If you haven’t been paying attention to Brad Holmes’ comments this postseason, then you may have felt a bit uneasy during or after Day 1 of NFL free agency. Holmes has said many times that the moves made in these months are to win in December, not to win March, April or May, and that every signing or move that wasn’t made is very intentional.
The Detroit Lions got started early with the re-signing of Graham Glasgow, which felt like a very expected move, and they got him for an extremely cheap deal when you compare it to some of the other moves that were made around the league. Once legal tampering started at noon, things were quiet for a bit, but after a few hours, the Lions made their moves, signing defensive end Marcus Davenport to a one-year deal, and acquiring cornerback Carlton Davis from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers via trade.
To me, the best move of the day was bringing back Glasgow for three more years. There was a big question mark looming over the interior offensive line with both Glasgow and Jonah Jackson hitting free agency, and I think they handled it perfectly when it came to those two players. Glasgow’s deal seems very inexpensive and team friendly (three years, $20 million), while Jackson ended up signing with the Rams on a three-year, $51 million dollar deal. I think the Lions made the right call letting him walk.
After seeing a few big names get signed elsewhere, the Lions finally got the ball rolling with the Davenport signing, which seems like the most polarizing move so far. Lions fans gave the move a “C” grade in our poll Monday, likely because of the contract coming in slightly more expensive than expected. But it’s a one-year deal, so I really don’t see the harm here, and the Lions still have plenty of money to fill out the rest of the roster. If Davenport does end up getting closer to the $10 million mark of his deal, then that’s really great for the Lions, since it means he had a solid year. If he was making $6+ million AAV on a multi-year deal, I’d probably be singing a different tune, but I am more than okay with this move.
And finally, the trade between the Lions and Bucs for Carlton Davis. This was an unexpected, but welcome addition. The Lions needed a starting corner that could help them transition back to some more man-coverage, and Davis fits the bill. The Lions faced Davis and the Bucs twice last year and got a taste of his skillset first hand. He played especially well down the stretch for the Bucs, and the Lions really could have used some of that strong play for their postseason run last year.
Overall, I’m pretty satisfied with the moves that Holmes made and I’m excited to see what other moves he’s cooking up. Unless the Lions land DJ Reader, I wouldn’t expect any splash moves as Holmes continues to stick to his identity and beliefs. I have nothing but trust in that man.
