A few months ago, the Detroit Lions ended their season on a sour note with a painstaking loss to the Washington Commanders. The Lions’ defense struggled to contain rookie phenom Jayden Daniels throughout the game. Daniels would torch the Lions’ defense by throwing 299 yards while completing 71% of his passes with no turnovers. Along with the lackluster defense, the offense looked bland. Jared Goff threw three interceptions, with one of them resulting in a pick-6 for Washington.
From a defensive perspective, that game was a horrible watch. The Lions’ defense made a small number of stops that made little to no difference for the Commanders’ offense. What factored into helping the Commanders were injuries on defense. The Lions’ defense was heavily depleted, with 12 players on injured reserve, including Aidan Hutchinson.
It is now two months after the Lions’ mishap, and we’re all asking the same question: Will the Lions make big moves in free agency? Players under expiring contracts include Carlton Davis, Kevin Zeitler, and Tim Patrick. All three players were key in the Lions’ historic regular season performance, however, they may be let go this offseason.
Last year, the Lions signed cornerback Carlton Davis to a one-year deal. Davis proved to be one of the league’s elite defensive backs, defending 11 passes along with 2 fumble recoveries and interceptions. Davis’s absence was felt in the Lions-Commanders game as he was put on injured reserve after breaking his jaw weeks prior. If the Lions choose to let go of Davis, they can reunite with former Lion defensive back Darius Slay.
Recently, the Eagles released the 2-time Super Bowl cornerback as he had a year left in his contract. During his tenure in Detroit, Slay was one of the league’s best, earning three Pro Bowl nods and first-team All-Pro honors in 2017. In a podcast interview with Lions wide receiver Amon Ra St. Brown, Slay stated that he is open to a return to Detroit. Slay also said that the city is his ‘second home.’ Should Detroit sign Slay, the defense earns a fan-favorite veteran leader who can mentor Terrion Arnold or Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
The aging offensive lineman Kevin Zeitler’s return is in question. The thirteen-year veteran, who is 34, signed a one-year deal with the Lions last year. Although Zeitler played well last season, he was injured in the Lions-Commanders game. According to PFF.com, Zeitler had an overall grade of 86.8, with a run-block grade of 87.2. The lineman also logged 1047 snaps and helped pave the way for a 2,000-yard combined season for runningbacks Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. If the Lions choose to resign Zeitler, they could opt for him to sign on a lower deal, saving them money for other free agency moves.
Besides resigning Zeitler or Carlton Davis, the biggest move the Lions could make is signing superstar defensive edge Myles Garrett. According to an article from brownsnation.com, the Lions tried to pursue the star edge by contacting the Cleveland Browns about a potential trade. Even last season, the Lions inquired about Garrett before the trade deadline. The Browns were not open to trading away their generational defender; however, last week, Garrett stated that he was not interested in a contract extension with the Browns. This means that Garrett wants out of Cleveland, and he hopes to join a contending team. This is perfect for the Lions, as they are still in contention for a Super Bowl. In addition, the Lions have more than $51 million in the team’s cap space.
Will the Lions resign Davis? Maybe not. Will the Lions resign Zeitler? Most likely. Will the Lions make a huge offseason move to potentially acquire Myles Garrett? The Lions already proved that they are contenders and that they have more than enough in cap space. These are all signs that are pointing toward Garrett’s acquisition.
