Recap of Lions major offseason losses after first week of free agency

When you look at the offseason player losses so far for the Lions, medical concerns appear to be a major factor for many of them. After a brutal season of defensive injuries, the Lions strategy this offseason may be to prioritize health and reliability. Here is an analysis of the most significant players lost after the first week of free agency.

Carlton Davis (13 of 18 games played)

Davis did not finish the season due to a jaw fracture. He also had minor injuries to many other body parts during the season including head, ribs, both shoulders, left knee, and left thumb fracture. The jaw will be healed up this offseason but there is a concern whether he may be a more tentative tackler in the future.

The Lions traded for him last offseason and probably were hoping to extend him at a reasonable salary. However, his multitude of injuries last season may have dampened the money and years the Lions were willing to offer.

OUTCOME: As an unrestricted free agent, Davis signed a 3-year contract with the Patriots that includes $34.5 million guaranteed, up to $54 million. The Lions replaced him by signing DJ Reed to 3-years, $32 million guaranteed, up to $48 million. Reed is the same age as Davis (28 years old) but has a lower medical concern going into next season.

Ifeatu Melifonwu (4 of 18 games played)

Melifonwu strained his hamstring late in the playoff game which was just one of the many significant injuries he suffered last year. An ankle or Achilles issue kept him out for the first 10 weeks. A hand fracture kept him out another five weeks.

While he was becoming an impactful player on the field the past two seasons, the Lions likely were concerned about his reliability.

OUTCOME: As an unrestricted free agent, Melifonwu signed a 1-year contract with the Dolphins that has $2.45 million guaranteed, per-game bonus up to $510,000, and incentives of up to $1 million. Despite his young age of 25, other teams must have been concerned about his reliability also, as he only got a short-term deal with a significant amount of incentives. The Lions currently don't have an obvious backup candidate at safety so look for them to sign or draft one in the near future.

Jalen Reeves-Maybin (11 of 18 games played)

An unspecified neck injury cost Reeves-Maybin seven games last season, but he was able to return for the final three games. A neck listing is worrisome for a spinal issue which could be a chronic problem.

He was a special teams captain in 2024 which is where he played the majority of his snaps. Based on how he was deployed at the end of the year, his value on defense may have been very limited going forward. In the playoff game, he only played six defensive snaps.

The combination of uncertain reliability of the neck along with limited value on defense may have pushed the Lions to move on from this 30 year old.

OUTCOME: Despite another year on his contract at a reasonable cap hit of $4.25 million, the Lions released Reeves-Maybin this offseason and took a dead cap of $2.25 million. He has yet to sign with another team. The Lions may have signed a younger, healthier replacement in Grant Stuard who is 26 years old and played in 100% of games the past two years.

Za'Darius Smith (18 of 18 games played)

The Lions traded for Smith from the Browns midway through the season. He was inactive for one game after the trade so he could get his bye week, but was otherwise available and healthy all year. He finished with nine sacks, four with the Lions.

OUTCOME: Smith was signed through 2025 so the Lions could have kept him for about $11 million. Despite a pressing need for pass rushers, the price must have been too high for his production as the Lions released him this offseason incurring no dead money. Although he was healthy last year, his age of 32 may have presented a reliability concern going forward. Currently, he is unsigned and there remains a chance he could return to the Lions at a lower salary.

Kevin Zeitler (16 of 18 games played)

The Lions signed Zeitler to a 1-year, $6 million deal last offseason which paid off with a mostly healthy and productive season. Late in the regular season finale, Zeitler strained his right hamstring which kept him out of the playoff game two weeks later. The hamstring shouldn't be an issue going forward.

OUTCOME: As an unrestricted free agent, Zeitler signed a 1-year, $9 million deal with the Titans this offseason. He is 35 years old so the Lions likely were looking to get younger and cheaper at the OG position. Christian Mahogany, whose age is 24 and cap hit is less than $1 million, might be poised to take over.

This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: Recapping the Lions losses from the 1st week of free agency