2026 Detroit Lions Offseason Thread

[RedRamage]

10 hours 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. 

To me this doesn't give the full picture though... not your fault of course Tater, but I think we need to include all the potential losses until it's confirmed what's happening with them. Granted a number of them are minor bits that can just be replaced with a warm body, but a number of them also aren't:

Unrestricted free agents

• DE Al-Quadin Muhammad.
• TE Anthony Firkser.
• CB Arthur Maulet.
• CB Avonte Maddox.
• S Daniel Thomas.
• DT D.J. Reader.
• LB Grant Stuard.
• CB Jalen Mills.
• LT Jamarco Jones.
• WR Kalif Raymond.
• RT Kayode Awosika.
• LB Malcolm Rodriguez.
• DE Marcus Davenport.
• CB Rock Ya-Sin.
• TE Shane Zylstra.
• C Trystan Colon.
• LB Zach Cunningham.
• LB Zeke Turner.

The ones I bolded there I think you have to make every reasonable effort to resign because without them you're potentially missing a starter or first level of depth. (You could probably talk me out of Reader if you tried hard.)

The underlined players are ones I'd like to have back for depth at a reasonable price tag. (You could probably talk me into upgrading Raymond to bold for return man if you tried even a little bit.)

[Nate7474]

1 minute ago, sagnam said:

Same. But he’s #1 there.

There’s some good part time aging backs who might be interested in splitting carries to chase a ring. Someone like Aaron Jones for example. Also RB can be filled relatively easily in the middle to later rounds in the draft. 

[RedRamage]

12 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Furthermore, [Terrion Arnold] hasn't exactly been great as a starter when healthy and playing.

I don't think this is completely true. Just with the eye test I felt the same way but I know someone posted some stats to show that there was a marked difference in the defense's performance when he was on the field vs. when he wasn't.

That said, the legal questions are still a major unknown... and unfortunately there isn't any sort of client-employer privilege where Arnold could be completely, 100% honest about his involvement or non-involvement without worry that that could be used as evidence against him. So even if he tells the Lions he was 100% not involved in anyway they still have to figure out if they can trust him or not.

[lordstanley]

Take a Super Bowl contending team, subtract Ragnow and Joseph and Branch and put a big question mark around #1 pick Arnold. That's a significant challenge to overcome. The other stuff can be patched up by replacing bodies with bodies. 

Edited 4 hours ago by lordstanley

[sagnam]

1 hour ago, Nate7474 said:

There’s some good part time aging backs who might be interested in splitting carries to chase a ring. Someone like Aaron Jones for example. Also RB can be filled relatively easily in the middle to later rounds in the draft. 

Aaron Jones would be interesting, assuming he’s ok being #2. There will also be questions by any potential free agent about the split, last year would give anyone pause that their career could die here.

[sagnam]

2 hours ago, RedRamage said:

To me this doesn't give the full picture though... not your fault of course Tater, but I think we need to include all the potential losses until it's confirmed what's happening with them. Granted a number of them are minor bits that can just be replaced with a warm body, but a number of them also aren't:

Unrestricted free agents

• DE Al-Quadin Muhammad.
• TE Anthony Firkser.
• CB Arthur Maulet.
• CB Avonte Maddox.
• S Daniel Thomas.
• DT D.J. Reader.
• LB Grant Stuard.
• CB Jalen Mills.
• LT Jamarco Jones.
• WR Kalif Raymond.
• RT Kayode Awosika.
• LB Malcolm Rodriguez.
• DE Marcus Davenport.
• CB Rock Ya-Sin.
• TE Shane Zylstra.
• C Trystan Colon.
• LB Zach Cunningham.
• LB Zeke Turner.

The ones I bolded there I think you have to make every reasonable effort to resign because without them you're potentially missing a starter or first level of depth. (You could probably talk me out of Reader if you tried hard.)

The underlined players are ones I'd like to have back for depth at a reasonable price tag. (You could probably talk me into upgrading Raymond to bold for return man if you tried even a little bit.)

Raymond to the Bears.

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Motown Bombers]

Remember, Raymond and Anzalone were these day two/three bargain pickups that went on to have good careers with the Lions. They don’t have to break the bank on top free agents. 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[MichiganCardinal]

Raymond doesn’t move the needle for me the way Lopez and Robertson did.

He didn’t really have a place on the roster after TeSlaa was drafted. Presuming Vaki is the new return man?

[Motown Bombers]

 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Love the Pacheco signing. This is a really solid #2 RB to replace Montgomery.

[Longgone]

21 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

 

I'd like to see them do better than this, he's tough, sure, but other than that, there's not much to like. He's not a Montgomery replacement.

[MichiganCardinal]

21 minutes ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

Love the Pacheco signing. This is a really solid #2 RB to replace Montgomery.

 

15 minutes ago, Longgone said:

I'd like to see them do better than this, he's tough, sure, but other than that, there's not much to like. He's not a Montgomery replacement.

Who needs game day threads when we have offseason reaction threads?

