season

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-nfl-exec-parallels-ex-coordinator-super-bowl-winning-hc');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL exec draws parallel between ex-Lions coordinator and Super Bowl-winning HC');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ben-Johnson-Aaron-Glenn.jpg"><figcaption>© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.</figcaption></figure><h1>NFL exec draws parallel between ex-Lions coordinator and Super Bowl-winning HC</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-03T15:34:28-07:00">April 3rd, 3:34pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-03T17:44:36-07:00">April 3rd, 5:44pm</time><address><a>Dakota Zientek</a>Dakota Zientek graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 and has been writing about the NFL ever since. As a die-hard NFL fan, Dakota's fandom rides with the Chicago Bears through thick and thin -- regardless of how much pain it has caused his heart throughout the years. One day, he believes he will celebrate the Bears winning a Super Bowl. Maybe even... a few?</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Once the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-lose-another-assistant-coach-former-coordinator">Detroit Lions lost Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn</a>, there was no doubt that Dan Campbell would need to find two top-notch coordinators to fill their shoes in 2025 and beyond. However, following the NFL’s annual owners meetings, multiple execs had comments spill out about other teams in the league. Specifically, one NFL exec <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6244284/2025/04/03/nfl-free-agency-2025-nfc-execs-best-worst/?source=user_shared_article" rel="noopener">had some strong words to say</a> to the Lions after letting ex-offensive coordinator Ben Johnson go, comparing him to Super Bowl champion head coach Sean McVay.</p><p>“Ben Johnson took total advantage of the four-down game-management approach because he’s a really, really good play caller, an evil genius, really,” another exec said via <i>The Athletic</i>. “Losing him would almost be like the Rams losing Sean McVay.”</p><p>Now, is it fair to compare either one? No. Sean McVay has been a head coach for eight seasons, while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/chicago-bears/chicago-bears-bold-predictions-ben-johnson-first-season-as-head-coach">Ben Johnson is entering Year 1</a> as the Chicago Bears’ leader.</p><p>Could Johnson evolve into a McVay-like coach after leaving the Lions? Certainly, but that comparison might be a bit early to make.</p><p>One area that makes sense to compare them with is age. Johnson is 33 and entering his first head coaching gig after a handful of years with the Lions, while McVay was 31 when the Los Angeles Rams hired him. As two young, offensive-minded coaches, the comparison is there. But, not every young, offensive-minded head coach should get trotted out as the next big thing.</p><p>Not too long ago, the Denver Broncos hired up-and-coming offensive genius Josh McDaniels as a spry 33-year-old to become their head coach following Mike Shanahan. However, even after multiple seasons of success with the New England Patriots, McDaniel had an okay first year with the Broncos, following it up with an absolute stinker of a 12-game stretch in 2010, causing him to get fired after a Week 13 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.</p><p>So, although Johnson has set himself up well to succeed with the Bears after a handful of years perfecting his craft as <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/chicago-bears/bears-news-ben-johnson-gets-hell-of-a-coach-praise-lions-jared-goff">one of the top young offensive minds</a> in the NFL, that doesn’t mean it’s bound to happen.</p><p>And while <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-detroit-fans-in-shambles-after-ben-johnson-jets-for-bears">Lions fans weren’t too happy</a> about their former offensive coordinator taking a job within the NFC North, they’ll have two chances each regular season to take down their former coach.</p><p>However, if Ben Johnson turns into the next Sean McVay, it’d be understandable for Lions fans to be rather upset with him leaving for the Bears.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL exec draws parallel between ex-Lions coordinator and Super Bowl-winning HC

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/grading-espns-lions-bengals-trey-hendrickson-trade-proposal');   ga('set', 'title', 'Grading ESPN’s Lions-Bengals Trey Hendrickson trade proposal');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Grading-ESPNs-Lions-Bengals-Trey-Hendrickson-trade-proposal.jpg"></figure><h1>Grading ESPN’s Lions-Bengals Trey Hendrickson trade proposal</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T13:50:24-07:00">April 2nd, 1:50pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T15:00:31-07:00">April 2nd, 3:00pm</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cincinnati Bengals</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions are in their greatest moment in franchise history. Detroit is one of the most historically downtrodden teams in the NFL. However, they have taken on new life under <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dan-campbell-goes-full-football-guy-true-alpha-bit">head coach Dan Campbell</a> and GM Brad Holmes. Now, they are one of the best teams in the NFC and legitimate Super Bowl contenders.</p><p>Detroit had one of their best seasons in franchise history in 2024. The Lions won 15 games, logged their second consecutive NFC North title, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-put-on-super-bowl-worthy-performance-in-huge-win-over-vikings">secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs</a>. All of these are franchise firsts for Detroit.</p><p>Now the Lions must reload their roster so they can make another deep playoff run during the 2025 season.</p><p>Defensive injuries were Detroit’s biggest issue in 2024. They could <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-can-build-an-entire-defense-off-injured-players">assemble a whole defensive unit</a> built from players who headed to injured reserve last season.</p><p>Losing Aidan Hutchinson for the season was the biggest blow of them all. Taking Hutch out of the lineup revealed how much the Lions depend on a star pass rusher.</p><p>Naturally, many Lions fans want to add another elite pass rusher to pair with Hutchinson in the future. There is one such player, Cincinnati’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cincinnati-bengals/bengals-news-trey-hendrickson-permission-seek-trade">Trey Hendrickson, who has already been permitted to seek a trade</a>.</p><p>But could the Lions actually acquire him?</p><p>Below we will explore <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/story/_/id/44427621/2025-nfl-mock-draft-all-trades-deals-32-round-1-picks-players-parsons-cousins" rel="noopener">ESPN’s trade proposal</a> that would send Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson to the Lions.</p><h2><b>Bill Barnwell suggests Lions give up first-round pick to acquire Trey Hendrickson</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Trey-Hendrickson-on-Jan.-4-2025.jpg"><figcaption>Sam Greene/USA TODAY Network via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Before we dive into the analysis, here are the terms of Bill Barnwell’s trade proposal.</p><p><b>Lions receive: </b></p><ul><li>DE Trey Hendrickson</li><li>2025 second-round pick (49th overall)</li></ul><p><b>Bengals receive: </b></p><ul><li>2025 first-round pick (28th overall)</li><li>2025 fourth-round pick (130th overall)</li></ul><p>It should go without saying that there is one hidden cost to this trade.</p><p>In addition to the above terms, the Lions would be on the hook to sign Hendrickson to a massive contract extension. After all, the only reason why Hendrickson is on the trade block in the first place is because of his salary demands.