece

played 4 g after signing him from the Seahawks practice squad - he was one of the four right off the street guys who played in that amazing Thursday night win (Jonah Williams, Kwon Alexander, and Jamal Adams were the others)

bring that game up because I think we have amnesia about how amazing the defense held up despite the incredibly bad luck wrt injuries

21 players on IR when they entered the last quarter of the season, 16 were still on IR when the divisional round game was played

---

PFF Team Defense Grades - 2024 Regular Season

• 77.7 5th Overall Defense
• 71.4 12th Run Defense
• 74.3 2nd Tackling
• 74.7 8th Pass Rush Defense
• 80.5 7th Pass Coverage Defense

Yes, they need help on the D line. Holmes has always been active in FA on Day 2 or 3, finding good values. Very deep draft class at ED and DI bodes well.

This was a much improved defense last year, and can still be very good again if we get another pass rusher. Not worried about the offense or special teams at all, but we have to get Hutch help.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Bad weekend for the Lions.

Hutch's price just went up
Crosby staying
Myles staying
Cut Smith
Resigned often injured Davenport

I think it important that we see Hutch get back to the level of play he was at prior to injury before writing the check. I think he will most likely make a full recovery, however nothing is a given. Thankfully DE is fairly deep with this class.

I agree 100%. It's why I wanted them to sell the farm for Crosby.

That's like saying I should have sold the farm to get a date with Sydney Sweeney. Some things you're not going to get even if you're willing to go all out for them. Maybe there was some deal on the table for Crosby that we didn't know about, but I highly doubt it. He was never going to leave LV

 

[Zeppelin]

From the free agency thread, this is PFF's 2nd best move from day 1 of free agency:

CB D.J. Reed Signs with the Detroit Lions​

Reed entered free agency as PFF’s top available cornerback after ranking in the top 10 in PFF’s advanced coverage grade and posting a 51.28% lockdown rate.

With Carlton Davis III heading to New England on a significant deal, the Lions managed to upgrade at cornerback while lowering their overall contract costs. Reed’s three-year, $48 million deal—while lucrative—comes in well below Davis’ $60 million contract over the same span.

Last season under Aaron Glenn, Detroit deployed Cover 1 at the highest rate in the NFL (34%). While Glenn has since taken over as the Jets’ head coach, the expectation is that new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will maintain a similar philosophy.

Reed excelled in Cover 1 early last season with the Jets — before Robert Saleh’s firing — earning an 84.5 PFF coverage grade through Week 5 as New York leaned more heavily on the scheme.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

From the free agency thread, this is PFF's 2nd best move from day 1 of free agency:

CB D.J. Reed Signs with the Detroit Lions​

Reed entered free agency as PFF’s top available cornerback after ranking in the top 10 in PFF’s advanced coverage grade and posting a 51.28% lockdown rate.

With Carlton Davis III heading to New England on a significant deal, the Lions managed to upgrade at cornerback while lowering their overall contract costs. Reed’s three-year, $48 million deal—while lucrative—comes in well below Davis’ $60 million contract over the same span.

Last season under Aaron Glenn, Detroit deployed Cover 1 at the highest rate in the NFL (34%). While Glenn has since taken over as the Jets’ head coach, the expectation is that new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will maintain a similar philosophy.

Reed excelled in Cover 1 early last season with the Jets — before Robert Saleh’s firing — earning an 84.5 PFF coverage grade through Week 5 as New York leaned more heavily on the scheme.

In addition to the fact that they seemingly upgraded while saving money, the Reed signing seems to very much fit Holmes' MO. I remember someone quoting him here during last year's FA period that he viewed FA as a way to address needs and the draft as a way to stockpile talent. I generally prefer teams to sit out Day 1 of FA because the best deals usually come in the aftermarket, but I feel like Holmes picks his spots. He's not going to chase the splashiest FAs, but he is willing to spend a little to get the right guy.

Also love that we now have DJ Reed and DJ Reader. Next I'd like to see them bring back Darius Slay, trade for Darius Slayton, and confuse the hell out of everyone

 

[BobbyLayne]

From the free agency thread, this is PFF's 2nd best move from day 1 of free agency:

CB D.J. Reed Signs with the Detroit Lions​

Reed entered free agency as PFF’s top available cornerback after ranking in the top 10 in PFF’s advanced coverage grade and posting a 51.28% lockdown rate.

With Carlton Davis III heading to New England on a significant deal, the Lions managed to upgrade at cornerback while lowering their overall contract costs. Reed’s three-year, $48 million deal—while lucrative—comes in well below Davis’ $60 million contract over the same span.

Last season under Aaron Glenn, Detroit deployed Cover 1 at the highest rate in the NFL (34%). While Glenn has since taken over as the Jets’ head coach, the expectation is that new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will maintain a similar philosophy.

