Pride of Detroit
The Detroit Lions will add players via free agency and the NFL Draft. Of the two, which one interests you the most?
As the NFL’s new year fast approaches, Detroit Lions fans await a wave of offseason moves. There could be some roster cuts or trades, but the real turning points in the offseason are free agency and the draft. Each franchise will look to reload or rebuild in the coming months, and the acquisitions made during this period can impact the league for years to come.
Between free agency or the draft, which one is more exciting or interesting? It all depends some combination of available assets and names. Some free agency periods have contracts in the hundred millions, while some drafts have immediate superstar-level talent. A good free agent signing can put your team over the top (the Philadelphia Eagles with Saquon Barkley) or it could harm your team for the near future (the Atlanta Falcons with Kirk Cousins). A top prospect could change the fortunes of a rebuild (Aidan Hutchinson for the Lions), but it could also mean a whiffing on a top pick and setting your franchise back for years (the New York Jets with Zach Wilson). There is also the mystery of which player or prospect will end up where—could your team be the one to bring them home?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Are you more interested in free agency or the NFL Draft?
My answer: the NFL Draft.
The Lions are entering an interesting phase of the Brad Holmes era. No longer do the Lions need constant contributions from their young draft picks. The 2024 draft class, for example, only resulted in one starter, Terrion Arnold—the rest were either depth or developmental moves. Picking late in the draft also has this effect, since you are no longer getting prospects to the caliber of Hutchinson or Penei Sewell. Picking later also means that your team is likely achieving some level of success, so you no longer need as many hits per draft.
By this logic, free agency could be the most important part of an offseason. Whereas prospects are unproven by nature, signing an experienced NFL player could instantly change the fortunes of a team by getting them over a talent hump. You do not need to wait for a player to develop, you can sign a known commodity for immediate relief—if you can afford it.
That last part is why I am more interested in the NFL Draft. On paper, there will be many big-name free agents signing with new teams, and that is something that is easy to get excited about. It is not without flaws, however. Think back to the year when the Lions signed Trey Flowers, Justin Coleman, Jesse James, and James Daniels in free agency—none of those players lived up to the initial hype or their sizeable contracts.
The draft is where teams build their foundation, and few general managers are as good as Holmes. The Lions went...