</p><p>According to Spotrac, Hendrickson could command <a href="https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/player/market-value/_/id/21845/trey-hendrickson" rel="noopener">roughly $31.5 million per season</a> on the open market. The Lions may end up having to pay north of this to get a deal done. Barnwell suggests Hendrickson may be worth $35 million per season.</p><p>Even with that cost factored in, this could be an incredible move by Detroit.</p><p>Lions GM Brad Holmes has done an excellent job of building the team through the draft. That is what makes it so scary to think about giving up significant draft capital to acquire a player who demands a big contract.</p><p>However, Barnwell explains that Detroit is in a position to make this move. They have enough players on rookie contracts to offset Hendrickson’s contract demands.</p><p>“General manager Brad Holmes has generally done excellent work in the draft, but making an all-in move for Hendrickson is a reward for years of building things up the right way,” Barnwell noted. “If the Lions want to shift their defensive philosophy after losing coordinator Aaron Glenn to the Jets, Hendrickson would give them the ability to rush four more often without needing to rely on blitzes.”</p><p>The Lions also only lose out on one draft pick in this trade. They will still have two second-round picks to work with, as well as their late-round selections.</p><p>Meanwhile, the Bengals would gain another first-round pick to help rebuild their defense.</p><p>“Bengals fans won’t want to see Hendrickson leave, but he is reportedly willing to sit out games in 2025 without a new deal, and they won’t want to see a repeat of the Carson Palmer situation,” Barnwell wrote. “This would value Hendrickson as a second-round pick, albeit one of the very last selections (61st pick). De facto general manager Duke Tobin would have two first-round picks to add defensive help, with Cincinnati jumping ahead of the Commanders and Eagles for edge-rushing options.”</p><p>The 2025 draft class is full to the brim with talented edge rushers. Bengals fans may not like the idea of giving up Hendrickson after back-to-back 17.5-sack seasons. That said, he could easily be replaced in the aggregate. Adding multiple talented players may even be the smart move for an ailing Cincinnati defense.</p><p>Ultimately, I cannot help but give this trade an A for the Lions. Elite pass rushers are incredibly hard to come by in the NFL. Hendrickson may be on the older side, but he could give the Lions at least three seasons of elite play next to Aidan Hutchinson.</p><p>In my opinion, that is well worth the cost of a late first-round pick.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Grading ESPN’s Lions-Bengals Trey Hendrickson trade proposal

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/hbcu/detroit-lions-gm-brad-holmes-to-serve-as-commencement-speaker-at-his-alma-mater');   ga('set', 'title', 'Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes to serve as commencement speaker at his alma mater');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/North_Carolina_AT_legend_Bill_Hayes_talks_coaching_Brad_Holmes.webp"></figure><h1>Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes to serve as commencement speaker at his alma mater</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-02T12:04:03-07:00">April 2nd, 12:04pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-02T12:04:03-07:00">April 2nd, 12:04pm</time><address><a>Kiya Wimbush-Robinson</a>Kiya Wimbush-Robinson is a Virginia State University graduate from the DMV. Kiya is currently a graduate student at Norfolk State University working to obtain her Masters in Communications.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes will serve <a href="https://hbcugameday.com/2025/03/31/nfl-executive-a-part-of-ncat-spring-commencement/" rel="noopener">as the keynote speaker</a> for the Spring 2025 Commencement ceremonies at his alma mater, North Carolina A&amp;T University. The ceremony will take place on Saturday, May 10, at 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. in First Horizon Coliseum at the Greensboro Complex.</p><p>“I’m honored to return to A&amp;T and speak to the next wave of graduates,” said Holmes. “My time at A&amp;T laid the foundation for everything I’ve achieved, and I’m excited to share my experiences with these talented young leaders as they embark on their own journeys.”</p><p>Holmes, a Florida native, graduated from North Carolina A&amp;T in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and mass communications. While at A&amp;T, he was a star on the football team as a defensive tackle. He was a four-year letterman and two-year starter for the team. His talents helped lead his team to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Championship and a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) National Championship in 2001 under coach Bill Hayes.</p><p>Hayes’ father is also another A&amp;T and football legend. His father, Melvin Holmes, graduated from A&amp;T in in1967 and played for the Pittsburgh Steelers as an offensive lineman from 1971 to 1973.</p><p>After 18 seasons <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/hbcu-success-stories-brad-homes-north-carolina-at">with the Los Angeles Rams (2003-2020), Holmes joined the Detroit Lions</a> on January 14, 2021, as executive vice president and general manager. Before moving into scouting, he started out with the NFL as a public relations intern. He worked as a National Football Scouting scout, area scout, national combine scout, and scouting assistant over the years, gaining a wealth of knowledge in player evaluation and personnel administration.</p><p>Holmes flourished in his new role as the Rams’ director of college scouting after being promoted there in 2013. Holmes was instrumental in spotting and acquiring important players during his tenure, which saw the Rams record 64-58 (.524) and create 25 Pro Bowl players. His astute talent spotting contributed to the development of the Rams’ core, which in turn helped them win Super Bowl LVI. He was also named the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-gm-brad-holmes-wins-executive-of-the-year-from-pfwa">Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) Executive of the Year</a> in 2023.</p><p>Since assuming leadership in Detroit, Holmes has led the Lions to a remarkable comeback. His skillful combination of planned free agent signings and draft knowledge enabled the Lions to reach historic triumph in 2023. The team tied the franchise record for most wins in a single season with a 12-5 record at the end of the regular season. The Lions won their first division title in thirty years under Holmes’ direction, and they made it to their second-ever NFC Championship Game, their first since 1991.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes to serve as commencement speaker at his alma mater

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/detroit-lions-7-round-2025-nfl-mock-draft-per-pff-simulator');   ga('set', 'title', 'Detroit Lions 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Detroit-Lions-7-round-2025-NFL-mock-draft-per-PFF-simulator.jpg"></figure><h1>Detroit Lions 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-01T13:29:47-07:00">April 1st, 1:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-01T13:29:47-07:00">April 1st, 1:29pm</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions are ready to make some noise during the 2025 NFL season. Detroit had one of their best seasons in franchise history in 2024. The Lions won 15 games, earned their second straight NFC North division title, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-put-on-super-bowl-worthy-performance-in-huge-win-over-vikings">secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs</a>. All of those feats are firsts for the Lions.</p><p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-can-build-an-entire-defense-off-injured-players">defensive injuries caught up to Detroit</a> in the playoffs. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-most-to-blame-for-divisional-round-disaster-vs-commanders">Lions got absolutely run over by the Commanders in the playoffs</a>, getting bounced in the Divisional Round.