Reaction has been one extreme or the other.
It’s either: Brad Holmes is The Man. Any decision he makes is good, regardless of what it might be.
Or: I can’t believe the Lions are acquiring these often-injured scraps.
Yet, like so many things, the actual answer is somewhere in-between.
True, the Lions haven’t exactly lit up free agency like a pinball machine.
Yet, they are clearly a better football team than when the process started.
D.J. Reader is the classic, massive nose/A-gap interior defensive tackle. He is like a massive boulder, who not only provides exceptional gap control, but moves quickly enough on the snap to consistently engage with blockers to win his space. Now, that is a relatively small space, but perhaps the most important on the field. He will not chase down quarterbacks, but they will often roam right into him. He is not a good tackler, but rather a brick wall. His most special trait is tying up blockers so linebackers can clean up.
He has had serious quad injuries in his career, along with some knee issues.
Reader should be a dynamic addition to Alim McNeill inside along the Lions’ defensive line.
If he stays healthy.
Marcus Davenport is an average NFL-caliber starting three-down edge, who was drafted 14th overall by the Saints when Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn were on the coaching staff.
His contract, presumably with a number of incentives, will present value. He is clearly better than those starting opposite Aidan Hutchinson in 2024.
If he stays healthy.
Carlton Davis III is an average starting NFL outside cornerback. He is long and reasonably skilled, good enough to start for a Super Bowl-winning team with the Bucs.
Davis III has been injury plagued. He is certainly better than the collection of outside corners the Lions deployed in 2023.
If he can stay healthy.
It’s a familiar scenario, right.
Amik Robertson, who is underrated because of his height (5-foot-8), is ideally a versatile, veteran backup secondary piece. He is a good depth piece.
Doesn’t sound like a big haul, right? But that is how free agency works.
The Lions overpaid for these players, albeit reasonably. Teams always overpay in unrestricted free agency. These players all have obvious flaws, most involving injuries. Again, that is free agency.
Core talent in the NFL invariably is acquired via the draft. The system is set so high-end, drafted players remain with their teams.
What is left is essentially leftovers. With rare exceptions among quarterbacks, free agency simply isn’t a major difference maker.
It is more to fill starting holes in a given season and add depth. Brad Holmes obviously understands this, and makes calculated moves.
These are those type of decisions. Not a lot of sizzle, but enough to accent the flavor of the steak.