Pride of Detroit
A look back at the Detroit Lions’ biggest roster moves of 2024—and whether GM Brad Holmes made the right decision.
Based on our most recent approval poll, most Detroit Lions fans are pretty darn happy with the job General Manager Brad Holmes is doing. He’s currently sitting on a 96 percent approval rating—which is actually the lowest it’s been in nearly three years. That just goes to show you how high the bar Holmes has set for himself.
Much of the focus when discussing Holmes is his stellar draft record, but his job extends far beyond that. So, let’s look back at the 2024 season and re-grade all of his significant roster moves throughout the year.
It was a mixed bag for the Lions’ free agent swings—but certainly more good than bad.
On the positive side, the Zeitler contract was an absolute steal. Detroit received top-five guard play from Zeitler while paying him money closer to that of the 20th-best guard. Detroit also got savvy contributions from Robertson. While he was only credited with four starts last year, he was essentially the team’s starting nickel—playing in at least 17 snaps in every single game. And when the Lions got shorthanded on the outside, Robertson did a fantastic job filling in—including when he helped shut Justin Jefferson down in the regular season finale. Then there was Detroit’s dice roll with kicker Jake Bates. Despite an up-and-down training camp, Bates may have turned out to be the team’s biggest bargain. Bates’ average per year of $990,000 currently ranks 39th out of active NFL kickers, and he proceeded to 26-of-29 last year, including a few game-winners and six made kicks of 50+ yards.
The Marcus Davenport gamble, however, did not pay off. Detroit took a mild swing with the oft-injured defensive end, and he lasted just two games before being placed on season-ending injured reserve.
The jury is still out on whether the Reader deal was worth it. It was a relatively quiet year for the nose tackle, but that could have been expected. For one, nose tackle play is always relatively quiet, but Reader was also coming off a torn quad and forced to take on a bigger role due to injuries around him. With a full offseason to focus on football, a jump in play in 2025 could justify that contract.
Free agency adds grades: B
Free agency isn’t just about the players you add. Sometimes, it’s about which players you let walk and which you re-sign. From this shortlist, you...