</p><p>Detroit has already made a number of smart moves this offseason to set themselves up for success in 2025. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dj-reed-lions-3-year-48-million-deal">Lions brought in CB DJ Reed</a> as a cheaper, and possibly better, alternative to Carlton Davis III.</p><p>They also added several depth players on both sides of the ball, though primarily on defense. New additions like Roy Lopez showcase Detroit’s priority on creating depth and avoiding what happened in 2024 ever occurring again.</p><p>The final piece of the puzzle is the 2025 NFL Draft, where the Lions have six selections including the 28th overall pick.</p><p>Below we will explore who the Lions may select in the 2025 NFL Draft <a href="https://www.pff.com/draft/nfl-mock-draft-simulator?ref=6eeca126-3940-44ff-872c-a993da8d9208" rel="noopener">according to the PFF mock draft simulator</a>.</p><h2><b>EDGE Nic Scourton – Texas A&amp;M – 28th overall pick</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Nic-Scourton-of-Texas-AM-1.jpg"><figcaption>Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Lions fans would love this pick in real life.</p><p>Scourton is an imposing edge rusher who boasts an impressive frame. The Texas A&amp;M product is a capable run defender, but he really shines as a pass rusher. He is exactly the type of player the Lions would love to add.</p><p>Scourton has a diverse set of moves when rushing the passer, using both speed and power to create havoc in opposing backfields. Similar to Aidan Hutchinson, Scourton has plenty of counter moves that he can use to set up offensive linemen throughout the game to eventually win in big moments.</p><p>Detroit’s coaching staff prioritizes run defense, and Scourton provides enough for them to work with. As a result, Scourton has the upside to truly become a three-down player across from Aidan Hutchinson.</p><p>During his collegiate career, Scourton is used to being double-teamed and facing plenty of chips. However, in Detroit he would likely face more one-on-one situations playing on the same defensive line as Hutchinson. Detroit’s entire defensive unit would benefit from the pressures Scourton would create from winning in those one-on-one situations.</p><p>There is very little to nitpick about Scourton as a prospect.</p><p>NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave Scourton a <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/nic-scourton/32005343-4f81-4747-b38e-43ebd9d2e99c" rel="noopener">pro comparison to Trey Hendrickson</a>. I don’t really want to call Scourton a “consolation prize”, but he would certainly make some fans feel better if the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/perfect-trade-detroit-lions-must-complete-after-2025-nfl-free-agency-frenzy">Lions do not in fact acquire Hendrickson via trade</a>.</p><h2><b>EDGE Jack Sawyer – Ohio State – 60th overall pick</b></h2><p>Detroit double dips at a huge position of need for the second year in a row. This time, they swipe up Jack Sawyer at the end of the second round.</p><p>Sawyer brings a lot more power to the table than someone like Scourton. However, that comes at the cost of some speed.</p><p>Sawyer reminds me a lot of Josh Pascal in the sense that he can both play on the edge and slide inside. In fact, I imagine the Lions would likely use him in a Pascal-type role if they actually drafted him.</p><p>Sawyer, Scourton, and Hutchinson on the same defensive line could form the backbone of a downright scary unit for the Lions to build around over the next few years.</p><h2><b>T Charles Grant – William &amp; Mary – 102nd overall pick</b></h2><p>Grant is similar to several top offensive line prospects in this year’s draft class. He could play at tackle in the NFL, but many scouts are <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/charles-grant/32004752-4139-6159-b4c5-6d62ea8e73e4" rel="noopener">intrigued about the idea of pushing him inside to guard</a>.</p><p>The Lions would almost certainly play Grant at guard, considering they already have Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell at tackle. They also have depth at tackle with Dan Skipper and 2024 third-rounder Giovanni Manu.</p><p>Grant boasts good technique, consistency, and an impressive wingspan — all important traits for an offensive lineman. He is a former high school wrestler, which gives him an edge over other players in terms of hand fighting and finding leverage.</p><p>If the Lions did pick Grant, he would be the second offensive lineman they have selected from William &amp; Mary during the Brad Holmes era. Detroit picked Colby Sorsdal, also from William &amp; Mary, in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-2023-nfl-draft-grades-for-every-pick">fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft</a>.</p><p>It is hard to argue with Detroit’s approach of attacking the trenches in this 2025 NFL mock draft.</p><h2><b>WR Tory Horton – Colorado State – 130th overall pick</b></h2><p>This is where things get weird.</p><p>The Lions use all three of their final picks of this mock draft on wide receivers.</p><p>There is nothing wrong with taking a dart throw at any position in the later rounds of the draft. However, it is hard to imagine the Lions actually taking this approach in real life.</p><p>Detroit already has Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams holding down starting spots. They also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-agree-reunion-with-receiver">brought back veteran Tim Patrick on a one-year deal</a> and <a href="https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2025/3/31/24397216/detroit-lions-kalif-raymond-pay-cut-restructure-eliminating-2026-cap-hit" rel="noopener">restructured Kalif Raymond’s contract</a>, practically guaranteeing him a roster spot in 2025.</p><p>That puts any rookie receivers in competition with Antoine Green and Tom Kennedy for a roster spot.</p><p>But let’s talk about Horton. He projects as an X receiver in the NFL, a position the Lions do need some depth at. Horton has nice size and is a natural route runner.</p><p>However, Horton’s 2024 season was cut short due to a knee surgery. If this pick happened in real life, I would expect Horton to spend the 2025 season on IR.</p><h2><b>WR Antwane Wells Jr. – Mississippi – 196th overall pick</b></h2><p>Wells Jr. brings some tackling breaking and yards after the catch to the table. However, he is pretty unremarkable beyond those traits.</p><p>If the Lions actually do draft Wells Jr., it would likely be with a special teams role in mind. Otherwise, he would face slim odds to make the final roster.</p><h2><b>WR Will Sheppard – Colorado – 228th overall pick</b></h2><p>Sheppard also projects as an X receiver in the NFL.</p><p>What Sheppard lacks in top-end speed, he makes up for with contested-catch ability and run blocking skills. Not every team prioritizes run blocking for wide receivers, but the Lions certainly do.</p><p>Sheppard may have the best chance of this trio of rookie receivers to earn a limited role in 2025.</p><p>That being said, all three of these receivers face long odds to become consistent contributors in Detroit.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Detroit Lions 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFF simulator

