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The Detroit Lions are done with the (not-so) heavy lifting in free agency, but they're not done adding to their roster.
Lions general manager Brad Holmes said at the NFL's annual spring meeting this week he still is "looking at maybe, possibly another veteran" to add at offensive guard and Lions coach Dan Campbell said the team still is weighing its options on the defensive line.
"We're not done," Campbell said. "And we don't know when. We don't know, maybe it will be the draft.
"I mean, we're looking at everything. It could be after the draft. It could be any time."
More: Detroit Lions president: Tariffs won't hurt owner, no plans to sell stakes in team
For now, the Lions' depth chart on the defensive line looks similar to what it was at the start of last year. Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport project to start at defensive end, D.J. Reader and Alim McNeill (once he's healthy) will play defensive tackle, and Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal should have rotational roles at both spots up front.
The Lions added nose tackle Roy Lopez in free agency, but mostly have more familiar faces in reserve: Mekhi Wingo, Pat O'Connor, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Myles Adams and Brodric Martin among others.
"There's still guys out there that we're still staying in contact with," Holmes said Monday. "I mean, for right now the higher-dollar guys, we’re probably past that point. Now we're kind of more in the lower deals, whatever that's third wave, whatever wave it is now.
"We're still monitoring, but what happens is that now you get to a point of that, we have a lot of young players on our team that we're still excited about. It may not be players that have gotten a lion’s share of snaps in the regular season last year, but that we've been watching throughout the year that we're really excited about."
Holmes championed the re-signing of Onwuzurike as a big win for the Lions. Onwuzurike, who finished second on the Lions with 37 pressures last season, signed a one-year, $4 million deal to stay in Detroit after not finding the long-term contract he was seeking in free agency.
He said Paschal could play more as an interior rusher this fall after playing primarily as a big end the past three seasons. And he cast doubt on whether Martin, a 2023 third-round pick, ever will be a regular contributor on the defensive line.
"He's got to be consistent," Holmes said. "Obviously you guys all know, I was very clear and transparent that he was more in the developmental project bucket when we took him, but now it's time for him not to just - cause he brought flashes in the preseason. When he came from his injury, he brought flashes, but he had some low points as well. So we need to see more of the consistency of the flashes that he just needs to be a consistent player and he knows that."
The Lions tied for 23rd in the NFL with 37 sacks last season and had one player with more than five sacks: Hutchinson, who led the team with 7.5 sacks despite missing 12 games with a broken leg.
This year's draft is deep on the defensive line, and Holmes left the door open for veteran pass rusher Za'Darius Smith to return after the Lions released him in a cap-saving move last month. But for now, the Lions are banking on Davenport to be a second consistent edge presence this fall, something Campbell acknowledged is risky considering Davenport's injury history.
Davenport has played six games total the past two seasons, missing most of the 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings because of an ankle injury and playing just two games with the Lions last year before tearing his triceps.
"I think as long as he's willing to make another push, believes that he can get this done and we feel like the rehab and everything has gone well, we think this’ll heal," Campbell said. "Everything's right about it, then yeah, we feel good. And as long as – if it goes the way we think it's going to go, Davenport is going to be a hell of a player."
DE Aidan Hutchinson, Al-Quadin Muhammad
DT Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike
DT D.J. Reader, Roy Lopez
DE Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions still pursuing pass rush help in free agency, draft
Continue reading...
Lions general manager Brad Holmes said at the NFL's annual spring meeting this week he still is "looking at maybe, possibly another veteran" to add at offensive guard and Lions coach Dan Campbell said the team still is weighing its options on the defensive line.
"We're not done," Campbell said. "And we don't know when. We don't know, maybe it will be the draft.
"I mean, we're looking at everything. It could be after the draft. It could be any time."
More: Detroit Lions president: Tariffs won't hurt owner, no plans to sell stakes in team
For now, the Lions' depth chart on the defensive line looks similar to what it was at the start of last year. Aidan Hutchinson and Marcus Davenport project to start at defensive end, D.J. Reader and Alim McNeill (once he's healthy) will play defensive tackle, and Levi Onwuzurike and Josh Paschal should have rotational roles at both spots up front.
The Lions added nose tackle Roy Lopez in free agency, but mostly have more familiar faces in reserve: Mekhi Wingo, Pat O'Connor, Al-Quadin Muhammad, Myles Adams and Brodric Martin among others.
"There's still guys out there that we're still staying in contact with," Holmes said Monday. "I mean, for right now the higher-dollar guys, we’re probably past that point. Now we're kind of more in the lower deals, whatever that's third wave, whatever wave it is now.
"We're still monitoring, but what happens is that now you get to a point of that, we have a lot of young players on our team that we're still excited about. It may not be players that have gotten a lion’s share of snaps in the regular season last year, but that we've been watching throughout the year that we're really excited about."
Holmes championed the re-signing of Onwuzurike as a big win for the Lions. Onwuzurike, who finished second on the Lions with 37 pressures last season, signed a one-year, $4 million deal to stay in Detroit after not finding the long-term contract he was seeking in free agency.
He said Paschal could play more as an interior rusher this fall after playing primarily as a big end the past three seasons. And he cast doubt on whether Martin, a 2023 third-round pick, ever will be a regular contributor on the defensive line.
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"He's got to be consistent," Holmes said. "Obviously you guys all know, I was very clear and transparent that he was more in the developmental project bucket when we took him, but now it's time for him not to just - cause he brought flashes in the preseason. When he came from his injury, he brought flashes, but he had some low points as well. So we need to see more of the consistency of the flashes that he just needs to be a consistent player and he knows that."
The Lions tied for 23rd in the NFL with 37 sacks last season and had one player with more than five sacks: Hutchinson, who led the team with 7.5 sacks despite missing 12 games with a broken leg.
This year's draft is deep on the defensive line, and Holmes left the door open for veteran pass rusher Za'Darius Smith to return after the Lions released him in a cap-saving move last month. But for now, the Lions are banking on Davenport to be a second consistent edge presence this fall, something Campbell acknowledged is risky considering Davenport's injury history.
Davenport has played six games total the past two seasons, missing most of the 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings because of an ankle injury and playing just two games with the Lions last year before tearing his triceps.
"I think as long as he's willing to make another push, believes that he can get this done and we feel like the rehab and everything has gone well, we think this’ll heal," Campbell said. "Everything's right about it, then yeah, we feel good. And as long as – if it goes the way we think it's going to go, Davenport is going to be a hell of a player."
Detroit Lions two-deep at defensive line
DE Aidan Hutchinson, Al-Quadin Muhammad
DT Alim McNeill, Levi Onwuzurike
DT D.J. Reader, Roy Lopez
DE Marcus Davenport, Josh Paschal
Dave Birkett is the author of the book, "Detroit Lions: An Illustrated Timeline." Order your copy here. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow him on Bluesky, X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions still pursuing pass rush help in free agency, draft
Continue reading...
