The Detroit Lions Won The First Week Of Free Agency
The first week of the 2023 NFL Free Agency period is complete. Some teams lost a lot from their previous squads, and others built on what they already had. I would argue that no one has done more to improve their roster thus far than the Detroit Lions.
The biggest factor of free agency every season is finding the happy medium of retaining the talent you already have, and signing free agents to fill your needs. Detroit’s head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes have perfected that craft so far.
First and foremost, the Lions were able to retain offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Johnson was rumored to be highly sought after as a potential head coach but decided to return to Detroit for another season. That gives Jared Goff and Co. another year of comfortability under the same system that had Detroit finish fourth in team offense in 2022.
To start, losing Jamaal Williams has to sting right? He had a ridiculous 17 touchdowns last season and emerged as one of the best short-yardage running backs in the league. The Lions were on their toes, replacing Williams with a former 1,000-yard back in David Montogomery.
What was the Lions’ biggest strength in 2022? Many will point to that offensive line. Signing center Graham Glasgow was clearly a priority. Glasgow was with the team until 2019, before leaving for Denver for a few seasons. Glasgow wanted to come back, and they got it done, inking Glasgow to a one-year, $4.5 million deal.
So, they upgraded their offensive line. That was one of their strengths last season. What about addressing positions that the Lions need?
The Secondary
The worst position group of Detroit’s 2022 squad was their secondary. The group ranked No. 25 in the NFL according to PFF. For many weeks, the Lions were winning despite their secondary, not because of it. The group saw flashes from rookie Jerry Jacobs and former top-3 pick Jeff Okudah, but the unit as a whole did not really work out. The Lions were quick to address this flaw of their team.
Detroit’s new era has been founded on chemistry. To continue building this team-first approach, Detroit signed former college teammates Emmanuel Moseley and Cameron Sutton. Moseley and Sutton played together at the University of Tennessee.
Moseley is a corner who is about to enter his prime at 26-years-old. He spent his career with San Francisco, before signing a one-year contract with Detroit. Moseley was injured in 2022 but had 11 passes defended in his last full season in 2021.
Sutton on the other hand may have been one of the most underrated cornerbacks in the entire league last season — 15 passes defended and three interceptions speak for themselves. He is still only 28-years-old and signed a three-year deal worth $33 million.
The corners have been addressed, but what’s a good secondary without a great safety? The Lions went out and got one of the best safeties in the entire NFL. In my opinion, Detroit made their best move of this offseason on Sunday when they signed Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. They didn’t bring out the Brinks truck for Gardner-Johnson either, signing him to a one-year, $8 million deal.
It’s unbelievable how they got this deal done for so cheap. Gardner-Johnson is coming off a career year with the Eagles, sporting six interceptions and 67 tackles, the most of his career. But does he fit within this team? The answer is a resounding yes. He’s reunited with his former defensive back coach Aaron Glenn.
Some may forget that Detroit also holds two first-round picks this season. They own the Rams’ #6 overall pick from the Matthew Stafford trade, and they have their own at No. 18.
For a franchise that has been in the doldrums for its entire existence, the way this offseason is going has to make Detroit Lions fans uber-excited for the 2023 NFL season. Detroit has been to just one conference championship game since 1957. Just one. This franchise’s fans have been suffering for so many years now. For the first time in a long time, it looked like the Lions actually had something in 2022. They were a win away from clinching a playoff birth, had they beat the Seattle Seahawks way back in Week 4.
The Lions finished the season by knocking the Packers out of playoff contention in their rivals’ own home stadium. They swept the Packers last season.
Things are turning for the Detroit Lions. They have made several key roster moves without spending a lot of money at all. If they can keep up these free agency moves, retaining what made them a solid team last year and upgrading their roster’s holes, Detroit can turn 2023 into their best season in a long time.
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