How Detroit Lions' 2026 Roster is Worse Than Last Spring

The Detroit Lions completed their first day of organized team activities on Wednesday.

Detroit has three total sessions of OTAs this spring, each lasting three days at a time. During these practices, coach Dan Campbell will be able to analyze where the team needs to improve before training camp later this summer.

This offseason was one of big changes for Detroit. In addition to adding a new coordinator, they also parted ways with multiple veteran leaders.

Here are three ways the Lions' roster has gotten worse during the 2026 offseason.

Lost leadership

Detroit was forced to make some tough devisions with the salary cap in mind this offseason. These included electing not to re-sign linebacker Alex Anzalone and cutting offensive linemen Taylor Decker and Graham Glasgow.

Decker's departure may have been the most surprising, as he mulled retirement earlier in the offseason before announcing his intention to return. However, things changed quickly as the 10-year starter was released soon after due to a contract dispute.

Meanwhile, Anzalone was not re-signed after a public contract dispute prior to the season. He was a multi-year defensive captain and a core player in the team's resurgence, but ultimately signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

With these losses, the Lions will have to find new leaders within their locker room. Anzalone, Decker and Glasgow were all staples of the organization for several years. Detroit also traded David Montgomery, another leader in the locker room and productive player, to the Houston Texans.

Other notable departures include Roy Lopez and DJ Reader, the team's top two nose tackles. This could lead to an increased opportunity for Tyleik Williams.

In players like Penei Sewell and Jack Campbell, the Lions trust that they have the newest generation of leaders ready to take on that mantle. Performance from those two certainly backs that belief up, but ultimately until this year's team takes the field there will be questions.

Free agency risks

The Lions plugged many of their roster holes in free agency this year, but aside from one player those moves were all of the one-year variety. While several of these moves are nice on paper, there are some risks associated with some of the players from an injury perspective.

Players such as defensive end Payton Turner and safety Chuck Clark have missed entire seasons in recent years, while running back Isiah Pacheco also hasn't played a full season since his rookie year.

Detroit also accounted for some losses with players on one-year deals, namely offensive tackle Larry Borom. He has starting experience in his five NFL seasons, but Borom faces questions about his longevity and will compete for the job with first-round pick Blake Miller.

The investment into players on one-year contracts is not new to the organization, as Brad Holmes has had some success with this approach. However, it remains to be seen whether or not these moves work out in Detroit's favor.

Injury uncertainty

Detroit has some questions as it pertains to injuries to key players on their roster. While the outlook is optimistic on most, the timing of some of these injuries could put training camp availability in question.

Namely, Brian Branch is recovering from a torn Achilles suffered in December and with the timeline of the injury could miss the start of the season. Branch has been phenomenal throughout his first three seasons, but it will be interesting to see how he recovers from the injury.

Additionally, the safety position also has questions facing Kerby Joseph. The safety is reportedly dealing with a chronic knee issue, and missed the final 11 games of the season recovering last year. Time will tell whether he's able to recover that ability that made him an All-Pro safety in 2023.

If these injury concerns turn out to be overblown, then it changes the overall ceiling of the team. Having the best versions of Branch and Joseph give Detroit a top-tier safety duo, and would boost the team's chances of having a resurgent campaign after last year's disappointment.

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