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-detroit-rusher-announces-medical-retirement-six-nfl-seasons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions rusher announces medical retirement after six NFL seasons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Lions-news-Detroit-rusher-announces-medical-retirement-after-six-NFL-seasons.jpg"></figure><h1>Lions rusher announces medical retirement after six NFL seasons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T16:45:19-07:00">March 31st, 4:45pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T16:45:19-07:00">March 31st, 4:45pm</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-rumors-insider-reveals-potential-aidan-hutchinson-contract-trick">Detroit Lions defensive end</a> John Cominsky announced <a href="https://x.com/MikeGarafolo/status/1906818259405459649" rel="noopener">via social media</a> on Monday that he will be medically retiring from the NFL. Cominsky spent just six seasons in the league, and he is calling it a career after missing the entire 2024 season due to a torn MCL. Cominsky spent the first three years of his career with the Atlanta Falcons. He was selected with the 135th pick in the NFL Draft after playing college football at DII Charleston.</p><p>“After 6 years in the NFL, I am officially medically retiring,” John Cominsky said in an Instagram post. “I am proud of the career I had, but have accumulated a combination of injuries that are overwhelming my desire to continue playing. Thank you to the Atlanta Falcons for believing in me and drafting an under the radar DII prospect.Thank you to the Detroit Lions for grabbing me off waivers and giving me a second contract and allowing me to show what I can do as an NFL starter. Thank you to the front offices and coaches that helped build me up and believed in me. Who would have thought a small town Barberton, Ohio QB would find his way to sacking NFL QBs?”</p><p>Cominsky played with the Falcons before <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/detroit-lions-sneakiest-2025-nfl-free-agency-signing">being picked up by the Lions</a> ahead of the 2022 season.</p><p>“I learned a lot in my time playing ball, that will absolutely benefit me moving forward,” he continued. “I had the privilege to play in a lot of big time games on big time stages. I shared the field with players I had admired as a young athlete. I shook hands with hall of famers and met some of the best men and women on this planet. I walked into NFL stadiums that I had never been to before, not to watch a game but to play. I shared conversations with people from all over the world, who gave me valuable perspectives which has helped me see the world in ways I may never have. I leaned into God and found a firm foundation in His will and protection.”</p><p>John Cominsky now looks forward to spending more time with his wife and children after the decision to retire.</p><p>“Best of all, my marriage was strengthened and I had my two beautiful children,” Cominsky concluded. “Each coming at perfect times in my career, bolstering me to the finish line. I walk away with my family in mind and therefore, have found peace in this difficult decision. Time marches on.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions rusher announces medical retirement after six NFL seasons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/detroit-lions-3-best-players-to-target-with-2025-nfl-draft-first-round-pick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Detroit Lions 3 best players to target with 2025 NFL Draft first-round pick');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/DETROIT-LIONS-3-BEST-PLAYERS-TO-TARGET-WITH-2025-NFL-DRAFT-FIRST-ROUND-PICK.jpg"></figure><h1>Detroit Lions 3 best players to target with 2025 NFL Draft first-round pick</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T13:13:38-07:00">March 31st, 1:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T13:14:53-07:00">March 31st, 1:14pm</time><address><a>Derek Hryn</a>Derek Hryn is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints specializing in NFL and NCAA Football coverage. Derek was previously a fantasy football expert at DK and SB Nation, and he has been featured at FanSided, USA Today, NBC Sports, The New York Post, and others.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/detroit-lions-5-round-post-free-agency-frenzy-2025-nfl-mock-draft-per-pfn-simulator">Detroit Lions enter the NFL Draft</a> with seven total picks to work with as they look to climb back up the NFC ladder. Head coach Dan Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes will be building off the 15-2 record the Lions finished with last season, as they look for the right option at pick No. 28 in the first round.</p><p>The NFL Draft takes place on April 24 at 8 PM ET. Detroit will be trying to shore up the depth on the defensive side of the football, but the offense cannot be glossed over since it was a key ingredient to the 2024-25 success. Holmes <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6237357/2025/03/29/lions-mailbag-nfl-draft-brad-holmes-dan-campbell/" rel="noopener">expressed the heartache</a> that came with a need for a pass rusher at the end-of-the-year press conference, per Colton Pouncey of The Athletic.</p><p>“This was the first time we’ve had to trade for a pass rusher this year, and I will say that was the most difficult player acquisition journey that I’ve ever dealt with,” Holmes said. “…You can look at all these names of all these starting defensive ends in the NFL, but when you start doing the work and you start making the calls, that thing shrinks down. …You start calling these other teams and these other GMs and they might have four rushers. And so, forget the starters, those guys aren’t even available. We’re talking about thirds (No. 3 pass-rushers) and fourths (No. 4 pass-rushers), and I can’t really disagree with them where they say, ‘Look, we’ve got two-plus months of football left and (if) I trade you one and then we get another one hurt then we’ve only got two.’ And I was like, ‘I didn’t really expect you to be rational and think about it that way.’ But it’s true. …I think that one, just going through that experience, I can say just sharpened me up a little bit.”</p><p>Bearing all of this mind, let’s see who the Lions could potentially land in Round 1.</p><h2><b>Lions select Donovan Ezeiruaku, EDGE, Boston College at No. 28</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/BRAD-HOLMES.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Lions do not want a repeat of how things abruptly ended last season. Injuries forced a the offense to have to step up repeatedly in big games, and the defense couldn’t hold it together. Donovan Ezeiruaku gives them a step in the right direction.</p><p>The All-American pass-rushing talent, who recorded 80 tackles (21 for a loss) and 16.5 sacks and earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors, is a tremendous option on the front seven next to Aidan Hutchinson.</p><h2><b>Grey Zabel, Guard, North Dakota State</b></h2><p>One of the best pass protectors and run blockers in North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel could be a potential fit, as well, for this stage of the first round. The Lions’ balanced passing attack with Jared Goff and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-amon-ra-st-brown-nsfw-rant-bears-unlimited-money">Amon-Ra St. Brown would be instantly secured</a>, and the running game could continue to flourish with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery.</p><h2><b>Xavier Watts, Safety, Notre Dame</b></h2><p>Secondary became a big problem down the stretch when the Lions were ousted by the Washington Commanders in the NFC Divisional round.</p><p>Xavier Watts brings some quality explosiveness to the defense even as a rookie. He has also been versatile in various defensive schemes, playing different roles in the process.</p><p>Beefing up the pass defense against stars like Jayden Daniels will go a long way for the Lions next season, as they haven’t lost much firepower on the offensive side of the football.</p><p> </p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Detroit Lions 3 best players to target with 2025 NFL Draft first-round pick

