Brad Holmes’ Lack of Aggression In Free Agency Could Cost The Lions A Playoff Berth

Over the years, Lions’ GM Brad Holmes has developed a reputation as a master draft strategist. His 2022 and 2023 draft classes are among the best in the NFL. But Holmes’ lack of aggression in free agency could come back to haunt him this year.

Brad Holmes’s Lack of Aggression In Free Agency Could Cost The Lions A Playoff Berth

As accomplished as Holmes has been in the draft, he has mostly remained on the sidelines during free agency. Rather than rushing to sign external free agents, Holmes’ preference has been to quietly

re-sign existing players to extensions. Concerned about the Lions’ burgeoning salary cap, he has been reluctant to splash out big contracts in a trade for superstar talents like Micah Parsons

or Trey Hendrickson. However, the Green Bay Packers’ acquisition of Parsons immediately began paying dividends, elevating the team’s defensive unit to become one of the NFL’s most successful. In the wake of the Lions’ recent struggles, did Holmes’ lack of aggression cost the Lions a playoff berth?

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Holmes, Rebuilding The Lions Through the Draft

After unloading the inherited wreckage of a non-productive roster and bloated salary cap from the

Bob Quinn /Matt Patricia era, Holmes had the cash flow to rebuild a team from the ground up. Turning to the NFL Draft, he began compiling a roster that is today, arguably one of the most complete and talented in the league. However, Holmes has also come under fire for draft day decisions. Pundits questioned the wisdom of his trading up to acquire specific players, but with Holmes’ uncanny ability to spot underrated talent like

Amon-Ra St. Brown and his masterful draft acumen, he ultimately convinced his doubters.

After negotiating the trade for Jared Goff, Holmes’s savvy draft decision-making began making an immediate impact. He chose superstar first-round draft picks

Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson, Jameson Williams, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jack Campbell, and Terrion Arnold to build the team’s core foundation. Trading up to acquire safety Brian Branch

and tight end Sam LaPorta over other more highly-ranked position players, Holmes learned to trust his gut over pre-draft rankings. As a result, his 2022 and 2023 draft classes are widely regarded as among the best in the league.

Unfortunately, this year’s draft is a bit of a mixed bag. First-round pick Tyleik Williams hasn’t lived up to his pre-draft hype, earning an overall PFF grade of 54.5 with a 63.8 pass rush and a disappointing 46.9 run defense. Second-round pick guard

Tate Ratledge became an immediate starter and is proving his mettle under very difficult circumstances. With talented young receiver Isaac TeSlaa. proving to be an exciting playmaking option, Holmes’ reputation as an accomplished draft talent scout remains unblemished. But injuries to EDGE

Ahmed Hassanein, OL Miles Frazier, and safety Dan Jackson have negatively impacted the team and limited the rookie class production.

Holmes’ Missed Free Agency Opportunities

Admittedly, Holmes hasn’t had the best luck with free agency in the past. Cam Sutton’s $33 million contract is an example of a big free agency swing that missed the mark, with the cornerback allowing

627 receiving yards and five touchdowns that season. One recent free agent signing that did work out quite well for Detroit in 2024 was the acquisition of veteran guard Kevin Zeitler

. Holmes signed the NFL journeyman to a one-year deal reportedly worth $6 million. Starting 16 games, Zeitler earned an 86.8 overall PFF grade, ranking him third among all guards. An exceptional run-blocker, he earned a career-best 87.2 mark that ranked number two in the NFL.

But Zeitler became a free agent in 2025 and moved on from Detroit, signing a $9 million deal with the Tennessee Titans. Was it a mistake for Holmes to let 35-year-old Zeitler walk? Maybe not. Zeitler’s performance last year was undoubtedly elevated by the superior Lions offensive talent surrounding him. This year, his performance in Tennessee has declined, allowing 4.0 sacks in 592 snaps for a 63.8 overall grade.

An Irreplaceable Loss for the Lions’ Offensive Line

On June 2, 2025, Frank Ragnow, the Lions’ four-time Pro Bowl Center, announced his retirement. His absence left a gap that would prove impossible to fill. While Holmes was most likely unaware of Ragnow’s intended retirement in March, he knew that both Ragnow and

Taylor Decker were aging veterans. The average career length of an NFL lineman is between 5-6 years, and the Lions were incredibly fortunate to have retained both players long-term. Currently in his 10th year, Decker is more than double the average, and Ragnow is an eight-year veteran.

Sadly, just like last year’s defense, the Lions’ offensive line has been decimated by injuries this season. With practice squad players and inexperienced rookies substituting for talented NFL veterans, the loss of Ragnow and Zeitler has loomed large.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Ragnow would be coming out of retirement to rejoin the Lions. Overcome with elation, the Detroit fan base celebrated his impending return. But two days later, it was announced that Ragnow was ineligible to play after failing to pass his physical due to a hamstring issue.

