The Detroit Lions couldn't have anticipated so many injuries - and one major retirement - would immediately bog down their offseason and training camps.
But, that's exactly what's gone down so far for the team as they get into the groove of OTAs ahead of the 2025 season. Frank Ragnow retired unexpectedly, Malcolm Rodriguez's timeline for a return was pegged for November (conservatively) and the team is still without both Alim McNeill and Alex Anzalone to begin camp.
Things like this make you look back and wonder if the team made the right moves prior to OTAs to ensure they had good depth at these positions of need. While center might be a bit of a tossup right now, linebacker isn't - Detroit made a very solid and under the radar signing in free agency that's going to save them during their time without Rodriguez.
That signing was keeping Derrick Barnes on board for another year with the team, keeping a key piece to their defensive culture in the building and someone who can play meaningful snaps alongside Jack Campbell and, hopefully, Anzalone.
Barnes was a big signing for Lions after Rodriguez news
Barnes finished up his 2024 season early, and that was due to a knee injury suffered in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals. The linebacker missed more games last season than he had in any of his previous four with the squad. That speaks to his reliability as a defender for the Lions.
In 2023, he had 81 total tackles, a sack, and picked up 11.5 stuffs for seven total stuff yards. Per PFF, he still finished up with a grade of 71.8 amongst all linebackers despite only playing in three games. That shows how great he was doing in Aaron Glenn's then-defensive schemes prior to his injury.
With Anzalone's availability in OTAs moving forward up in the air, and with Rodriguez out for such a big chunk of the start to the 2025 season, the re-signing of Barnes makes the Lions front office look like they had Nostradamus in the building helping them build out their depth.
If Barnes plays anywhere near the level he did in 2023 for the Lions, then the defense is in much better hands than we would think given the injury bug that's still looming over the unit.
