How aggressive should the Detroit Lions be in free agency?

While much of the focus around the NFL world is currently on the Combine down in Indianapolis, don’t forget about free agency. It’s creeping up on everyone right now, as the negotiating period before the new league year is just over a week away. Soon, there will be a flurry of roster moves that will change the outlook of both the 2026 NFL Draft and the 2026 NFL season.

Some have proclaimed this free agency class isn’t very good, but with teams already beginning their cap casualties and another potential wave of roster moves via trades, I don’t expect the next few weeks to be any less exciting than a normal offseason.

The Detroit Lions are in a curious position when it comes to this offseason. Clearly, they need to improve their roster. They stand to lose a few starters this free agency, and the depth certainly needs to be bolstered. But the resources could be thin. With only two top-100 picks in the NFL Draft, you’d think the Lions would need to be more active in free agency. However, it will require significant contract restructuring for Detroit to even have enough cap space to be aggressive. The more money they create via restructuring, the more vulnerable their cap situation becomes in the future. Balancing the now and the future is always one of the toughest things for NFL general managers when their team gets to Detroit’s level of baseline talent.

So today’s Question of the Day is:

How aggressive should the Lions be in free agency?

My answer: I know it goes against Brad Holmes’ general philosophy of draft and develop, but I think the Lions need to get at least three or four starters out of free agency this year. The positions they likely need to address are center, defensive end, linebacker, and (unfortunately) cornerback. The argument could certainly be made for safety, as well. Holmes does like to knock out needs in free agency, so this wouldn’t be a complete change in overall strategy, but it does require cap space, which means digging into the rainy day fund for 2027 and beyond.

I’m not saying the Lions need to go out and get the best players at each of those positions. In fact, I’d really love to see Holmes make some savvy moves by trading for players on reasonable deals. Of course, that would require spending Detroit’s limited draft capital, as well, so that’s not a perfect strategy either.

Regardless, I do think the Lions need to turn up the notch of aggressiveness this offseason, and rather than finding just an external starter or two, they probably need at least three or four.

How aggressive would you like the Lions to be in free agency this year? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.