Week 9 is over and done with. Now it’s time for us to look back at the first half of the Detroit Lions season. That’s just what we’re going to do. All this week we’re going to be doing a series of mid-season articles. We’ll be talking about both the good and the bad of this year so far. Here’s what we’ve done so far:
Today we’ll close out the midseason series with another report card. this time we’re going to be grading all of the Lions free agent signings from this past offseason. We will be looking at more of the big ones. We won’t be doing grades on guys that were signed to the practice squad or anything like that. Let’s jump into it.
Cameron Sutton
Before free agency started, I had a handful of corner that I thought would be just right for the Lions. Sutton was firmly on that list. One of the things I liked about Sutton was that he’s a natural leader and he just sort of puts his head down and goes to work and leads by example. A guy that loves ball. Perfect for Dan Campbell.
The returns have been mostly good. He’s come in and he’s made some big plays and he’s had some good games. He’s also had game like he did against the Ravens and Raiders. Both of which were his worst outings of the year.
Sutton has been dependable a lot more than he hasn’t and that’s going to help his grade.
Grade: B-
David Montgomery
Montgomery has been a very solid addition to the Lions offense. Especially in the red zone. Right now Montgomery is 10th in the league in red zone rushing yards. He’s that high despite missing three games this season. The impact has truly been felt.
Now if he can come back this week and continue to make that impact while also being in more of a committee situation with Jahmyr Gibbs, the Lions offense will only be better for it.
The things that’s going to take down his grade is the obvious. He’s been hurt twice this season. If he can stay healthy for the rest of the year, that would be a tremendous help to the Lions.
Grade: B
C.J. Gardner-Johnson
This was the big one. This was by far the Lions splash signing of the offseason. The early returns were so good too. Gardner-Johnson’s trash talking and swag filled attitude was rubbing off on the rest of the Lions secondary in the best way. He was really becoming a leader on defense.
Unfortunately he tore his pectoral in the second game of the season and he’s been out ever since. The belief is that he could be back this season at some point. According to him, that point is the divisional round of the playoffs.
If he’s not able to make it back this year, his future with the Lions is up in the air since he only signed a one-year deal.
Grade: C-
Emmanuel Moseley
I mentioned how Sutton was a guy I thought the Lions should sign in the offseason earlier. Moseley was that other guy. I knew he was coming off an ACL injury, but also knew that when he was healthy, he was a big part of that 49ers defense. The feeling that he, Sutton and Gardner-Johnson would be a very formidable trio.
Unfortunately we never got to see that. We never got to see much of Moseley at all. He only got to play two snaps this season before tearing his ACL on his opposite leg. Just a devasting injury for the guy. One that makes you wonder if he’ll ever play in the NFL again.
I hope that he does. Whether or not that’s for the Lions is another question. Just like Gardner-Johnson, Moseley was only signed to a one-year deal.
Grade: D-
Marvin Jones
When the Lions signed Jones back in March, it was really cool to see him come back to Detroit. Once the season started, you could just tell that something was off almost immediately. It just felt like Jones’ head wasn’t in the game.
Turns out that’s exactly what was happening. Jones stepped away from the Lions and the NFL a few weeks ago to take care of family stuff. Is he retiring? I don’t know. But it feels like it.
Grade: D
Teddy Bridgewater
I have a huge problem with this signing. That problem is that he comes in and wears #50 for his first game and I think that’s awesome and then he decides to change it. I’m failing him for that.
I’m just kidding. Bridgewater was a great signing for a team that needed a solid backup quarterback. The hope is that you never see him play for the Lions though unless they’re blowing out a team and you need someone come in and take a knee.
So far that’s all we’ve seen from him.
Grade: C
Graham Glasgow
Glasgow has been the Lions best free agent signing this year. He’s been phenomenal. Glasgow has come in and held down the right guard spot in Halapoulivaati Vaitai’s absence and is currently graded out as the fifth highest graded guard in the NFL.
He’s also been able to fill in at left guard and center with Jonah Jackson and Frank Ragnow out. The Lions haven’t missed a beat with him in those spots.
He’s on a one year deal, but you can definitely see a world where the Lions are extending him at the end of the year.
Grade: A
Jalen Reeves-Maybin
I don’t know why Reeves-Maybin ever left. He went to play for the Texans last year and got a nice pay day for it, but he just belongs here in Detroit.
Reeves-Maybin has always been a great special teams leader and that continues this year. Anytime there’s a big play on special teams, he’s not far from it or he’s the guy who made it. He’s not superstar, but his importance is real.
Grade: B