On Saturday, we discussed our favorite Detroit Lions moves of free agency’s opening week. Now, let’s turn the tables.
I don’t think it’s a secret that many Lions fans have not been pleased with the way things have gone. Detroit has been relatively inactive, and with more roster vacancies than most teams right now (Detroit is 31st in player signed right now), it’s been hard to stay patient for a team that took a step back last year. That’s especially true when Detroit’s edge defender room has been woefully unaddressed—a position that fans have been desperately wanting to be upgraded for years now.
So let’s throw “haven’t added an edge” out of this question, because we all get it. We all know that the room still needs several additions, and it will almost certainly happen in the upcoming week.
Instead, let’s focus on the moves the Lions did make. While Detroit’s scouting department has undoubtedly done a lot more work than we have as outside individuals, that doesn’t mean we have to like every move they make.
So today’s Question of the Day is:
What has been your least favorite Lions free agency move so far?
My answer: The one-year, $5 million given to Larry Borom.
Don’t get me wrong, Detroit has needed to invest in that OT3 spot for a while now. And while we all loved Dan Skipper for the passion and energy he put out there, he was a spot the team could have afforded to upgrade for several seasons now. He did come a lot cheaper, but the Lions also got what they paid for.
As pointed out by Erik Schlitt this weekend, Borom’s contract—while certainly a bigger investment than Detroit typically makes in this position and a significant raise from Borom’s last contract (one year, $2.5M)—is actually right in line with the market for swing tackles in the league.
The problem is, I’m not sure his talent warrants such a designation. Admittedly, I may be a little clouded from watching Aidan Hutchinson torture Borom in joint practices last year. He was pretty awful those two days, and that has left a pretty strong impression on me.
But the PFF grades from his 11 starts last year don’t look too poor—particularly as a pass blocker, where he graded above 70 in seven of his final nine games. In fact, from Week 5 on, Borom’s 82.1 pass blocking grade ranked him FIFTH among all offensive tackles with at least 200 snaps—that’s a few spots higher than Penei Sewell’s 79.6 grade.
Okay, right, I was supposed to talk about why I didn’t like this move. Well, for one, that stretch last year appears to be a bit of an anomaly. He didn’t post a single-game pass blocking grade above 70 in 2024, and he posted a 45.2 pass blocking grade in 2023, including an eight-pressure game against the Commanders. The closest stretch to last year was in 2022, where he finished with a 69.9 pass blocking grade, including four starts with a grade over 70.
And as a run blocker, he’s never graded out well. While run blocking isn’t quite as important for a tackle as it is for an interior offensive lineman, Detroit has historically relied on their tackles to be more involved than most offenses.
If this all sounds like a relatively weak argument for my least favorite move, you’re right. In a vacuum, I don’t really hate any individual moves. But in an offseason in which this front office has been very tight with their money, it’s a little strange to see them increase their spending on an offensive tackle they likely hope never sees the field behind, presumably, a highly-drafted rookie tackle. It certainly seems like going with another bargain at tackle (like Stone Forsythe’s one-year, $2 million deal or the many remaining free agent tackles who could get less) while spending more on defense to offset all of the losses would have been a better use of resources.
It’s admittedly nitpicky, but that’s all we can do this time of year.
Were there any free agent signings from the Lions that you didn’t particularly like? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.
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