PALM BEACH, Fla. - By forgoing a vacation, the Detroit Lions are hoping to get to paradise.
That's the analogy Lions general manager Brad Holmes used Monday when discussing the team's quiet approach to the offseason.
"There's a discipline," Holmes said at the NFL's annual spring meeting at The Breakers hotel. "Like this analogy popped in my head this morning of that you have financial responsibilities. You have a mortgage or your kids' college fund, your 529. You have your insurance you have to pay. You know you have to pay those things, but that might require you can't take the vacation you really want right now this summer.
"And so that's kind of where we are right now is that we have so many of these young players that have been on rookie deals and we've been enjoying the impact that they've all been bringing. But now a bill is coming and what you spend this year, it's going to impact next year. It even impacts 2027. So that's the discipline that we have to adhere to."
The Lions went 15-2 last season, tied for the best record in the NFL, but have done little so far to upgrade a roster that dealt with massive injuries last season and suffered an unexpected divisional round playoff loss to the Washington Commanders.
The Lions signed just one premium free agent in cornerback D.J. Reed, a replacement for the departed Carlton Davis, and otherwise focused on adding depth and re-signing their own free agents.
They kept Derrick Barnes, Levi Onwuzurike, Marcus Davenport and Tim Patrick, among others, signed rotational pieces for their defensive line (Roy Lopez), linebacking corps (Grant Stuard) and secondary (Avonte Maddox), and lost Davis, starting guard Kevin Zeitler and pass rusher Za'Darius Smith.
Holmes said he was "more than happy with how free agency went" and said the Lions were able to re-sign more of their own key free agents than expected considering the soaring cornerback market.
Davis signed a three-year, $54 million deal with the New England Patriots, ...
