2026 Detroit Lions Offseason Thread

[1984Echoes]

I'd like to grab Justin Fields on a Tua contract...

Maybe even for 2 or 3 years...

Low salary but a large bonus for every start he makes... understanding that Goff is the #1 and he might not get any starts... 

But I think our staff could "rehabilitate" him... and he could "show" in preseason and/or any injury games he had to cover for Goff.

We either have a pretty good backup... or another team decides to take a second chance with him and makes us an offer... A mid-round pick still has value to Brad Holmes...

Just thinking out loud...

[buddha]

9 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

I'd like to grab Justin Fields on a Tua contract...

Maybe even for 2 or 3 years...

Low salary but a large bonus for every start he makes... understanding that Goff is the #1 and he might not get any starts... 

But I think our staff could "rehabilitate" him... and he could "show" in preseason and/or any injury games he had to cover for Goff.

We either have a pretty good backup... or another team decides to take a second chance with him and makes us an offer... A mid-round pick still has value to Brad Holmes...

Just thinking out loud...

we have a qb whose strength is smarts, timing and accuracy, why the hell would we sign someone who is dumb, slow, and inaccurate?  because he runs a 4.3 40?

fields will be too expensive for the lions.  they usually do a cheap alternative at backup qb.

but ya never know.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

33 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

I wonder if it means the Lions are counting on Levi (again). Dangerous proposition.

With Alim back and fully healthy, maybe they just feel the need to spend the money elsewhere. I would be pretty disappointed though if they spend money bringing Reader back and not Lopez. 

[buddha]

wait until all the ridiculous contracts are signed and then get some bargains.  

sign youth, not aged nfl vets.  i'd be fine letting decker and reader both walk.  too old.  anzalone was right on the cusp of decline.  he'll be fine this year and likely injured/bad after that.  its the way of the nfl.  a hard sport with short shelf lives.

[1984Echoes]

5 minutes ago, buddha said:

we have a qb whose strength is smarts, timing and accuracy, why the hell would we sign someone who is dumb, slow, and inaccurate?  because ...

COACH HIM UP!!!

[buddha]

remember when certain posters who ruin every game thread was adamant that the lions screwed the franchise by drafting sewell over justin fields?

🤔

[buddha]

That's just as bad as certain posters who shall remain nameless who wanted jeff okudah over justin herbert because the lions had a qb.

i guess that's why i'm not an nfl gm....

[Motown Bombers]

I mean, I would still take Stafford over Herbert. I also think most Lions fans wanted Tua. Wasn't it tank for Tua?

[Motown Bombers]

The thing with the backup QB is, Goff hasn't missed a regular season snap in 3 years. You just need a QB who's ready in the off chance they have to play. Someone who can run this offense. That is not Justin Fields. Kirk Cousins would be perfect but he won't sign a cheap backup contract. 

[MichiganCardinal]

7 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

The thing with the backup QB is, Goff hasn't missed a regular season snap in 3 years. You just need a QB who's ready in the off chance they have to play. Someone who can run this offense. That is not Justin Fields. Kirk Cousins would be perfect but he won't sign a cheap backup contract. 

Of course, the regular season caveat comes because he did miss a few against Washington in the playoffs.

You don’t need a world beater. Goff is a durable QB, and nearly every NFL team’s season would be derailed by a serious injury to their starting QB (God forbid).

In the event your backup is in, you really just need someone who will take care of the ball and get it to your playmakers. Hope to score 20.

[buddha]

23 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

I mean, I would still take Stafford over Herbert. I also think most Lions fans wanted Tua. Wasn't it tank for Tua?

i'd take either of them over jeff okudah.

[sagnam]

I wanted no part of Tua. I’ve been wrong a lot but he was a hard pass. Same with Fields.

[NYLion]

3 hours ago, RedRamage said:

Ditto. This is a big loss imho. I'd rather have Lopez than Reader at DT honestly. Hopefully McNeill is healthy, Williams steps up, and we get something out of Levi or Pascal... Man for that money though...I really wish they'd retained him. 

