With most of free agency over, it’s time to assess the Detroit Lions’ roster movement.
Is it enough?
That is the question at the forefront of every Lions fan entering the 2025 season. The Detroit Lions went 15-2, but still fell short of the title game. With the calendar flipped, many viewed free agency as the time for Detroit to restock and reload. Not only was the bar set high with 15 wins, but they still need to overcome that heartbreaking playoff loss. It was time to go all-in, right?
Maybe not.
The Lions have been fairly quiet in free agency, opting for their usual strategy of internal re-signings and low-risk external moves. This highlights two aspects of the Lions going forward: they know their roster is talented, and they know they can supplement it via a the NFL Draft .
Most teams get better in the offseason, but after free agency, have the Lions truly gotten better, or have they simply treaded water?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Have the Detroit Lions gotten better or worse in free agency?
My answer: Better. Firstly, let’s look at the the names joining and leaving the Lions in 2025.
Added: Kyle Allen, Roy Lopez, Avonte Maddox, D.J. Reed, Grant Stuard, Rock Ya-Sin, Kenny Yeboah
Lost: Maurice Alexander, Carlton Davis, Ifeatu Melifonwu, Jalen Reeves-Maybin, James Mitchell, Za’Darius Smith, Kindle Vildor, Jonah Williams, Kevin Zeitler
Unsigned: Kwon Alexander, Kayode Awosika, Michael Badgley, Teddy Bridgewater, John Cominsky, Connor Galvin, Jermar Jefferson, Emmanuel Moseley, Ben Niemann, Kyle Peko, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Allen Robinson
On paper, there are not many notable additions, yet at the same time, how many of their offseason losses are equally notable? Of the names that have signed elsewhere or remain unsigned, only three stand out to me as significant: Carlton Davis, Za’Darius Smith, and Kevin Zeitler. Davis was essentially replaced by Reed, an equal talent on a cheaper contract. The Lions released Smith as a cap casualty and have seemingly not replaced him, but I would argue that his replacement is Marcus Davenport, re-signed on a very team-friendly deal. As for Zeitler, his spot at guard is one of the few lingering weaknesses entering the NFL Draft. The Lions have Christian Mahogany and Graham Glasgow, but both players would have questions as starters going forward.
In my mind, the lone true loss has been Zeitler, but the Lions still have two in-house options and the upcoming draft to replace him. Elsewhere on the roster, the Lions have either been replacing or upgrading.
Roy Lopez is insurance for DJ Reader, a replacement for Kyle Peko, and a challenger for Brodric Martin. Grant Stuard is a lateral move from Reeves-Maybin, bringing special teams prowess at a younger age. Avonte Maddox and Rock Ya-Sin should be improvements over Emmanuel Moseley and Kindle Vildor, with Maddox potentially seeing some of Ifeatu Melifonwu’s snaps in the box and slot. Coupled with the names that they didn’t lose in free agency—Levi Onwuzurike, Tim Patrick, Derrick Barnes—I view this free agency as a success. Look at the San Francisco 49ers , a team that got heavily poached this offseason. In contrast, the Lions are returning most of the players from their 15-2 season. How can that not be viewed as a positive?
Many people wanted the Lions to make a splash acquisition this offseason, but the truth is that the best way for Detroit to improve in 2025 is via health, not big trades or signings. The Lions are making splashes in the form of a healthy Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Derrick Barnes, Marcus Davenport, Malcolm Rodriguez, Ennis Rakestraw, and Mekhi Wingo. Detroit was missing these players for some or most of the 2024 season and the defense is completely different with them in the lineup. It’s easy to look at the defense that was gutted by the Washington Commanders in the playoffs, but you have to remember that the Lions were down to a skeleton crew—that version of the Lions defense does not represent the state of the actual Lions defense entering 2025.
I am more than satisfied with this free agency period. If anything, a quieter free agency is a positive for the Lions. Detroit cannot afford to throw tons of short-term money at free agents when they have plenty of internal extensions coming in the near future. The Lions were never going to spend $104 million on a player like Milton Williams because, unlike the New England Patriots , the Lions have a great roster from top to bottom (oh, how the times have changed).
Good teams do not have to spend in free agency. Do not be alarmed at the apparent inaction from the Lions front office—they are doing exactly as planned.