Four Point Plan For Detroit Lions Perfect 2026 Free Agency

The Detroit Lions have undergone a whirlwind of a week leading up to free agency.

General manager Brad Holmes has been active in recent days, starting with a trade that sent running back David Montgomery to the Houston Texans for draft picks and offensive lineman Juice Scruggs. Additionally, the Lions released center Graham Glasgow, and offensive tackle Taylor Decker shocked many by announcing that he has requested to be released.

As a result, the Lions' offseason priorities ahead of Dan Campbell's sixth year at the helm may have changed. Free agency may be more of a bigger priority in years past, as the team has pressing needs that may not all be solved by the NFL Draft.

Here is a four point plan for the Lions to have the perfect free agency period in their quest to return to playoff contention.

Restructure big contracts

The Lions have had some cap space come available with their recent moves, but still have some room to create even more space in the days leading up to free agency. Holmes has committed a hefty sum of money to extensions, and the books are starting to fill up.

However, the ability to restructure contracts gives the Lions some leeway to create cap space for contracts this offseason. They have plenty of money to move around, starting with quarterback Jared Goff's contract. Currently, Goff is set to have a cap hit of $69.6 million, but that money can be moved around into future years.

Additionally, the Lions could restructure the contracts of wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, defensive tackle Alim McNeill and offensive tackle Penei Sewell to create even more money. According to Over The Cap, the Lions have a maximum cap space of over $130 million by completing all of these restructures.

Unlike asking a player to take a pay cut, a restructure would allow players to still receive the full amounts of their contract. Detroit would be in a position to create plenty of room, and should maximize this ability in order to be active participants in free agency.

Sign C Tyler Linderbaum

The Lions are set to lose two key veteran starters on the offensive line, as Decker and Glasgow are both on the way out. With the money saved by their respective releases, plus some potential restructures, the Lions could be in a position to spend some money.

Right now, the biggest priority for the Lions relative to their identity under Campbell and Holmes would be to fortify their offensive line. That would start by cementing Tyler Linderbaum as their center of the future with a big contract.

Linderbaum won't come cheap, as Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta told reporters at the Combine that he has made a market-setting offer to the veteran. However, the Lions could put themselves in a big position to spend by shuffling money around as outlined in the previous step.

By adding Linderbaum, the Lions would be able to plug a Pro Bowl center into the middle of their offensive line. The Iowa product would be an ideal fit, and give the Lions the centerpiece that they missed last year after Frank Ragnow's retirement.

Extend pair of young stars

The Lions have multiple players who are up for contract extensions this year that are deserving of big new deals. However, with injuries the team may be more inclined to wait on both tight end Sam LaPorta and safety Brian Branch.

There may not be such reservations surrounding each of their 2023 first-round picks. Both running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell have developed into standouts at their respective positions, and the Lions would be wise to ink their long-term extensions this offseason.

Both Gibbs and Campbell play positions that have been somewhat devalued in recent years, but have shown they are more than deserving of a long-term commitment. Each has made big contributions to the team in their first three years, to the point where the Lions appear comfortable moving on from players such as Montgomery and linebacker Alex Anzalone.

Each player may command top of the market money, but Holmes has shown that he's willing to make these types of commitments to players who fit their mold in every way. Gibbs and Campbell check all of those boxes.

Add supplemental defensive depth

In this scenario, the signing of Linderbaum would take the Lions out of contention for one of the top EDGE rushers. As a result, Cincinnati's Trey Hendrickson is off the board and other top options such as Jaelan Phillips could be too.

Because of this, Holmes could go bargain hunting for supplementary options. Detroit should prioritize scheme fit when looking for external options, as has been their trademark, and there are several options who fit this bill.

A player like Tampa Bay's Logan Hall could be an ideal addition. Hall has experience playing for Detroit's defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers in Tampa Bay, and has the frame to play the big end role opposite of Hutchinson that the Lions like.

While Hall hasn't produced eye-popping stats, he's a player that fits the Lions' mold and one that could have success reuniting with Rodgers. In Rodgers' first year coaching the Lions' defensive line, the team produced 48 sacks and ranked tied-for-fourth in the league in that category.

If not Hall, a player like Boye Mafe could be another EDGE who fits the Lions' defensive mold albeit more as a pass-rusher and could be a nice compliment for Hutchinson.

Elsewhere, the Lions could have a need in the secondary. The safety position requires some depth as both Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch are nursing injuries that ended their respective seasons, while the cornerback position has some uncertainty along with Amik Robertson set to hit free agency.

At safety, players that make sense include Arizona's Jalen Thompson and New England's Jaylinn Hawkins. Meanwhile, the Lions may be wise to invest in another starting-caliber cornerback with Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw both having injury history.

Seattle has two intriguing options set to be free agents after their Super Bowl season, as both Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen could be targets for Detroit. Kader Kohou is a versatile corner with inside-outside versatility, but he missed all of last year with an injury and would come with risk of his own.