All Lions: Should Detroit Prioritize Free Agency or Draft?

Will Lions be big spenders in free agency?

The Detroit Lions have high expectations facing them in 2024. 

After a mesmerizing run to the NFC Championship Game, they are now viewed among the top contenders to represent the NFC in next year's Super Bowl. They have multiple holes to address, though, and this offseason will be a pivotal one as their championship window opens. 

With the increase in cap space this year, the Lions will have the necessary funds to make moves in free agency. Whether or not they do remains to be seen, and they very well could elect to prioritize the NFL Draft in April when it comes to roster building. 

Trevor Sikkema and Brad Spielberger of the NFL Stock Exchange Podcast debated whether or not the Lions should be aggressive in free agency this offseason. Spielberger said Detroit should target the trenches, should the organization choose to upgrade its roster in free agency. 

“I think trenches for them. If they do spend, it’ll be trenches on both sides of the ball. Both of their guards from this past year, Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow, are pending free agents," Speilberger explained. "Obviously, Glasgow is kind of a veteran at this point and Jackson, the young piece who some people think is gonna get a monster deal. I’m a little bit lower on him than most."

Additions would be warranted on both sides of the ball up front. Another area the team could target is the defensive backfield. 

“Yeah, I think they either go there or, again, can you add alongside Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill in the trenches? And then, of course, DB's. They go out and sign Chauncey Gardner-Johnson, basically misses almost the entire season," Spielberger said. "Same with Emmanuel Moseley, which was tough because if those two guys play, that secondary is not quite as bad as we kind of made it out to be. They are a draft-and-develop franchise. I do think we’ll see a little bit of Brad Holmes though, and his end-of-season press conference was awesome. But, like, there’s not always a philosophy for the sake of a philosophy."

As both hosts pointed out, the Lions have a prime opportunity to strengthen their roster ahead of what could be a Super Bowl push in the coming years. 

"A lot of times, it’s like understanding the context of your roster. This team right now, if it aligns well with a marquee free agent, they should strike," Spielberger explained. "They’re a really good football team, they’re a clear cut top-five team in the NFC. It’s not a good conference. Abandon your precedence at times, and I think this offseason could be one of them.” 

PFF Ranks Lions' Jared Goff 10th among NFL Quarterbacks

Here are other storylines surrounding the Detroit Lions on Feb. 25. 

• Hosts Mike Valenti and Rico Beard of 97.1 The Ticket explained the increased cap space and why they believe it gives Brad Holmes no excuse to not spend in free agency.
• Newly-signed defensive lineman Mathieu Betts joined the "Donnie and Dhali Show," hosted by Don Taylor and Rick Dhaliwal, to discuss his journey through the CFL and signing with the Lions.
• Tyler Dunne examined the Lions' decisions on Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown's extension as part of a mailbag for GoLongTD.com
• Lions defensive tackle Alim McNeill visited an elementary school in North Carolina last week, discussing with young students his journey to the NFL.

In our classrooms we are learning about Athlete Leaders Of Socials Change, and what better way to learn then from connecting to it the real world. We had the honor of hearing from a WCPSS product about his journey to the NFL. THANK YOU SO MUCH! @AlimMcneill pic.twitter.com/dTeRlsVYfE

— Tashyra Fowler (@ms_fowler_) February 23, 2024