Reed excelled in Cover 1 early last season with the Jets — before Robert Saleh’s firing — earning an 84.5 PFF coverage grade through Week 5 as New York leaned more heavily on the scheme.

In addition to the fact that they seemingly upgraded while saving money, the Reed signing seems to very much fit Holmes' MO. I remember someone quoting him here during last year's FA period that he viewed FA as a way to address needs and the draft as a way to stockpile talent. I generally prefer teams to sit out Day 1 of FA because the best deals usually come in the aftermarket, but I feel like Holmes picks his spots. He's not going to chase the splashiest FAs, but he is willing to spend a little to get the right guy.

Also love that we now have DJ Reed and DJ Reader. Next I'd like to see them bring back Darius Slay, trade for Darius Slayton, and confuse the hell out of everyone

Yeah, they have said it often and their actions match their words: FA address needs. They don't even allow depth charts in the war room - it's never about needs, BPA is the mandate.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Someone should do an analysis of the disparity of "who wins day 1 of FA" and the final standings. I swear it's the same trope every year.

It's so inefficient to overpay. Lions have greatly benefited from having stars under rookie contracts. Granted, they're running out of runway - can't keep everyone - but the core of the team will always come from replenishment through the draft.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Someone should do an analysis of the disparity of "who wins day 1 of FA" and the final standings. I swear it's the same trope every year.

But at least the guys on local sports radio love it. And isn't that what really counts?

 

[BobbyLayne]

Mike Clay Off/Def Ranks after first wave of FA

Lions:

• Off 4th
• Def 5th
• Overall 2nd

Weakest positional group is DI.

10 point scale:

QB 8
RB 10
WR 8
TE 8
OL 9
DI 4
ED 8
LB 7
CB 7
S 8

Doesn’t rank ST but IMO it’s 8-9 for K, 10 for P, 7-8 for PR/KR and 8-9 for coverage.

 

[Zeppelin]

Mike Clay Off/Def Ranks after first wave of FA

Lions:

• Off 4th
• Def 5th
• Overall 2nd

Weakest positional group is DI.

10 point scale:

QB 8
RB 10
WR 8
TE 8
OL 9
DI 4
ED 8
LB 7
CB 7
S 8

Doesn’t rank ST but IMO it’s 8-9 for K, 10 for P, 7-8 for PR/KR and 8-9 for coverage.

Safety should be at least 9 and arguably 10.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Someone should do an analysis of the disparity of "who wins day 1 of FA" and the final standings. I swear it's the same trope every year.

But at least the guys on local sports radio love it. And isn't that what really counts?

During the season I check in for the Campbell & Goff call ins, and sometimes remember to listen to TJ & Jansen. The rest of the 97.1 programming is straight trash. Though I give them credit, they’re better than Woodward Sports.

 

[Zeppelin]

Someone should do an analysis of the disparity of "who wins day 1 of FA" and the final standings. I swear it's the same trope every year.

But at least the guys on local sports radio love it. And isn't that what really counts?

During the season I check in for the Campbell & Goff call ins, and sometimes remember to listen to TJ & Jansen. The rest of the 97.1 programming is straight trash. Though I give them credit, they’re better than Woodward Sports.

I am a big fan of Karsch and Anderson from 10am to 2pm.

 

[BobbyLayne]

Mike Clay Off/Def Ranks after first wave of FA

Lions:

• Off 4th
• Def 5th
• Overall 2nd

Weakest positional group is DI.

10 point scale:

QB 8
RB 10
WR 8
TE 8
OL 9
DI 4
ED 8
LB 7
CB 7
S 8

Doesn’t rank ST but IMO it’s 8-9 for K, 10 for P, 7-8 for PR/KR and 8-9 for coverage.

Safety should be at least 9 and arguably 10.

TBF no team had a S group with a 9 or 10, so I’m OK with it.

We def one of the best tandems but so do BAL, GB, & PHI (all 8); MIN (7) should be the 5th 8, not ARI (people love overrating Budda Baker.)

 

[BobbyLayne]

Someone should do an analysis of the disparity of "who wins day 1 of FA" and the final standings. I swear it's the same trope every year.

But at least the guys on local sports radio love it. And isn't that what really counts?

During the season I check in for the Campbell & Goff call ins, and sometimes remember to listen to TJ & Jansen. The rest of the 97.1 programming is straight trash. Though I give them credit, they’re better than Woodward Sports.

I am a big fan of Karsch and Anderson from 10am to 2pm.

Fair

 

[BobbyLayne]

The Commanders have agreed to terms with S Will Harris on a two-year, $8 million with a max value of $10 million, source says.

Former third-round pick of the Lions heads to Washington after a season with the Saints.



am I the only one shocked he’s still in the league?

 

[Zeppelin]

am I the only one shocked he’s still in the league?

