We’re about a month away from the official start of the 2024 league year. For the Detroit Lions, this offseason will be about moving forward. They came so close to a Super Bowl appearance. The wound is still fresh. Everything from here on out is about getting there and winning it all.
But for all the strides the Lions made, the roster is far from perfect. There are obvious holes on defense. There are internal free agents who could walk, positions of need to address and extension candidates to prioritize. It’s an important couple of months for key Lions decision-makers.
They face a number of roster questions on their path to February football. Let’s discuss.
Can the Lions find a No. 1 cornerback?
The Lions thought they put a Band-Aid on their cornerback woes last offseason, signing Cam Sutton and Emmanuel Moseley in free agency. However, Moseley wasn’t ready to begin the season, recovering from a torn ACL. He would eventually suffer a torn ACL in his other knee, in his first game as a Lion. Jerry Jacobs got the nod in his absence, but struggled mightily and was eventually benched for Kindle Vildor, who wasn’t much better. Sutton was perhaps the biggest disappointment, struggling as Detroit’s de facto No. 1 corner — particularly in the season’s second half.
From Week 10 through the conference championship, here’s how Detroit corners ranked in terms of passer rating when targeted (minimum 20 percent of snaps played).
| PLAYER | PASSER RATING | RANK |
|---|---|---|
|
151.1 |
3rd worst |
|
|
140.4 |
8th worst |
|
|
135.0 |
11th worst |
For those reasons and more, the Lions must upgrade the cornerback position. That might’ve happened last year, had Devon Witherspoon (drafted fifth overall) been there at No. 6 or Christian Gonzalez (drafted 17th) at No. 18. It is too important a position in the modern NFL. In a corner-heavy draft with four top-100 picks, the Lions should have options. Getting a No. 1 corner, through the draft or free agency, should allow Sutton to improve as a No. 2 option. It could also create more coverage sacks for the defensive line.
No matter how it gets done, the Lions need more here.
Will the Lions find a running mate for Aidan Hutchinson?
Aidan Hutchinson is coming off a Pro Bowl year with 101 pressures and 11 1/2 sacks during the regular season. But he can’t do it alone.
For as great as Hutchinson was, there were times he’d win his individual matchup, but the edge opposite of him did not. The Lions don’t have many edge rushers who can win regularly. James Houston was one, but he suffered a fractured ankle in Week 2 and didn’t return until the NFC Championship Game, and is limited against the run. Charles Harris was ineffective and later benched by the coaching staff, and Romeo Okwara has not looked the same since he suffered a torn Achilles, even in a limited role. Both are now free agents. Josh Paschal was solid against the run and the Lions love his inside-out versatility, but he isn’t known as a pure pass rusher. The Lions were so desperate for pass-rush help from edge rushers that they brought in 36-year-old Bruce Irvin just for a spark.
If the Lions can add to the edge position, it could have a trickle-down effect. Hutchinson will have less attention and improve. The secondary will be better with quarterbacks having less time to throw. And the Lions’ defense as a whole could take the necessary step forward.
Cornerback and edge feel like Detroit’s two biggest needs. It’ll be fascinating to see how those positions are addressed.
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Who starts at guard in 2024?
Detroit’s two starting guards, Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow, are both free agents. While the Lions would love to have both back, there will be a market for both players, given the shortage of quality linemen in the NFL.
Jackson has youth on his side, which should help him land a more lucrative contract. He’s been named a Pro Bowler in the past and is a very good left guard when healthy. But injuries have forced him to miss 10 games over the last two seasons, playoffs included. He’s likely looking at $10-plus million a year at least, and given his age (just turned 27), he should be able to land a long-term deal — whether that’s with the Lions or another team.
While he’s due for a raise as well, Glasgow will likely be easier to retain. He’ll be 32 when the 2024 season begins, and likely won’t command the money that Jackson could receive. Glasgow chose to return a year ago to play with some of his closest friends. He then emerged as starter, had a strong season and now has a good thing going in Detroit. He sounds like a player who values environment at this stage of his career. The Lions offer that, and it certainly doesn’t hurt knowing they have the look of a Super Bowl contender.