[slothfacekilla]

I hope I'm wrong but Pacheco seems kind of cooked after all of his injuries.  Doesn't seem to have the same speed and doesn't force missed tackles.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

9 minutes ago, Longgone said:

I'd like to see them do better than this, he's tough, sure, but other than that, there's not much to like. He's not a Montgomery replacement.

We had the best 1-2 combo of RBs in the league. The only ones in my mind that came close to this were Walker/Charbonnet in Seattle and Robinson/Algiers in Atlanta. So we got spoiled thinking we could have damn 2, thousand yard rushers on a team and having two RB #1s on our roster. While Pacheco is a downgrade from Montgomery, almost everyone we could have realistically signed would have been. Pacheco has had seasons of over 900 yards and 7 TDs. He didn't look good last year for sure, but almost no one on KC's offense looked to be worth a damn. Their offense was bottom 20 for most of the season and didn't look that great before Mahomes went down. So I'm not putting to much of the burden their on Pacheco. He's 27, so he is getting old in RB years, but I don't think he's washed yet. On a 1-2 year deal at the right price, this could be a good value. I would have preferred Rico Dowdle to Pacheco, but he was signed already. We also weren't about to pay Canine what Kansas City is likely paying him and he probably wouldn't have signed here to split carries again anyways.

[Motown Bombers]

Montgomery was a luxury. When he signed, Jamaal Williams was a free agent and we had Swift. Swift struggled with injuries and hadn’t proven to be a number one yet. Gibbs is the number one and one of the three best backs in the league. This isn’t a 1A/1B situation anymore. This is clearly RB2. 

[1984Echoes]

A'Shawn Robinson released.

Sign him up as a rotational DT/ Depth-DT?

He's 31 so he's not getting a major starting gig... I think.

But he's been healthy and productive...

 

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by 1984Echoes

[sagnam]

That’s probably as good as you can hope for, Walker is probably one of the few backs that can expect a larger share of the touches than Gibbs here. Curious if the Chiefs had interest in resigning him. Don’t think I heard anything.

[Motown Bombers]

Keep in my the Lions have seven day three picks. They will likely draft a back. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

I get the concern that Pacheco only played in 7 games in 2024 and 13 games last year. He's also only had 4 seasons in the league and hasn't run all the tread off his tires. There are some backs with a heavy carry load and they are essentially burnt out by the time their first contract ends. Maybe it is a case that Pacheco has just had too many injuries over the last two years, but last season, he had a minor injury that caused him to miss 3 games in the middle of the season. He had a broken leg in 2024 that kept him out most of the year, but it was not an ACL/PCL rupture like a Nick Chubb had. His knee didn't explode or anything that serious. Maybe I'm being too dismissive, but the type of injuries he had versus that of a Nick Chubb who blew out his ACL, doesn't seem as serious.

[1984Echoes]

3 hours ago, Nate7474 said:

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. 

I could see this...

And I would love it too.

About time we get at least one CB above 6'.

Woolen at 6' 4" is not just a tall guy either... He can play.

[Motown Bombers]

I haven’t seen our friend Melifonwu sign anywhere. Could be good safety depth. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Did Jedrick Willis sign anywhere yet?

[1984Echoes]

4 hours ago, RedRamage said:

To me this doesn't give the full picture though... not your fault of course Tater, but I think we need to include all the potential losses until it's confirmed what's happening with them. Granted a number of them are minor bits that can just be replaced with a warm body, but a number of them also aren't:

Unrestricted free agents

• DE Al-Quadin Muhammad.
• TE Anthony Firkser.
• CB Arthur Maulet.
• CB Avonte Maddox.
• S Daniel Thomas.
• DT D.J. Reader.
• LB Grant Stuard.
• CB Jalen Mills.
• LT Jamarco Jones.
• WR Kalif Raymond.
• RT Kayode Awosika.
• LB Malcolm Rodriguez.
• DE Marcus Davenport.
• CB Rock Ya-Sin.
• TE Shane Zylstra.
• C Trystan Colon.
• LB Zach Cunningham.
• LB Zeke Turner.

The ones I bolded there I think you have to make every reasonable effort to resign because without them you're potentially missing a starter or first level of depth. (You could probably talk me out of Reader if you tried hard.)

The underlined players are ones I'd like to have back for depth at a reasonable price tag. (You could probably talk me into upgrading Raymond to bold for return man if you tried even a little bit.)

I'd like Malcolm, Maddox and Rock Ya-Sin back as 1st line of (backup) defense depth pieces. Zylstra too but I think Holmes/ DC will be looking for TE upgrades this offseason. 

Reader is a maybe to me...

Khalif already signed elsewhere and I think the Lions are relying on who they already have but also... to me... I'd rather not spend the money on Khalif if we are looking to shave some money somewhere. I think Holmes can find cheaper 6th/7th/UDFA's who specialize in the return game to replace him cheaply...

But it would definitely be beneficial to get Malcolm, Maddox & Ya-Sin back...

IMO.