Lions GM Brad Holmes addressed one of the big complaints about his actions in his second offseason. During a session with some local Detroit media at the NFL owners’ meeting in Florida, Holmes responded to the charge that he’s not done enough to improve the team in free agency.
“When I hear that people wanted us to get more external help, it’s just, the grass is not always greener and then you kind of know who the culture fits are and who aren’t,” Holmes told reporters. “But we’re really happy with the guys that we brought back. Again, it’s a testament to our organization about the guys that wanted to come back and the production they had last year.”
The Lions have brought back 15 players from last year’s team, including 11 unrestricted free agents. The names include both reserve QBs, Tim Boyle and David Blough, as well as wide receivers Josh Reynolds and Kalif Raymond. It’s been a point of contention when the team has available cap room to seek out upgrades in free agency. Thus far, the Lions have added just WR DJ Chark, LB Chris Board, TE Garrett Griffin, CB Mike Hughes and former Lions first-round flop, LB Jarrad Davis. Only Chark and perhaps Board project to start.
Holmes continued, expanding upon the point of why the team values continuity so much.
“I totally understand, from especially our fans’ perspective, that you say, ‘Look man, 3-win team, why are you bringing back the same players?’ But as much work as we put into the production that those players had in our system, and then having that continuity with the coaching staff coming back as well, there’s a lot of optimism for that. And again, it’s still being aggressive. It’s just that it’s not always saying that you’re not being aggressive if you’re not going the external route.”
This comment struck me personally, because I am one of those who has been openly critical of the plan to bring back so many players who were big parts of the team finishing an unacceptable 3-13-1 a year ago. I watched players like Boyle and Alex Anzalone prove they just weren’t good enough when given ample chances.
Why not try someone else who has proven they’re better, albeit in a different organization and system? It’s something I’ve asked repeatedly. I’m glad Holmes addressed it directly. He believes in the coaching staff and the culture. He believes that continuity and cohesion matter more than change for the sake of change.
To be clear, I’m not as frustrated with the lack of free agent imports as I am with the seeming urgency and prominent valuation of eminently replaceable players from a year ago. Was the league really beating down the door to sign Boyle or Raymond or Anzalone (yes, Anzalone did say he had other offers)? The reason so many fans want the team to draft a wideout (or two), a linebacker (or two) and a new quarterback is precisely because those very players Holmes coveted to bring back didn’t get the job done a year ago.
Holmes answered the question and did so honestly. It’s awesome that he, and the Lions organization as a whole, shows deep faith in the long-term plan and the coaching acumen of Dan Campbell and his coaching staff chock full of former players. I still question just how much juice he believes they can squeeze out of the lemons, but at least there’s an adherence to an actual plan — a smartly conceived plan that plays to the strengths of the staff. Player development and cultural fits absolutely matter, and that’s what Campbell is all about. The players they brought back, while of limited talent, buy into that culture. That needs to matter, probably more than folks like me would like to acknowledge.
Good on Holmes for defending his position and explaining why the Lions are making a lot of us scratch our heads with some of the decisions the team has made in 2022.