If only one guard returns, this would be a prime spot to draft an offensive lineman early. The Lions have Colby Sorsdal, but he could need more seasoning as a Day 3 pick. There’s some risk in letting a player like Jackson or Glasgow walk, but the Lions won’t be able to keep everyone. They have to keep an eye on the future.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson missed all but three games of the regular season with a torn pectoral muscle. (Lon Horwedel / USA Today)
Which internal free agents are brought back, which players will be cap cuts and who gets extended?
The Lions have decisions to make at positions beyond guard. Let’s start at safety, where C.J. Gardner-Johnson is a free agent. It’s unclear whether he and the Lions will come together for a new deal. If Gardner-Johnson signs elsewhere and Tracy Walker gets cut, the Lions could enter the season with Kerby Joseph and Ifeatu Melifonwu as starters.
In that scenario, safety depth would be crucial. The Lions could save $8 million by cutting Walker with a post-June 1 designation. Walker was benched in favor of Melifonwu, and might benefit from a change of scenery. Same time, Melifonwu has been oft-injured in his short career. Brian Branch could fill the role in a pinch, but the Lions like him at nickel. Have to think they’d need depth via the draft or free agency, or perhaps try to restructure his deal. As for other cap cut options, there aren’t many. The Lions could free up about $4.6 million by cutting John Cominsky, but they like his leadership and versatility.
Wide receiver Josh Reynolds is coming off a solid season as Detroit’s No. 3 option. Lions players and coaches praise Reynolds for his steady play, and even helped him get a roster bonus in the Week 18 finale versus the Vikings. It would be surprising to see him in another uniform next year, but you never know in free agency. Donovan Peoples-Jones was a deadline addition and has an 800-yard season under his belt. Could the Lions bring him back? Okwara and Harris are both free agents. The Lions could opt to let both walk in free agency, looking to upgrade the position. The Lions certainly didn’t get the production they were hoping for from Moseley. Could the two sides try again?
As far as extensions go, Goff likely tops the list. He’s entering the last year of his deal and this is when these things tend to get done. Goff’s agent told The Athletic’s Kalyn Kahler he expects a deal to get done this offseason. Right tackle Penei Sewell, wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown and defensive tackle Alim McNeill are also extension-eligible. We’ll see who the Lions prioritize.
Can the Lions find a kicker they trust?
We know Dan Campbell is aggressive. It’s in his DNA. He wants to put the ball in the hands of his elite offense and let it win matchups. But how much of his aggression has to do with the Lions not having a kicker they trust?
The Lions simply can’t run it back with what they had in 2023. They started the year with Riley Patterson, who was 15-of-17 for the Lions, but he wasn’t asked to do much in crucial situations. His highlight was a game-winning 41-yarder to beat the Chargers, but that’s hardly a difficult ask. In his career, Patterson has attempted just six kicks from 50-plus, making three.
The coaching staff benched him after Week 13 to elevate Michael Badgley from the practice squad. Badgley was 7-of-7 for the Lions (including playoffs), but six of those attempts were indoors, and only two were from 40 or more yards. Campbell’s decision to pass on potential field goals from 46 and 48 yards in the NFC Championship Game was a hot topic of conversation, but Badgley is 4-of-11 on outdoor kicks from 46-49 yards in his career.
If you watched the Super Bowl, you saw the value of kickers who can connect from long range. There are several intriguing free-agent kickers out there, including Greg Zuerlein of the Jets (35-of-38; 5-of-6 from 50-plus in 2023), Chase McLaughlin of the Buccaneers (29-of-31; 7-of-8 from 50-plus) and Ka’imi Fairbairn of the Texans (27-of-28; 5-of-6 from 50-plus). There should be options.
(Top photo of Jonah Jackson: Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