No.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

During the season I check in for the Campbell & Goff call ins, and sometimes remember to listen to TJ & Jansen.

I like the Lang and Jansen stuff because they break things down from a players perspective, each former OL playing 10 years in the NFL. But in the morning Jansen is usually stuck with the smarmy main host which makes that show a skip.

 

[Zeppelin]

During the season I check in for the Campbell & Goff call ins, and sometimes remember to listen to TJ & Jansen.

I like the Lang and Jansen stuff because they break things down from a players perspective, each former OL playing 10 years in the NFL. But in the morning Jansen is usually stuck with the smarmy main host which makes that show a skip.

Costa ruined that show. They should pair him with Valenti so both tools are on at the same time.

 

[ignatiusjreilly]

Someone should do an analysis of the disparity of "who wins day 1 of FA" and the final standings. I swear it's the same trope every year.

It's so inefficient to overpay. Lions have greatly benefited from having stars under rookie contracts. Granted, they're running out of runway - can't keep everyone - but the core of the team will always come from replenishment through the draft.

Even when it works out, it's still not a great long-term strategy. I remember a few years ago the Giants hit big in FA and made the playoffs, where they lost in the WC round. But it was a sugar high. At the end of the day they had a non-SB roster filled with expensive veteran contracts.

Eagles last year is probably the best case scenario. They had a splashy (but not expensive in absolute terms) RB signing that delivered surplus value, a discount LB signing that worked out better than they could have imagined, and also nailed the draft (they also had some screw-ups, notably Bryce Huff). All on a team that was already a contender. But I'm not sure "Hit on most of your signings and draft picks" is a model that's replicable

 

[BobbyLayne]

Someone should do an analysis of the disparity of "who wins day 1 of FA" and the final standings. I swear it's the same trope every year.

It's so inefficient to overpay. Lions have greatly benefited from having stars under rookie contracts. Granted, they're running out of runway - can't keep everyone - but the core of the team will always come from replenishment through the draft.

Even when it works out, it's still not a great long-term strategy. I remember a few years ago the Giants hit big in FA and made the playoffs, where they lost in the WC round. But it was a sugar high. At the end of the day they had a non-SB roster filled with expensive veteran contracts.

Eagles last year is probably the best case scenario. They had a splashy (but not expensive in absolute terms) RB signing that delivered surplus value, a discount LB signing that worked out better than they could have imagined, and also nailed the draft (they also had some screw-ups, notably Bryce Huff). All on a team that was already a contender. But I'm not sure "Hit on most of your signings and draft picks" is a model that's replicable

Howie usually has the answer no matter what question is being asked. Holmes has won the PFWA NFL Executive of Year two straight years, and while it’s well deserved, Roseman is the gold standard.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Philly obviously did the right thing getting Barkley from the Giants. But it should be noted that he was a FA signing, not a trade. Most of that team was built through the draft, not trading away high picks for players.

 

[msudaisy26]

Philly obviously did the right thing getting Barkley from the Giants. But it should be noted that he was a FA signing, not a trade. Most of that team was built through the draft, not trading away high picks for players.

Yeah, but to get over the hump they have made some big free agents signings and trades.

A.J. Brown trade for a first
Saquon big free agent signing
CJGJ free agent brought back
Darius Slay for a 3rd and kept him

The Chiefs have made big moves when it didn't work too, so did the Bucs,.the Rams.

Drafting well is awesome, but there are big trades or free agents signings that need to happen to get it over the top.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Philly obviously did the right thing getting Barkley from the Giants. But it should be noted that he was a FA signing, not a trade. Most of that team was built through the draft, not trading away high picks for players.

Yeah, but to get over the hump they have made some big free agents signings and trades.

A.J. Brown trade for a first
Saquon big free agent signing
CJGJ free agent brought back
Darius Slay for a 3rd and kept him

The Chiefs have made big moves when it didn't work too, so did the Bucs,.the Rams.

Drafting well is awesome, but there are big trades or free agents signings that need to happen to get it over the top.

Like I said, Barkley was a good FA that didn't cost any picks. And a total of a first and a third for multiple players isn't over the top "f those picks" type talk.

 

[msudaisy26]

Philly obviously did the right thing getting Barkley from the Giants. But it should be noted that he was a FA signing, not a trade. Most of that team was built through the draft, not trading away high picks for players.

Yeah, but to get over the hump they have made some big free agents signings and trades.

A.J. Brown trade for a first
Saquon big free agent signing
CJGJ free agent brought back
Darius Slay for a 3rd and kept him

The Chiefs have made big moves when it didn't work too, so did the Bucs,.the Rams.

Drafting well is awesome, but there are big trades or free agents signings that need to happen to get it over the top.

Like I said, Barkley was a good FA that didn't cost any picks. And a total of a first and a third for multiple players isn't over the top "f those picks" type talk.