Agreed, Lopez was the main guy I wanted back of the UFAs. 

The Lions have a lot of holes to fill and are pretty much depending on the draft to fill a lot of them. Gone are Decker, Anzalone, Montgomery, Robertson, Lopez, not to mention that Branch is gone and Kerby who knows, LaPorta who knows, they have no edge opposite of Hutch either with AQM still a free agent. They've upgraded at center but haven't replaced any of the above mentioned names and don't really have anybody internally to fill those roles, lots of question marks all throughout the roster. This is where Holmes not drafting as well in the last two drafts is starting to hurt them, especially taking those swings in the middle rounds on guys like Manu, Vaki and Teslaa.

Edited 18 hours ago by NYLion

[Mr.TaterSalad]

1 hour ago, Motown Bombers said:

I mean, I would still take Stafford over Herbert. I also think most Lions fans wanted Tua. Wasn't it tank for Tua?

It was tank for either. I think most fans would have been just fine with either at the time. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

I'll give it time, but right now, on the whole, this roster doesn't feel better or upgraded. Let's see what happens over the next few weeks. 

[buddha]

43 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

I'll give it time, but right now, on the whole, this roster doesn't feel better or upgraded. Let's see what happens over the next few weeks. 

still early, but definitely an overall talent downgrade so far.

[Hongbit]

I think today is going to be a nice day for us Lions fans.   No predictions on who or how many but we will all like the moves and the prices they paid.  

[Mr.TaterSalad]

7 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

I think today is going to be a nice day for us Lions fans.   No predictions on who or how many but we will all like the moves and the prices they paid.  

If at the end of today we've come away with a starting offensive tackle, a DE/Edge, and help at CB then I'll feel much better. 

[Motor City Sonics]

It's all about health.  If they can just stay healthy, they are one of the 3 or 4 NFC teams to make the Super Bowl.    I don't think they need big upgrades, they just need health.  

[Hongbit]

16 minutes ago, Motor City Sonics said:

It's all about health.  If they can just stay healthy, they are one of the 3 or 4 NFC teams to make the Super Bowl.    I don't think they need big upgrades, they just need health.  

On offense, yes.

Defense needs more than just health.  They need an Edge, Nickel corner, LB to replace Anzalone, another backup corner, another safety, a backup DL.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Given that we don't know the status of Terrion Arnold and his legal troubles, we may need another starting CB. He may or may not be on this roster to start the year, depending on where his legal matters go. Furthermore, he hasn't exactly been great as a starter when healthy and playing.

[Nate7474]

57 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

On offense, yes.

Defense needs more than just health.  They need an Edge, Nickel corner, LB to replace Anzalone, another backup corner, another safety, a backup DL.

Don’t disagree with any of these needs but the players leaving aren’t world beaters. These can be replaced by average free agents and upgraded in the draft. They were getting older and starting to be expensive for the production they were putting up. They haven’t let anyone leave yet that I wouldn’t have done myself so far. 
 

With our cap situation we weren’t going to be big day 1 Free agency players where the contracts come out high. Yet we got better at center and depth piece at Tackle who could start for good deals. I think starting today deals will start to comeback to earth a little bit and we can shore up some of these position without jeopardizing our ability to sign our premier players who are in their primes.  

[Nate7474]

Just now, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Given that we don't know the status of Terrion Arnold and his legal troubles, we may need another starting CB. He may or may not be on this roster to start the year, depending on where his legal matters go. Furthermore, he hasn't exactly been great as a starter when healthy and playing.

Id love to kick the tires on Tariq Woolen. Fits our brand of defense and may be looking for a one year prove it deal to try and get a big deal. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

The Steelers signed Rico Dowdle for 2 years @ $12/million overall. I would have signed him as the complement to Gibbs for that term and price.

[sagnam]

1 minute ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

The Steelers signed Rico Dowdle for 2 years @ $12/million overall. I would have signed him as the complement to Gibbs for that term and price.

Same. But he’s #1 there.