The Detroit Lions benefited significantly from the NFL’s salary cap hike last week. When the new cap was revealed, it was greater than expected. As a result, Detroit will have more money to spend during the 2024 NFL offseason. General manager Brad Holmes has generally favoured acquiring young players through the NFL Draft, but he might use the extra money to bring an established veteran to the squad as the Lions attempt to maximize their competitive window. Appears on 97.1. On The Ticket’s ‘Costa and Jansen Show With Heather,’ Holmes kept his cards close to his chest while explaining his thought process ahead of free agency’s start date in March. “That is really relative in terms of — what is the larger fish? “We’ve been very strategic and selective with our resources,” Holmes explained.
“However, the definition of a bigger fish is somewhat subjective. I believe I have an idea because of the ‘name’, but it will be the same strategy that we have always taken since, as I mentioned in that press conference, it is simple to get the headlines. It’s simple to win in March. That’s simple to win, but hey, we’re trying to win December, and those are two very different viewpoints, and that’s how you have to plan and approach it.” There is some pressure on the franchise to capitalize on its 2023 run to the NFC Championship Game. However, Holmes isn’t feeling the heat and has no plans to adjust his attitude to the offseason.
“The reason I’m more—no, I don’t sense pressure or haste. “I said last offseason that we don’t want to go backwards,” Holmes added. “We want to keep improving, so we’ll adopt the same strategy. We’re not going backwards; we’re going to keep developing, and everything we’ve done so far has proven to be effective. We will respond to new conditions as needed, but our main attitude will not change.” Despite the rise, Holmes remains committed to his free agency strategy. The Lions have been meticulous in their external recruits and do not intend to make many changes from previous years in terms of decision-making. “I think the best way to say it is that you have to keep it in perspective and you have to keep it in mind,” he said. “Does it open up the chance that you would be able to do something you did not thought you would be able to do before? So when you’re budgeting for free agency ahead of time, especially if you’ve made a smart judgment about what you want to do internally with your own players in terms of re-signs and extensions.”
Detroit now has more options thanks to their improved salary cap situation. When it comes to external additions, the company has been quite consistent in its decisions, putting cultural fit first. With this in mind, the Lions’ general manager will most certainly continue to exercise caution when selecting players. Nonetheless, the amount of space allows them a variety of possibilities. “I think when you look externally, which I think that’s when you’ve got to be the most careful, when you go externally,” the head of the company said. “You might want to open up and say, ‘We can get another depth player here with an external add,’ or ‘We have a handful of players that we’re looking to add from the outside.'” Now that we have so much more available, maybe we may get a bigger fish, so there are many other ways to slice it. You just have to be careful of it and put it in perspective, but I don’t think you should cancel your plans.”
Being ‘one player away’ The Lions have positional needs that, if addressed, could make a significant difference. However, Holmes does not believe that the squad is only one player away from a Super Bowl win. Historically, the team has made a concerted effort to accumulate depth in order to adjust for the inevitable injuries and setbacks that occur during the NFL season. “Look, I’m not a big believer in — when you really look deeply into the one player away, when you look into that narrative, that’s really not realistic because what you’re saying is, you might sign that one player in March,” he said. “That one player looks good in black and white in the depth chart in March and April and all through the summer.” Prior to the 2023 season, Holmes acquired safety Ceedy Duce and cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. Both players suffered serious injuries and ended up missing the majority of the season. While not specifically referencing those circumstances, the GM stated that acquisitions do not always go as planned due to injuries. As a result, he intends to continue making strategic signings to enhance the club. “What if that one player is not available in October, November, or December?” Or you’re referring to one player in addition to the ones you currently have,” Holmes explained. “What if one of the players is available in October, November, and December but the others are not? That’s why you have to be a little cautious, because you only need to take one person. That is not something I strongly believe in.”
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