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-detroit-playoff-proposal-draws-pushback-from-notable-coaches');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions’ playoff proposal draws pushback from notable coaches');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Detroits-playoff-proposal-draws-pushback-from-notable-coaches.jpg"></figure><h1>Lions’ playoff proposal draws pushback from notable coaches</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-31T06:36:18-07:00">March 31st, 6:36am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-31T06:36:18-07:00">March 31st, 6:36am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions had one of their best seasons in franchise history in 2024. Detroit won 15 games, earned their second straight NFC North title, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-put-on-super-bowl-worthy-performance-in-huge-win-over-vikings">secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs</a>. All of these are franchise firsts for the Lions. Detroit submitted a playoff-related proposal that would have helped one of their division rivals last season.</p><p>The Lions have submitted a proposal that would make the NFL <a href="https://x.com/MikeDeFabo/status/1906687090353418712" rel="noopener">playoff seeding independent of division titles</a>, per The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo. Early indications suggest that this proposal has some detractors.</p><p>DeFabo reports that Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is one of those detractors. Tomlin, who is on the competition committee, calls himself a “division purist.”</p><p>“I think the division winner should get a playoff game and a home playoff game,” Tomlin said on Monday, via DeFabo.</p><p>The Athletic’s Nick Kosmider added that Broncos head coach gave a similar answer about the Lions’ playoff proposal. Payton <a href="https://x.com/NickKosmider/status/1906687439084691960" rel="noopener">likes the current playoff format</a>.</p><p>This proposal would help teams like the 2024 Minnesota Vikings. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/minnesota-vikings/vikings-nightmare-scenario-2024-nfl-playoff-seeding-matchups">Minnesota faces a nightmare scenario for playoff seeding</a> last season. The Vikings won 14 games in 2024, but ended up as the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs. This happened because they did not beat the Lions in Week 18 to secure the NFC North title.</p><p>It will be interesting to see where each team’s votes land on this proposal.</p><h2><b>Lions also submitted a proposal related to automatic first downs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Dan-Campbell_03081d.jpg"><figcaption>Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Lions submitted more than one proposal for consideration at this year’s annual league meeting.</p><p>Detroit submitted a proposal that would <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-news-lions-eagles-propose-rule-changes-beyond-packers-tush-push-efforts">eliminate the automatic first down</a> portion of some defensive penalties. The proposal would apply to penalties like defensive holding and illegal contact.</p><p>These penalties serve a specific function as currently written. Defensive pass interference (DPI) is a spot foul, meaning if it occurs 35 yards downfield, then it becomes a 35-yard penalty. Many NFL fans are sensitive about DPI penalties because they cause huge swings in momentum in a game, often based on a judgment call by the officials.</p><p>As a result, officials will sometimes defer to defensive holding and illegal contact penalties over DPI as a workaround. The automatic first down portion of those penalties allows the team benefitting from the penalty to still gain additional downs. However, they do not receive chunk yardage like they would on a DPI call.</p><p>The Lions are clearly one team that has a different opinion than most NFL fans. It would be fascinating to see which games, if any, are significantly impacted if this proposal passes ahead of the 2025 NFL season.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions’ playoff proposal draws pushback from notable coaches

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-rumors-insider-reveals-potential-aidan-hutchinson-contract-trick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Lions rumors: Insider reveals potential Aidan Hutchinson contract ‘trick’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Lions-rumors-Insider-reveals-potential-Aidan-Hutchinson-contract-trick.jpg"></figure><h1>Lions rumors: Insider reveals potential Aidan Hutchinson contract ‘trick’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-26T11:25:04-07:00">March 26th, 11:25am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-26T11:25:04-07:00">March 26th, 11:25am</time><address><a>Scotty White</a>Scotty White is a graduate of the University of Michigan and has been in the sports journalism industry since 2020. He has covered athletics at the University of Michigan and is now serving as an Associate Editor, Chicago Bulls beat writer, and Michigan football reporter at ClutchPoints.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions were one of the best teams in the NFL last season, but their season ended up being plagued by defensive injuries. The Lions were still able to earn the one-seed in the NFC, but their defensive struggles caught up to them in the playoffs. Detroit especially missed defensive end <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-aidan-hutchinson-fires-up-fans-injury-rehab-video">Aidan Hutchinson, who went down with a season-ending injury</a> early in the season.</p><p>Lions fans can’t wait to see Aidan Hutchinson back on the field next season, as he will be fully recovered from his injury by week one. Fans are also wondering how much Hutchinson is going to make when he eventually signs a new contract. He has quickly become one of the best defensive players in the NFL.</p><p><i>Sports Illustrated’s </i>Albert Breer <a href="https://www.si.com/nfl/why-giants-opted-to-sign-russell-wilson-over-aaron-rodgers" rel="noopener">was recently asked</a> about Hutchinson’s paycheck, and he detailed what he expects to see in the future.</p><p>“I think that the new-money average per year on the new contract probably has to start with a ‘4’ now,” Albert Breer said in response to a fan. “We have two nonquarterbacks in that category with Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett and Cincinnati Bengals WR Ja’Marr Chase. Houston Texans DE Danielle Hunter and Raiders DE Maxx Crosby, both just got nearly $36 million in new-money APY on new deals, too.”</p><p>Hutchinson’s extension could have a twist to it if the Lions get a deal done soon.</p><p>“That said, there’s a trick to all of this if you get Hutchinson done now,” he continued. “He has $25.45 million due to him over the next two years—which gets folded into the new contract. So let’s say he, for example, does a four-year, $160 million extension with the Detroit Lions, which would take him through the 2030 season. In that circumstance, the real money on the deal would be $185.45 million over six years, or an average of $30.9 million per year.”</p><p>The Lions selected Hutchinson with the second overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. That selection has paid off so far, and it should continue to pay dividends down the road for the Lions.</p><p>“I think that’s a good deal for anyone, given the type of player Hutchinson has become, and a good example of drafting well and paying your own early rather than chasing someone else’s free agents,” Breer said.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-aidan-hutchinson-dishes-how-difficult-rehab-has-been-leg-injury">Losing Aidan Hutchinson last season was disastrous</a> for the Lions, but he will be back. He should still be one of the best players in the NFL after his injury, and the Lions certainly want to lock him in for the long haul.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Lions rumors: Insider reveals potential Aidan Hutchinson contract ‘trick’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/detroit-lions-sneakiest-2025-nfl-free-agency-signing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Detroit Lions sneakiest 2025 NFL free agency signing');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Detroit-Lions-sneakiest-2025-NFL-free-agency-signing.jpg"></figure><h1>Detroit Lions sneakiest 2025 NFL free agency signing</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-25T13:13:47-07:00">March 25th, 1:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-25T13:13:47-07:00">March 25th, 1:13pm</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit Lions had an incredible 2024 season. Detroit won 15 games, earned its second consecutive NFC North title, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-put-on-super-bowl-worthy-performance-in-huge-win-over-vikings">secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the playoffs</a>. All of these are franchise firsts in Detroit, so in that respect the 2024 season was undoubtedly a success.