Here's a look at what pundits are saying about the Detroit Lions' performance after the first week of free agency.
Grade: A-
"The Lions lost Carlton Davis in free agency but were able to add D.J. Reed, a slight upgrade over Davis, on a cheaper deal (three years, $48 million). They also retained defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike on a reasonable one-year deal to continue in rotation with D.J. Reader and Alim McNeill and managed to keep versatile swing tackle Dan Skipper.
The only blight on Detroit's free agency is that the team released Za'Darius Smith before anyone could see him play across from Aidan Hutchinson."
Grade: C
"Swapping out Carlton Davis for D.J. Reed is lateral. And the rest was fairly quiet."
Grade: B
"The Lions did lose Davis and Melifonwu, but one could make the argument that they upgraded by adding D.J. Reed, who was Pete Prisco's No. 8 free agent overall. They also made the solid move of re-signing both Marcus Davenport and defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike, allowing them each a reset with the organization after suffering injuries in 2024."
Analyst Seth Walder called the Lions' signing of D.J. Reed the best move of free agency.
"He has been consistently good at a volatile position, allowing less than 1.1 yards per coverage snap (the average for an outside corner) in four consecutive seasons, per NFL Next Gen Stats. I also think he was the best corner in this free agency class, making him an upgrade over Carlton Davis III. The Patriots are now paying Davis $20 million per year, while the Lions are paying Reed only $16 million. So not only did the Lions get a great player to fill a crucial need, but they did it for a good value."
Grade: C
"The Lions replaced Davis in the secondary well with Reed, but after a few big offseasons, they were bound to have a limited net haul. At least they kept some defensive line depth. It has been a tough offseason so far with Glenn and Johnson leaving for head-coaching gigs."
Grade: B-
"Swapping out Carlton Davis III for D.J. Reed is roughly a wash in a vacuum, but Reed came at a cheaper cost than Davis. That makes him a better value, particularly given Davis’ more checkered injury history in comparison.
While Detroit did well in its cornerback swap, cutting Za’Darius Smith to save $5.7 million in cap space is a curious move for a team in need of more pass-rushing depth. Aidan Hutchinson will return from his broken leg, but Alim McNeil is a question mark after a mid-December torn ACL. Until the Lions beef up the pass rush support around Hutchinson, this can’t be considered a truly successful offseason.
Losing Kevin Zeitler hurts as well, as the Lions don’t have an obvious replacement. Last year’s No. 6 offensive line in PFSN’s rankings is still a very strong unit, but has an important hole to fill unless second-year pro Christian Mahogany is ready."
Grade: B
