While free agency can be an avenue for NFL teams to rapidly improve their roster, it also comes at a literal cost. Teams have to weigh the financial burden that comes with re-signing players. Often times, it is an impasse that leads to players leaving, either due to their desire to get more money or a team’s desire to spend elsewhere.
The Detroit Lions are no exception, and with the bulk of free agency behind us, their roster has become a bit clearer entering the home stretch before the NFL Draft. They signed and re-signed a fair few players, but it is difficult to upgrade your roster at every spot. Which positions did the Lions improve upon?
Today’s Question of the Day is:
Which positions have the Detroit Lions upgraded or downgraded in free agency?
My answers: Let’s go position by position.
Quarterback: Although Kyle Allen was a surprising bright spot in preseason last year, Teddy Bridgewater should be an unquestioned upgrade, even if his contract details are not yet known. He is a known commodity as a dependable backup with unquestioned leadership in the locker room. Upgrade.
Running back: Your opinion on whether replacing David Montgomery with Isiah Pacheco was good or bad comes down to three aspects—cost, reliability, and talent—and which ones you value most. Cost-wise, Pacheco is cheaper than Montgomery, plus the Lions got draft capital and Juice Scruggs from the Houston Texans. However, there is a level of reliability that you lose with Pacheco over Montgomery. Pacheco has battled injuries over the previous three seasons, which does not bode well when coupled with his aggressive running style. However, he has youth on his side and will be well suited for an RB2 role. Montgomery, meanwhile, has a lot of wear and tear over his soon-to-be eight seasons in the NFL. Pacheco over his first two seasons was a more explosive runner than Montgomery as well. For now, it’s a net zero, but I see the upside. Lateral.
Wide receiver: The only real change is swapping Kalif Raymond with Greg Dortch. Raymond was once a key contributor in the Lions offense, but he was clearly near the bottom of the pecking order in 2026. Coming off one of his worst seasons as a punt returner, it made sense for the Lions to go younger. Dortch has been a steady, if modest, contributor for the Arizona Cardinals, but he can still serve as an adequate replacement for Raymond on offense. Not only is he a good punt returner, but he has also been a frequent kick returner as well—something Raymond did not do. I view this as an improvement. Upgrade.
Tight end: They added Tyler Conklin to solidify the tight end depth chart. Even after a poor 2025 campaign with the Los Angeles Chargers, Conklin has a track record as a capable depth piece. At best, he wins the TE2 spot from Brock Wright, while at worst he’s an improvement at TE3 over the likes of Shane Zylstra or Anthony Firsker. Upgrade.
Offensive tackle: Without knowledge of how the 2026 NFL Draft will pan out, this has to be a downgrade for the Lions. If the Lions were to add a tackle prospect early in the draft, then Larry Borom would unquestionably be an upgrade over Dan Skipper as OT3. However, as the roster currently stands, Borom is the Lions’ starting tackle. Even if you had concerns about Taylor Decker’s injuries or declining play, Borom is still a step down from the former Lion. Downgrade.
Interior offensive line: With the signing of Cade Mays, the Lions appear to be locked in with him, Tate Ratledge, and one of Christian Mahogany, Miles Frazier, or Scruggs along the interior—barring an early draft pick. While I believe that Mays is an upgrade over Graham Glasgow, there is a level of uncertainty given Mays’ lack of track record. However, I think that the addition of him and Scruggs (as a backup center) outweigh the losses of Glasgow, Trystan Colon, and Kayode Awosika—although the latter two are still free agents and could still return. Upgrade.
Defensive end: Can you really downgrade from the bottom of the barrel? Sure, the loss of Al-Quadin Muhammad is disappointing, but he was clearly not the solution at edge that Detroit needed last season. DJ Wonnum is an experienced, more rounded edge defender than Muhammad, albeit with a lower ceiling as a pass rusher (though he does have two eight-sack seasons to his name). As for Payton Turner, his signing invokes some negativity caused by his similarity to Marcus Davenport, though unlike Davenport, Turner is not expected to be a starter from the get-go. I actually think that Wonnum and Turner could be solid depth options over Muhammad, Josh Paschal, and Tyrus Wheat, but it feels wrong to say that the Lions upgraded here—they still need help. Lateral.
Defensive tackle: Roy Lopez signed with the Arizona Cardinals, while DJ Reader remains unsigned. Aside from re-signing Myles Adams, the Lions have done nothing at defensive tackle. It’s not necessarily a concerning downgrade, but there’s no other way to describe it. Downgrade.
Linebacker: Much like at defensive tackle, the Lions lost a starter without adding much in return. Unlike at defensive tackle, Alex Anzalone was nearly an every-down player for the Lions defense, leaving Detroit with a massive number of snaps to replace. While I like the signing of Damone Clark, leaning on him or Malcolm Rodriguez to replace Anzalone is a big ask—though it could mean a reduction from three linebacker sets in general. Downgrade.
Cornerback: Amik Robertson may have been priced out of Detroit, but Detroit got an arguably equal replacement for a fraction of the price with Roger McCreary. While McCreary lacks the outside versatility that Robertson brought, he should be the frontrunner for the nickel spot. While I still believe that Robertson is a better player than his 2025 season showed, I am satisfied with how the Lions addressed the vacancy. Lateral.
Safety: As Christian Izien can play at either safety or nickel, his role in 2026 is still unclear, so calling him a safety could be a stretch. However, with the status of Brian Branch in question after an Achilles tear, Izien looks like he could be the short-term replacement. As it stands, the player is Izien is replacing is Avonte Maddox, but as the veteran is still unsigned, Maddox returning to Detroit is not out of the question. If Maddox doesn’t come back, Izien is a lateral move. If Maddox does return, then I view this as a solid upgrade to the secondary. Lateral.
Do you agree with my assessment of the upgrades and downgrades from free agency? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.
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