Lions preparing for an Alex Anzalone-less start to year with latest player visit

The Detroit Lions are clearly looking to get some insurance for a potentially lengthy holdout from veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone, who is still seeking a new contract with the team. That intention by the front office is clear since they reportedly hosted veteran LB Kyzir White for an team visit per NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

White, a 29 year old veteran drafted by the Los Angeles Chargers back in 2018, had a solid 2024 campaign with the Arizona Cardinals. He posted 60 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one interception during his time with the team, and more notably, suited up for 17 games for Arizona. This exemplifies his durability has a defender despite being a big older compared to the Lions' current roster.

White would be one of the better free agent pickups for Detroit this offseason. Signings of players like Graham Glasgow and Trystan Colon have ended up being monumental after the retirement of Frank Ragnow and departure of Kevin Zeitler from the team in the offseason. White would fill a need on the other side of the ball for the Lions that may or may not need filling.

It really all depends on how quickly the team can get the Anzalone situation squared away. While Anzalone recently expressed his desire to "retire a Lion," he also mentioned he felt "disappointed" by the way his extension talks have gone considering the team knew he'd be seeking one for quite some time.

Adding White to the fold could be beneficial even if and when Anzalone returns for Week 1 action. Their depth at the position would be, in a word, absurd. Already rostering Jack Campbell and Anzalone, they'd add White to a room that also includes Derrick Barnes and eventually Malcolm Campbell.

Detroit currently have some of the biggest amount of cap space in the NFL ahead of the 2025 season. They have about $48 million dollars to play with per Over The Cap, but they're likely maintaining that flexibility in order to save up towards the several major extensions they'll need to get done with players like Jameson Williams.

White has a current market value hovering around $5.7 million dollars per Spotrac, making him one of the more expensive remaining free agents on the market. Detroit clearly likes what they saw out of White last year with Arizona, and can also use some added oomph to their linebacker depth in Anzalone's absence as we barrel towards the Lions' first preseason action next Thursday night.