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Should Holmes Have Pursued O-Line Players In Free Agency?

During this year’s Free Agency period, one of the most highly coveted offensive line players was former Atlanta Falcons center

Drew Dalman. While not of the caliber of the Ragnow, the Lions’ Pro Bowl center, Dalman was an accomplished two-year starter. Ben Johnson and the Chicago Bears signed Dalman to a massive three-year $42 million contract. Currently thriving in Chicago with a run-block grade of 82.6 and an overall score of 81.0, Dalman is helping to transform the Bears’ offense.

Of course, Dalman had help this year from two other recent Bears free-agent acquisitions. In exchange for a fourth-round 2026 draft pick, the Bears acquired former Kansas City Chiefs guard

Joe Thuney. The three-time Pro-Bowler signed a two-year, $35 million contract.

In another big move for Chicago, Johnson signed former Detroit OL Jonah Jackson, who played in the 2022 Pro Bowl as an alternate. After playing for the

Los Angeles Rams in 2024, the Bears acquired Jackson through a trade on March 12, 2025. Chicago traded a sixth-round draft pick and signed Jackson to a one-year $12.5 million contract. Together, the three form a fierce offensive line that has completely transformed Chicago’s offense, opening running lanes and making up for lapses on the part of second-year quarterback

Caleb Williams. Now, the Bears sit atop the NFC North Division with a 9-3 record, underscoring the impact of what Johnson has been able to accomplish with his aggressive free agency push.

Did Holmes make a mistake in not pursuing Dalman or other offensive linemen? Instead of prioritizing the defense in free agency to acquire cornerback D.J. Reed for $48 million, along with

Grant Stuard and Roy Lopez, should Holmes have focused on rebuilding his offensive line? Or, did Holmes push to acquire a veteran lineman only to lose out to another team?

Will The Lions Still Make the Playoffs?

The Lions are no longer in control of their own destiny. With five games left, including two critical division games, the 7-5 Lions are currently on the outside looking in at a Wild Card berth. Even if the team rebounds to win all five remaining games, they will likely still need help from other teams to qualify for the playoffs. Unless the offensive line can step up and find another gear to open some running lanes and provide adequate protection for Goff, Detroit may have to sit this year out.

Mavericks look for Cooper Flagg's hot play to continue vs. Nuggets

The Dallas Mavericks haven't piled up many wins so far this season, but Cooper Flagg's performance is a reason for optimism.

They take that optimism into Denver on Monday night when they play the Nuggets.

Flagg, the first overall pick in June's draft, had back-to-back historic games over the weekend and is averaging 16.7 points in his first 20 NBA games. On Friday night, he had 11 assists in a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the most ever by an 18-year-old, and Saturday night he became the youngest player to score 35 points in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

LeBron James is the only other 18-year-old to score 35 points in an NBA game and he was five days older than Flagg when he did it in his rookie season.

The Mavericks are 2 1/2 games out of playoff position and dealing with several injuries, less than two years since reaching the NBA Finals. Flagg's start to his career has been a positive in a tough season.

"Cooper's upside is limitless," teammate Klay Thompson said after Saturday night's 114-110 win. "He has every tool to be great. Sometimes I can't believe he should be a freshman in college."

Dallas beat the Clippers without Anthony Davis (left calf injury management) and P.J. Washington. Davis returned to the lineup Friday night after missing a month but Washington could miss time after suffering a sprained right ankle in pregame warmups on Saturday night.

Davis is averaging 19.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in six games this season, and Washington is third on the team, scoring 16 points a game. Davis is probable for Monday's game while Washington is questionable.

The Mavericks can win consecutive games for the first time this season and extend Denver's home losing streak to four games. The Nuggets began their home schedule with six straight wins, but have dropped the last three to Chicago, Sacramento and San Antonio.

The loss to the Spurs on Friday night knocked Denver out of the NBA Cup. The Nuggets rebounded to win at Phoenix on Saturday night behind a near triple-double by Nikola Jokic (26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds). It was the second straight game Jokic, who leads the NBA in rebounds (12.4) and assists (10.9) fell a rebound short of a triple-double.

He is seventh in scoring at 28.9 points a game.

Jamal Murray (24 ppg) is second on the team in scoring, but the team's third-leading scorer, Aaron Gordon, is out with a right hamstring strain. Spencer Jones has moved into the starting lineup and produced 16 points and nine rebounds -- both career-highs -- in the 130-112 win over the Suns.

"The more he plays, the more he feels the minutes of having to guard and rebound like he's doing right now, which is his main responsibility, I think the shooting will follow," coach David Adelman said postgame.

The Nuggets won Saturday night despite committing 17 turnovers for the second straight game. Those turnovers turned into 53 points over the two games, but they tightened up their defense after giving up 139 points to San Antonio.

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