Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes isn’t shying away from the conversation around his roster-building habits. The criticism has been pretty clear: too many of the players he’s brought in have had injury histories, and the Lions have felt the effects of that over the past couple of seasons, especially on defense.
Holmes addressed that issue with local reporters earlier this week, and his answer was blunt. He pointed out that injuries can hit anyone, whether a player has a long medical file or not.
"Look, football's a physical game and injuries occur and so injuries are, yeah, some guys have had them in the past, some have not," said Holmes. "You can sign a player that's never really missed much time, and something can happen at any point. So, you just understand the risk whenever you make an acquisition of any player and know that anything can happen at any time.
"That's our job up here to make sure that we have succession plans and different points where you can pivot in place in case that happens.”
That approach has shown up in a few of Detroit’s recent personnel moves. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley returned for the 2024 season even after tearing his ACL in 2023, and that wasn’t even his first such injury - he had suffered the same setback the year before with the San Francisco 49ers. Then, in 2024, Moseley landed back on injured reserve after tearing a pectoral muscle.
The same pattern has played out along the defensive line. Marcus Davenport came into Detroit with injury concerns already attached to his name, missed most of the 2024 season, and was re-signed anyway. He still couldn’t stay on the field enough to help the defense in 2025.
This year brought another example with Payton Turner, who was unable to show much of anything after a back injury kept him out for most of training camp.
And the injury list hasn’t stopped there. Christian Izien, Cade Mays and Isiah Pacheco are all dealing with injuries that will keep them away from practice before the season begins.
In Other News...
Lions Suddenly Need Backfield Help Before Week 1
The Lions backfield picture got thinner just as the season is about to begin, with Isiah Pacheco landing on injured reserve and set to miss at least the first four games. That leaves Detroit looking for help behind Jahmyr Gibbs, and the current plan has Jacob Saylors stepping into the RB2 role for now.
Detroit is already weighing outside options to shore up the depth chart, with Trayveon Williams, Raheem Mostert and Antonio Gibson among the names in the mix. It is the kind of early-season adjustment that can change quickly, but for the moment the Lions are clearly treating running back as a spot that needs reinforcement before Week 1. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Sent A Clear Message With One Surprise Pass Rush Decision
Brad Holmes made it clear this summer that Eric ONeills path onto the Lions initial 53-man roster was about more than filling a camp body spot. The undrafted free agent earned attention with his playmaking instincts, his ability to handle multiple roles and the way he fit the culture Detroit has built under Holmes and Dan Campbell, all traits that matter for a team trying to keep its edge up front.
Ray Agnew has also pointed to the defensive line as one of the rosters real strengths heading into the season, and it is easy to see why. With Alim McNeill, Aidan Hutchinson, Tyleik Williams, D.J. Wonnum and Derrick Moore in the mix, the Lions have loaded up on talent and depth, which makes ONeills presence even more notable. It is the kind of surprise pass-rush decision that says as much about Detroits standards as it does about one young players rise. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Face A Real Receiver Dilemma With Two Roster Spots Open
The Lions still have some flexibility to sort through at wide receiver after trimming their group to four and opening up two roster spots. With depth always a priority in a long season, Detroit is at least looking at ways to add another body to the room, and veteran Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has emerged as one possibility after spending time on the Colts practice squad.
Westbrook-Ikhine brings six years of NFL experience and has worked as an outside receiver, which gives him a clear fit in Detroits offensive mix. The question is whether the Lions want that kind of addition more than a player who can also help in the return game, and with those two openings still available, the front office has a little room to decide what matters most. [Read more 🡒]