PALM BEACH, Fla. — Brad Holmes understands the angst over his team’s tepid approach to free agency, but the second-year Detroit Lions general manager disagrees with the notion that the Lions have done little to improve coming off a 3-13-1 season.
“When I hear that people wanted us to get more external help, it’s just, the grass is not always greener and then you kind of know who the culture fits are and who aren’t,” Holmes said Tuesday at the NFL’s annual meeting. “But we’re really happy with the guys that we brought back. Again, it’s a testament to our organization about the guys that wanted to come back and the production they had last year.”
The Lions have signed five outside free agents in the two weeks since the 2022 league year opened, all to one-year deals: receiver DJ Chark, tight end Garrett Griffin, cornerback Mike Hughes and linebackers Chris Board and Jarrad Davis.
Along with that quintet, the Lions have re-signed nine of their own unrestricted or restricted free agents, including defensive starters Tracy Walker, Charles Harris and Alex Anzalone.
The Lions finished 29th in the NFL in total defense last season and gave up the second-most points in the league, but Holmes insisted that unit is positioned to be better this fall even though it has yet to add a surefire starter.
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Davis and Board should compete for time at linebacker alongside Anzalone, Derrick Barnes and whatever linebacker the Lions take in next month’s draft, and Hughes could push for a job at the slot or outside cornerback spots.
The Lions return nine starters from last year’s defense, everyone but linebacker Jalen Reeves-Maybin and defensive tackle Nick Williams, and expect Romeo Okwara and Jeff Okudah to return from early-season Achilles tendon injuries.
“I totally understand, from especially our fans’ perspective, that you say, ‘Look man, three-win team, why are you bringing back the same players?'” Holmes said. “But as much work as we put into the production that those players had in our system, and then having that continuity with the coaching staff coming back as well, there’s a lot of optimism for that. And again, it’s still being aggressive. It’s just that it’s not always saying that you’re not being aggressive if you’re not going the external route.”
Both Walker and Harris generated significant interest as free agents, though Walker said he decided to re-sign with the Lions without fully engaging other teams.
Holmes blamed some of the Lions’ defensive struggles last season on the learning curve that comes with having a new coach and new scheme and said having continuity this fall should make the unit better.
The Lions allowed 30.5 points per game in the eight weeks before the bye last season and 24.8 points in their final nine games. They opened the season with one of the youngest rosters in the NFL and had five rookies start a combined 34 games on defense.
“To have the continuity that we’re bringing back with the coaching staff and relatively same system, I think it’s going to be an advantage for us,” Holmes said.
As for the new additions, Holmes said Davis was a player he wanted to keep last spring, but that Davis landed too big a contract with the New York Jets for the Lions to match.
And he called Chark, the Lions’ main free agent addition, “a guy that can take the top off on the defense.”
Chark caught 73 passes in his Pro Bowl season in 2019, but missed significant time the past two seasons with injury. New Jacksonville Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Monday that Chark was “one of the guys we wanted back” and has “a chance to go and compete and really help the Lions win.”
“He’s got legit speed, he’s got size, he’s got length, he’s got ball skills,” Holmes said. “That’s what (new offensive coordinator Ben Johnson) said he wants at the X receiver position, but, look, that’s not saying can’t move around and be at different positions, could play a little bit of slot, could play a little bit of Z.
“So that’s a cool thing what Ben’s creativity brings, but obviously DJ brings a lot of good qualities and like I told you guys last time, No. 1 overall is that he’s a football player. So those are the best qualities to bring.”
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.