</p><p>Unfortunately, Detroit could not get the job done in the playoffs. The Lions limped into the playoffs with <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-can-build-an-entire-defense-off-injured-players">the most injured defense in all of football</a>. It cost them right away, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-most-to-blame-for-divisional-round-disaster-vs-commanders">losing a heartbreaking Divisional Round game against the Commanders</a> at Ford Field.</p><p>Now the Lions have to figure out how to pick up the pieces and get back into the playoffs during the 2025 season.</p><p>Detroit got off to a strong start during NFL free agency. Brad Holmes has proven that he is one of the best general managers in all of football over the past few seasons. He made good use of Detroit’s cap space and added several players on both sides of the ball.</p><p>The biggest splash the Lions made during free agency was <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dj-reed-lions-3-year-48-million-deal">adding CB DJ Reed on a three-year contract worth $48 million</a>. Reed signed for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-news-carlton-davis-60m-contract-new-england">$12 million less than former Lions CB Carlton Davis III</a> who left for the Patriots. Reed slots in as an immediate starter for the Lions on the outside next to Terrion Arnold.</p><p>Detroit also made some significant investments in the defensive line. They brought back a host of players from last season, including Marcus Davenport, Levi Onwuzurike, Pat O’Connor, and Al-Quadin Muhammad. The Lions also added DT Roy Lopez from the Cardinals as depth at nose tackle.</p><p>All of these moves were great for the Lions. However, I have not even mentioned the sneakiest moves that Holmes made during the first few weeks of NFL free agency. Holmes’ best moves of all came recently as free agency has started to die down.</p><p>Below we will explore one of Detroit’s sneakiest moves during 2025 NFL free agency.</p><h2><b>Brad Holmes deserves some love for Avonte Maddox, Rock Ya-Sin signings</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Avonte-Maddox-29-reacts-after-a-defensive-stop-against-the-Kansas-City-Chiefs.jpg"><figcaption>© Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Lions GM Brad Holmes made several smart moves during 2025 NFL free agency.</p><p>Detroit focused on adding depth all across the roster. This is a smart approach because it allows the Lions to enter the 2025 NFL Draft and pick the best player available at each spot. They can still move up and down the board, of course, but they are not pigeonholed into selecting a specific position with a specific pick.</p><p>There is no better example of this than how Holmes attacked the cornerback position in free agency.</p><p>We’ve already talked about Reed, who was a great signing. It looks even better with the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-detroit-agrees-to-contract-with-ex-eagles-cornerback">addition of Avonte Maddox</a> and Rock Ya-Sin on one-year contracts.</p><p>Both Maddox and Ya-Sin will be depth players for the Lions in 2025. In fact, there is no guarantee that both of them make the final roster. I would be surprised to see either cut, but it is certainly possible.</p><p>Maddox in particular is an incredible addition to Detroit’s secondary. Maddox brings veteran experience to the position group as a seven-year NFL player. He also has plenty of postseason experience, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/philadelphia-eagles/eagles-news-avonte-maddox-toe-injury-spotted-in-walking-boot-before-super-bowl-57">playing in multiple Super Bowls with the Philadelphia Eagles</a>.</p><p>One of the best parts of Maddox’s game, especially as a depth player, is his versatility. The Eagles liked to play Maddox primarily in the slot. However, he has routinely taken snaps at outside cornerback, free safety, and in the box during his NFL career. In fact, Maddox played a whopping 400 snaps at outside cornerback as recently as 2020.</p><p>At this point in his career, Maddox will probably thrive the most playing in the slot. Even so, it is great for Detroit’s coaching staff to know that he can be an “emergency option” as an outside starter if absolutely necessary.</p><p>In essence, Maddox’s ability to add depth at multiple positions in Detroit’s secondary makes him incredibly valuable.</p><p>Rock Ya-Sin is another valuable addition, especially in the context of being added on top of DJ Reed and Avonte Maddox. Ya-Sin has never quite found a home in the NFL, playing for four teams over his six-year career. The vast majority of Ya-Sin’s snaps have come at outside cornerback, which effectively makes him a replacement for Emmanuel Moseley.</p><p>At the end of the day, I think the Lions will benefit greatly from adding depth players like Maddox and Ya-Sin. If those guys can take the place of Moseley and Kindle Vildor, that means the Lions’ roster is now even deeper and stronger.</p><p>Detroit’s deep roster will serve them well in the playoffs next winter.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Detroit Lions sneakiest 2025 NFL free agency signing

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-sam-laporta-jokes-about-new-enemy-ben-johnson-after-bears-move');   ga('set', 'title', 'Sam LaPorta jokes about new ‘enemy’ Ben Johnson after Bears move');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Sam-LaPorta-jokes-about-new-enemy-Ben-Johnson-after-Bears-move.jpg"></figure><h1>Sam LaPorta jokes about new ‘enemy’ Ben Johnson after Bears move</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-25T10:17:09-07:00">March 25th, 10:17am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-25T10:17:09-07:00">March 25th, 10:17am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Chicago Bears</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Detroit <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-put-on-super-bowl-worthy-performance-in-huge-win-over-vikings">Lions were one of the NFL’s top teams</a> during the 2024 season. Detroit won 15 games, earned its second straight NFC North title, and secured the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs. All of those are firsts in franchise history. Now the Lions have to figure out how to one-up that performance in 2025 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-lose-another-assistant-coach-former-coordinator">without both of their former coordinators</a>.</p><p>Lions tight end Sam LaPorta is not pleased that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/chicago-bears/bears-news-hiring-ben-johnson-next-head-coach">Ben Johnson left to become the head coach of the Bears</a> this offseason. LaPorta <a href="https://x.com/UpAndAdamsShow/status/1904556514012237956" rel="noopener">did not hold back</a> in an interview with Kay Adams about his feelings on Johnson’s departure.</p><p>“Yeah, of course happy for Ben,” LaPorta began, via Up &amp; Adams with Kay Adams. “He was one of the big reasons why they brought me into the Lions. Nothing but respect for him. But again, on Sunday afternoons this fall, there will be friends turned enemies I guess.”</p><p>It should be no surprise that Adams loved LaPorta’s headline statement about “friends turned to enemies.”</p><p>Adams also asked what it felt like losing Johnson, especially since he was someone who was instrumental in bringing him to Detroit.</p><p>“It hurts of course,” LaPorta admitted. “You spend a lot of time with these people, invest a lot of energy and effort and hard work together.”</p><p>Ultimately, LaPorta is looking forward to what the future holds for both Ben Johnson and the Detroit Lions.</p><p>“You’re excited that he’s going to run his own team and organization and have a lot on his plate,” LaPorta concluded. “It’s very exciting times for him, and it’s exciting times for us as we turn towards our new staff.”</p><h2><b>Lions encouraged to trade up for an edge rusher during 2025 NFL Draft</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Brad-Holmes-on-Jan.