The Detroit Lions have been quiet on Day 3 of the legal tampering period. General manager Brad Holmes and the front office strategy appears to have been to prioritize and target many of the team’s own free agents. The Lions have made one splash signing, adding wideout D.J. Chark Jr. to a guaranteed one-year, $10 million agreement. On defense, the secondary is a unit that could benefit from added depth, whether it be in free agency or the draft. On Wednesday afternoon, The Athletic suggested the Lions’ defense could be interested in a cornerback who is familiar with playing in the NFC North division. “Another name to consider: Ex-Vikings CB Jeff Gladney, who reportedly visited the Cardinals yesterday. I’ve heard that the Lions could have some interest there,” Chris Burke posted on social media. The 25-year-old defensive back was recently found not guilty of a felony assault charge by a Dallas jury.Scroll to ContinueRecommended Lions Articles”This has been a challenging time for Jeff mentally, spiritually and athletically,” Gladney’s agents, Brian E. Overstreet and Rodney Williams, said in a statement, via ESPN. “So, we applaud Jeff for having the courage to stand and fight for his freedom versus these false allegations.”The Vikings decided to release Gladney last August after he was indicted.Gladney is a former 2020 first-round draft pick out of TCU. He started 15 games for the Vikings his rookie season in the NFL. Join the AllLions CommunityBecome a premium AllLions member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and gets you a FREE subscription to Sports Illustrated! Click on the link below for more.BECOME A MEMBER .
Detroit Lions 2022 NFL free agency primer
The Detroit Lions will have an opportunity to start the process of filling needs on a roster that only won three games in 2021. The legal tampering period will allow NFL free agents to reach agreements with teams, beginning on Monday at noon. Official contracts cannot be signed until Wednesday at 4 p.m. For Detroit’s coaching staff and front office, finding gritty, talented and locker room leaders will be the objective all throughout this offseason. “Anybody that wants to come into our building, if you want to know what we’re about, we’re about cutting it loose. We’re going to be aggressive, and we don’t cower from anybody. We respect all of our opponents, but we don’t fear any of them,” head coach Dan Campbell said at the combine. “If you want to come to Detroit, you’re going to be gritty, and you’re going to be with a bunch of guys that freaking love the game. They’re going to give all their heart and soul, and we’re going to cut it loose. So that’s what we’re about.”Re-signed Lions free agents Recommended Lions Articles
- Center Evan Brown signed a one-year deal.
- Wide receiver Josh Reynolds signed a two-year, $6 million deal.
- Fullback Jason Cabinda signed a two-year, $4.1 million deal.
- Linebacker Josh Woods signed a one-year, $1.55 million contract.
- Safety C.J. Moore signed a one-year, $1.75M contract.
Current Lions free agents
- QB Tim Boyle
- QB David Blough
- WR Kalif Raymond
- WR KhaDarel Hodge
- OT Tyrell Crosby
- OT Will Holden
- DT Joel Heath
- DT Nick Williams
- EDGE Charles Harris
- LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- LB Alex Anzalone
- LB Shaun-Dion Hamilton
- S Tracy Walker
- S Jalen Elliott
- S Dean Marlowe
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NFL analyst says on Detroit Lions podcast Brad Holmes won’t spend big
The Detroit Lions just may not be in a position to add a big name free agent this offseason. In the second year of a multi-year rebuild, general manager Brad Holmes and the front office may just employ a similar strategy they utilized last offseason. Holmes was asked at his season-ending media session if his approach to his offseason will be different due to having increased resources. “We’re going to still find guys that fit. Regardless of however much resources that we have, we’re still going to find guys that are aligned, that truly fit what we’re about,” Holmes said. “You bring up the guys that had chips on their shoulders and things to prove, well a lot of times experiences shape people often. Like I said, we’re a gritty group, so I’m not saying that we’re looking for one-year deal guys, but we’re still looking at guys that fit who we are. We’ll just probably be able to get a little bit more.”Safety Marcus Williams is among the free agents that have been linked to Detroit due to his familiarity with head coach Dan Campbell and defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. Williams is expected to come with a hefty price tag, according to Spotrac. The 25-year-old’s market value is expected to be $15 million per year, estimating that he’ll be offered at least a five-year deal worth $75 million by prospective teams. Recommended Lions ArticlesPFF NFL analyst Ari Meirov appeared on the “Locked on Lions” podcast hosted by Matt Dery on Wednesday and disclosed his opinion on how the Lions will allocate resources in free agency. “When I look at this team, they’re bringing in a bunch of younger guys. You remember last year where it was like a bunch of one year deals or not big time contracts. I think they really want to, as I said before, really just build this from the ground up and do it the right way — where we’re just throwing around money on people when we’re not ready to win yet,” Meirov said. Meirov continued, “I don’t know if they’re ready to go out and just spend a ton of money on a big time player. I think it’s more about let’s just keep on adding more role players onto this team, more depth pieces onto this team. I don’t really envision them going crazy when it comes to anybody big. When it comes to cap space, they are in a solid position. Not the best, not the worst. They’re in the middle, I would say right now. They could make some moves to add more cap space, but I don’t really know if they’re ready yet to go in that direction.”Join the AllLions CommunityBecome a premium AllLions member, which grants you access to all of our premium content and gets you a FREE subscription to Sports Illustrated! Click on the link below for more.BECOME A MEMBER .