Tuesday came and went without any free agents agreeing to terms or linked with imminent deals coming in Detroit. After two days of the legal tampering period to kick off free agency, the Lions have yet to add a single player from outside the organization. New Lions GM Brad Holmes and his staff have taken it slowly at the onset of free agency.
The team has jettisoned some veterans, notably Danny Shelton and Justin Coleman, but the only players Detroit has signed are returning talents, DE Romeo Okwara and LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin. Tight end Josh Hill and wide receiver Tyrell Williams were signed before free agency began after being released by their old teams, so they don’t technically count in free agency.
It’s led to some anxious thumb-twiddling in Detroit. Are the Lions trying to get better?
The Lions were linked to the pursuit of a couple of players who signed elsewhere. Safety John Johnson wound up in Cleveland and took significantly less money to join the Browns instead of going for the money with an unnamed team–which could be (but cannot be confirmed) the Lions.
Peter Schrager of Good Morning Football reinforced that the Lions are still “working the phones”, but so far the parties on the other end haven’t bought what Holmes and the Lions are selling.
Deals cannot become official until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, and there is no deadline to sign players. There is still time for the Lions to add talent, and there are players at several positions who can help the team long-term still available. But thus far, the lack of activity is a sign…
A sign of what? That’s what we don’t know about the new regime. Are they just being patient and letting the market settle? Is it the specific situation of not having much cap room? Or not realistically being a contender in 2021 as the rebuild begins? Are players looking elsewhere because they don’t want to be in Detroit or want better opportunities to win next season?
Those are questions we can’t answer right now. Holmes and the Lions are carving their own new path, and it’s an unfamiliar feeling for the fans, the media and the players themselves.
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