-23-2025.jpg"><figcaption>© Kimberly P. Mitchell / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Lions fans have plenty to be excited about even after losing Ben Johnson to the Bears.</p><p>Detroit could be ready to make a splash in the 2025 NFL Draft. ESPN’s Bill Barnwell believes the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-rumors-lions-seahawks-implored-trade-up-draft-fix-clear-problems">Lions should trade up in round one for an edge rusher</a>.</p><p>“Could they jump from No. 28 into the teens for Mike Green (Marshall) or Shemar Stewart (Texas A&amp;M), though? This might be the time for Detroit to take a bigger swing on that second edge rusher next, especially with Hutchinson now eligible for what will surely be a significant contract extension,” Barnwell wrote on Monday.</p><p>Barnwell is smart not to suggest that the Lions will move all the way up the board for a player like Abdul Carter.</p><p>It is easy to imagine the Lions locking in on a few edge rushers they would like to add, then attempting to trade up and select one.</p><p>It will be fascinating to see if Brad Holmes follows Barnwell’s advice during the draft next month.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sam LaPorta jokes about new ‘enemy’ Ben Johnson after Bears move

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/green-bay-packers/perfect-trade-green-bay-packers-after-2025-nfl-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', 'Perfect trade Green Bay Packers must complete after 2025 NFL free agency frenzy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Perfect-trade-Green-Bay-Packers-must-complete-after-2025-NFL-free-agency-frenzy.jpg"></figure><h1>Perfect trade Green Bay Packers must complete after 2025 NFL free agency frenzy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-24T17:29:19-07:00">March 24th, 5:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-24T17:29:41-07:00">March 24th, 5:29pm</time><address><a>Dakota Zientek</a>Dakota Zientek graduated from the University of Iowa in 2020 and has been writing about the NFL ever since. As a die-hard NFL fan, Dakota's fandom rides with the Chicago Bears through thick and thin -- regardless of how much pain it has caused his heart throughout the years. One day, he believes he will celebrate the Bears winning a Super Bowl. Maybe even... a few?</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It wasn’t a strong ending for the Green Bay Packers in 2024, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-most-blame-wild-card-loss-eagles">losing their Wild Card matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles</a>. However, how can the Packers upgrade for the upcoming season with the bulk of the 2025 NFL free agency window in the rear-view mirror? There’s the 2025 NFL Draft in exactly a month, but are there ways to ensure a better roster before then? Well, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-rumors-green-bay-urged-to-consider-major-wr-trade">Packers could make an offseason trade</a>, but who could be a realistic target for them?</p><p>Great question, but to figure out their best plan of action following the first phase of free agency, it’s important to see what kind of offseason moves the Packers made.</p><p>Without knowing that, it’s more difficult to realize their biggest needs. So, how did Green Bay improve via free agency?</p><h2><b>Packers’ 2025 notable free agency moves</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Aaron-Banks.jpg"><figcaption>Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>In total, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/how-nfc-north-winning-2025-nfl-free-agency-packers-arent">Packers weren’t too active in free agency</a>. So, although their 2024 season ended in disappointment, the Packers didn’t feel the need to spend big in free agency to improve in 2025.</p><p>In fact, Green Bay’s biggest moves were signing an offensive guard to replace Josh Myers or replacing Eric Stokes with Nate Hobbs with neither player being a true replacement.</p><h2><b>Packers sign OG Aaron Banks to 4-year, $77 million contract</b></h2><p>With the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-york-jets/jets-news-new-york-adds-former-packers-starter-protect-justin-fields">loss of Josh Myers to free agency</a>, the Packers needed a new interior offensive lineman. However, one thing they’ll miss with Myers is versatility.</p><p>Banks played <a href="https://premium.pff.com/nfl/players/2021/REGPO/aaron-banks/59983/snaps-by-position" rel="noopener">five total snaps as a right guard</a> in his NFL career, with all 2,963 of his other reps at left guard. Myers could play either guard or center, making him a bit more of a valuable asset. But, if Banks can play at a high level at left guard, he could be worth the extra cash.</p><h2><b>Packers sign CB Nate Hobbs to 4-year, $48 million contract</b></h2><p>Although the Packers <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/_/view/defense/table/passing/sort/netPassingYardsPerGame/dir/asc" rel="noopener">faired well against the pass in 2024</a>, their need for cornerback help is apparent. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/nfl-rumors-packers-engaging-in-jaire-alexander-trade-conversations">Jaire Alexander could get traded before the draft</a>, and they lost Eric Stokes in free agency to the Las Vegas Raiders.</p><p>In a nutshell, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-news-green-bay-adds-defender-nate-hobbs-48-million-deal">Packers signed Nate Hobbs</a> to come into Green Bay’s defense as a slot corner, with the Packers still possibly needing two outside defenders. This was a slightly confusing move for Green Bay.</p><h2><b>Packers sign WR Mecole Hardman to 1-year contract (unknown details)</b></h2><p>With their need for a No. 1 receiver, the Packers added another supplemental piece to their receiving corps, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-news-jordan-love-3-time-super-bowl-champion-new-weapon">signing Mecole Hardman to a one-year deal</a>.</p><p>Although the contract details aren’t known, it was likely a small-money deal to give Jordan Love another speedy weapon. However, they still lack a No. 1 option.</p><h2><b>Packers’ biggest needs heading into 2025</b></h2><h2><i><b>WR, EDGE, CB</b></i></h2><p>Even as a team that ended the regular season 11-6 in 2024, the Packers aren’t a team free of needs. A crucial <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-news-matt-lafleur-makes-no-excuses-for-injury-onslaught-in-wild-card-loss">factor in their Wild Card loss could’ve been injuries</a>, but what stands out even more about the 2025 season is Green Bay’s lack of offensive weapons.</p><p>After <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-news-christian-watson-feared-suffered-torn-acl-in-week-18-loss-to-bears">tearing his ACL against the Chicago Bears</a> in the regular-season finale, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-news-christian-watson-gets-murky-2025-injury-update-after-torn-acl">Christian Watson’s 2025 outlook isn’t too promising</a>.</p><p>Along with Watson, the Packers have a group of receivers who all live within the same tier: good, not great. Even <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/why-packers-listen-josh-jacobs-acquire-wr1-offseason">Packers players think they need a true No. 1 receiver</a>.</p><p>On top of needing a proven receiver, the Packers really need help in the pass rush aspect of their defense. Lukas Van Ness — the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/packers-2023-nfl-draft-grades-every-pick">13th overall pick in 2023</a> — has combined for seven sacks across his first two seasons in the league. As a top-15 pick, those numbers simply aren’t good enough. But, with Trey Hendrickson as seemingly the only edge worth trading for in the 2025 NFL offseason — after Myles Garrett’s trade market dried up following his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/browns-news-myles-garrett-trade-saga-ends-historic-extension-160-million">historic contract with the Cleveland Browns</a> — there’s one last position the Packers should trade for.</p><p>If Alexander gets traded, the Packers’ cornerback room will be a barren wasteland.