Imagine a world where the Detroit Lions spend big to construct as close to a contender as they possibly can, without giving up draft capital or valuable players in the process.
It's a pretty unlikely vision given their cap situation, but it's one that Brad Holmes is going to have to consider with their Super Bowl window, as far as he says, is open. They have the quarterback. They have the star receiver, and the star running back. They still, despite injuries, have a fairly solid foundation in their secondary, and a star pass rusher.
They desperately need to add to their trenches, though, and that's what Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano and Matt Verderame predict to be the Lions' focus this offseason. In their projected landing spots for the top 50 free agents this offseason, both writers contend that Detroit could snag four huge names off the market: Jaelan Phillips, Devin Lloyd, Khalil Mack, and Connor McGovern.
Lions predicted to be in the mix for 4 huge free agent targets
Phillips is the top free agent on this list with a connection to Detroit, with Manzano writing of the Philadelphia Eagles' pass rusher:
"Phillips, 26, made the most of his new surroundings after being traded from Miami to Philadelphia. He appeared to have regained his top form after dealing with significant injuries the past few seasons, including a ruptured Achilles in 2023 and a torn ACL last year. In the regular season, Phillips had five sacks, 14 QB hits and 53 combined tackles. Overall, Phillips has 28 career sacks in five seasons."
Phillips was a name some writers had floated during last year's trade deadline as a perfect target for Detroit, but maybe they could sense that the season wasn't going to be worth the squeeze of a mid-season trade. Phillips is now available for the right price, though.
An interesting name attached to the Lions is Lloyd, who is now a free agent after spending his last four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He's a bit more of a ballhawk at linebacker than Jack Campbell, and could be a great compliment to the secondary in that way if the Lions lose Alex Anzalone in free agency.
Of course, the two huge names here are Mack and McGovern. McGovern solves a ton for Detroit up front, adding some excellent pass blocking and decent enough run blocking to unlock the game of Jahmyr Gibbs once again. However, recent rumblings from Detroit Free Press's Dave Birkett seem to suggest that the Lions are looking to add to their guard room, not at center, this free agency.
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That's because they have Tate Ratledge potentially on board to take over up the middle.
Mack would be a huge veteran injection to the Lions' defensive front, but he's about to be entering his 13th season. Can some regression be expected from the pass rusher after he had a 5.5 sack and four forced fumbles season with the Los Angeles Chargers? Or, is Detroit willing to take the gamble in order to have an experienced edge next to Aidan Hutchinson?
In a draft deep at the edge position, it feels unlikely that the Lions spend big at the position unless it's for someone like Phillips - young and peaking. As of now, from this pool of top free agents linked to Detroit by Manzano and Verderame, just Phillips and Lloyd feel like they have the potential to actually get targeted with big money.