The Detroit Lions are in a spot where every roster move gets a little more scrutiny. With the cap getting tighter and the draft capital no longer sitting in the top 10 of every round, Brad Holmes has to keep threading the needle. One wrong swing, and things can unravel fast.
That’s why the value side of free agency matters so much for this team. This offseason made that pretty clear: the Lions brought in more than 15 external free agents, and only two of them carried an annual value of $5 million or more. It’s an aggressive version of a strategy Holmes has leaned on since arriving in 2021 - stay disciplined on outside spending, then use the savings to keep the core intact.
So when you look back at the Holmes era, the question becomes simple: which deal has been the best bargain?
A few jump out right away. Alex Anzalone’s first contract with the Lions, a one-year, $1.75 million deal in 2021, and then his one-year, $2.25 million deal the following year, look like outrageous value in hindsight. Josh Reynolds also belongs in the conversation after landing on a two-year, $6 million deal that turned into a steal.
The running back room has given Holmes some strong candidates too. Jamaal Williams’ two-year, $6 million contract was a huge win, and David Montgomery also beat his three-year, $18 million deal - though not the extension that came after it.
More recently, the Lions got strong return on Amik Robertson’s two-year, $9.25 million deal, and Kevin Zeitler’s one-year, $6 million contract from the same offseason also looks like money well spent. Last year brought another batch of low-cost additions that could prove useful, including Roy Lopez at $3.5 million, Rock Ya-Sin at $1.17 million, and Avonte Maddox at $1.42 million.
There are also several deals from this year that could end up in the bargain category, but it’s too early to know for sure.
So what’s the best value signing of the Brad Holmes era - a free-agent pickup, a re-signing, or an extension?
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