I don't advocate f them picks, but the Lions don't seem to willing to take any chances. No one is saying don't have a first rounder for five years like the Rams, but gamble on someone with some money, picks or both.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

And I doubt they are finished.

 

[jon_mx]

The Commanders have agreed to terms with S Will Harris on a two-year, $8 million with a max value of $10 million, source says.

Former third-round pick of the Lions heads to Washington after a season with the Saints.



am I the only one shocked he’s still in the league?

Awesome. I hope the Commanders sign Vildor next.

 

[msudaisy26]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

 

[Zeppelin]

I don't know what Holmes will do but I have had a feeling for a couple of weeks that he is going to make a move that shocks me. I don't have anything to base it on but the feeling is stronger since there were reports that Holmes was interested in Josh Sweat.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

So you don't think it was a good signing, got it.

 

[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.

 

[Zeppelin]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

I disagree with this. Several sites had Reed ranked as the #1 free agent CB at a very reasonable 3 years $48 million.

PFF had the Reed signing as the 2nd best move on day 1 of free agency. Below is what they said:

CB D.J. Reed Signs with the Detroit Lions​

Reed entered free agency as PFF’s top available cornerback after ranking in the top 10 in PFF’s advanced coverage grade and posting a 51.28% lockdown rate.

With Carlton Davis III heading to New England on a significant deal, the Lions managed to upgrade at cornerback while lowering their overall contract costs. Reed’s three-year, $48 million deal—while lucrative—comes in well below Davis’ $60 million contract over the same span.

Last season under Aaron Glenn, Detroit deployed Cover 1 at the highest rate in the NFL (34%). While Glenn has since taken over as the Jets’ head coach, the expectation is that new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will maintain a similar philosophy.

Reed excelled in Cover 1 early last season with the Jets — before Robert Saleh’s firing — earning an 84.5 PFF coverage grade through Week 5 as New York leaned more heavily on the scheme.

 

[msudaisy26]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

So you don't think it was a good signing, got it.

Exactly what I said.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

So you don't think it was a good signing, got it.

Exactly what I said.

So which CB available would have been a better signing.

 

[msudaisy26]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

I disagree with this. Several sites had Reed ranked as the #1 free agent CB at a very reasonable 3 years $48 million.

PFF had the Reed signing as the 2nd best move on day 1 of free agency. Below is what they said:

CB D.J. Reed Signs with the Detroit Lions​

Reed entered free agency as PFF’s top available cornerback after ranking in the top 10 in PFF’s advanced coverage grade and posting a 51.28% lockdown rate.

With Carlton Davis III heading to New England on a significant deal, the Lions managed to upgrade at cornerback while lowering their overall contract costs. Reed’s three-year, $48 million deal—while lucrative—comes in well below Davis’ $60 million contract over the same span.

Last season under Aaron Glenn, Detroit deployed Cover 1 at the highest rate in the NFL (34%). While Glenn has since taken over as the Jets’ head coach, the expectation is that new defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will maintain a similar philosophy.

Reed excelled in Cover 1 early last season with the Jets — before Robert Saleh’s firing — earning an 84.5 PFF coverage grade through Week 5 as New York leaned more heavily on the scheme.

I agree with him and Davis being the top two and the money making him the best. It is a weak class. He also led the league in dpi. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Davis trade last year either.

 

[msudaisy26]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

So you don't think it was a good signing, got it.

Exactly what I said.

So which CB available would have been a better signing.

I would prefer to focus on the defensive line to make the corners better. Hendricks is still out there, Micah maybe, Reddick on a cheap prove it deal, Sweat etc.

I would have rather went cheap at corner and kept Zadrius for the rotation.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

So you don't think it was a good signing, got it.

Exactly what I said.

So which CB available would have been a better signing.

I would prefer to focus on the defensive line to make the corners better. Hendricks is still out there, Micah maybe, Reddick on a cheap prove it deal, Sweat etc.

So you would have ignored CB in FA. Got it.

 

[msudaisy26]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

So you don't think it was a good signing, got it.

Exactly what I said.

So which CB available would have been a better signing.

I would prefer to focus on the defensive line to make the corners better. Hendricks is still out there, Micah maybe, Reddick on a cheap prove it deal, Sweat etc.

So you would have ignored CB in FA. Got it.

Exactly what I said again. You are really good at this.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

Didn't they just sign the #1 rated FA by ESPN available.

He really isn't that good. He is decent. It is a weak CB market this year.

So you don't think it was a good signing, got it.

Exactly what I said.

So which CB available would have been a better signing.

I would prefer to focus on the defensive line to make the corners better. Hendricks is still out there, Micah maybe, Reddick on a cheap prove it deal, Sweat etc.

So you would have ignored CB in FA. Got it.

Exactly what I said again. You are really good at this.

Thank you.