</p><ul><li><b>LCB:</b> Jaire Alexanders <i>(possibly gone by the 2025 regular season)</i></li><li><b>RCB:</b> Keisean Nixon</li><li><b>NB:</b> Nate Hobbs</li></ul><p>Looking at this group — especially if Alexander gets dealt — the Packers could be in trouble. Not only are they bad at rushing the passer, but they’d be poorly equipped to defend the pass.</p><p>So, if the Packers could realistically trade for one player in the 2025 NFL offseason, it should be Detroit Lions cornerback Amik Robertson.</p><h2><b>Amik Robertson might be perfect trade target for Packers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Amik-Robertson.jpg"><figcaption>© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Considering the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/green-bay-packers/nfl-rumors-packers-jaire-alexander-trade-situation-update-48-million-addition">likelihood that Alexander doesn’t return in 2025</a>, the Packers <i>need </i>a top cornerback who can play on the outside.</p><p>While Robertson lined up more in the slot for the Lions in 2024, he can play outside — or the wide corner.</p><ul><li><b>2020:</b> 1 snap wide; 29 snaps slot</li><li><b>2021:</b> 98 snaps wide; 11 snaps slot</li><li><b>2022:</b> 360 snaps wide; 283 snaps slot</li><li><b>2023:</b> 506 snaps wide; 100 snaps slot</li><li><b>2024:</b> 188 snaps wide; 409 snaps slot</li></ul><p>After calculating his snap counts per position throughout his career, he’s played 1,153 snaps on the outside and 832 in the slot. Now, while the Packers need more help on the outside, versatility is a great trait to have as an NFL player. The more opportunities a player has to play, the better. And with the ability to bounce across in the secondary, there’s a greater opportunity to see the field more.</p><p>All-in-all, Robertson fits the Packers’ need at cornerback pretty well.</p><p>As a former fourth-round pick by the Raiders in 2020, Robertson spent his first four seasons in the NFL with Las Vegas. Then, Robertson tested free agency, signing with the Lions ahead of the 2024 season.</p><p>With the Lions, Robertson ended the year with zero interceptions, but he had a career-high three forced fumbles in his one season under Dan Campbell with the Lions.</p><p>So, with a solid year on an NFC contender, why would the Lions want to trade away their versatile cornerback?</p><p>That’s a great question.</p><h2><b>Why would Lions trade Amik Robertson to Packers?</b></h2><p>In the NFL, keeping a roster full of talent is difficult. With high salary demands from players who might not deserve it — or just not having the money to pay each player what they deserve — teams are sometimes forced to move on from players who they’d probably like to keep.</p><p>For the Lions, Amik Robertson might be one of those players.</p><p>Following the completion of the 2025 season, here are all the top Lions players who are <a href="https://atozsports.com/nfl/detroit-lions-news/a-full-guide-to-which-players-the-detroit-lions-could-give-contract-extensions-to-in-2025-and-how-much-each-could-cost/" rel="noopener">set to become free agents</a>:</p><ul><li>DE Aidan Hutchinson <i>(could sign fifth-year option)</i></li><li>WR Jameson Williams</li><li>S Kerby Joseph</li><li>LB Alex Anzalone</li><li>CB Amik Robertson</li></ul><p>Of those five names, Robertson seems the least likely to be brought back, especially after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-news-dj-reed-lions-3-year-48-million-deal">Lions signed DJ Reed</a> in free agency.</p><p>So — although it might be tough to trade him to an in-division team like the Packers — the Lions can’t worry about the team they’re trading to. If the compensation fits what the Lions want for him, it shouldn’t be a big deal to trade Robertson to the Packers.</p><p>In a sense, it gives the Packers what they need to remain competitive while allowing the Lions to avoid putting themselves in a tough spot with cap space.</p><p>Is trading for Amik Robertson a move that’ll send the Packers home with a Lombardi Trophy? Who knows, but it’s a move that certainly makes the Packers’ defense better in a key area.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Perfect trade Green Bay Packers must complete after 2025 NFL free agency frenzy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-rumors-lions-seahawks-implored-trade-up-draft-fix-clear-problems');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: Lions, Seahawks implored to trade up in draft to fix clear problems');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/NFL-rumors-Lions-Seahawks-implored-to-trade-up-in-draft-to-fix-clear-problems.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL rumors: Lions, Seahawks implored to trade up in draft to fix clear problems</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-03-24T07:58:03-07:00">March 24th, 7:58am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-03-24T08:27:18-07:00">March 24th, 8:27am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Detroit Lions</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/2025-nfl-draft-order-prospects-targets">2025 NFL Draft is just one month away</a>. Every year, the NFL draft features some twists and turns that nobody could have predicted ahead of time. One ESPN analyst believes he knows a few teams that could make some big moves during the first round of the draft.</p><p>ESPN’s Bill Barnwell published an article on Monday that labels <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/insider/story/_/id/44369237/2025-nfl-draft-round-1-trades-teams-move-picks-offseason#sf" rel="noopener">teams that should trade up and down</a> in the 2025 NFL Draft.</p><p>Barnwell labeled both the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks as teams that should trade up in the draft. He sees trading up as a way that both teams can fix clear problems on their respective rosters.</p><p>Barnwell pointed to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/seattle-seahawks/seahawks-news-offensive-line-promise-klint-kubiak-hire">Seattle’s huge need on the offensive line</a> as a reason they might trade up. The Seahawks already have five top-100 picks, thanks to the Geno Smith and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers/grading-seahawks-steelers-dk-metcalf-trade">DK Metcalf trades</a>. This could make it easy to execute a trade or two up the board.</p><p>However, Barnwell worries that Seahawks GM John Schneider prefers the volume approach to the draft.</p><p>“Since 2011, Schneider has been about twice as likely to trade down as trade up, with the Seahawks moving down in the draft 17 times and up on nine occasions,” Barnwell wrote. “Some of those trades up have been significant successes, as they moved up for Lockett in 2015 and Metcalf in 2019.”</p><p>Perhaps he will adjust his strategy if the right player is available.</p><p>“My instinct is Schneider prefers to amass picks and take as many shots as (sic) the board as possible, but if there’s an offensive lineman or two he loves in the first three rounds, he might need to consolidate picks and get guys who can immediately step into the lineup,” Barnwell concluded.</p><h2><b>Barnwell also urges Lions to trade up for edge rusher in NFL Draft</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Aidan-Hutchinson.jpg"><figcaption>Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Barnwell believes the Lions should also make an aggressive move up for an edge rusher. The Lions have yet to invest in a second edge rusher to put opposite of Aidan Hutchinson.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/lions-hand-pass-rusher-new-deal-after-injury-riddled-2024">Detroit brought back Marcus Davenport</a> and Al-Quadin Muhammad in free agency. However, they are rotational players at best. Barnwell sees the Lions trading up into the middle of the first round for an edge rusher.</p><p>“Could they jump from No. 28 into the teens for Mike Green (Marshall) or Shemar Stewart (Texas A&amp;M), though? This might be the time for Detroit to take a bigger swing on that second edge rusher next, especially with Hutchinson now eligible for what will surely be a significant contract extension,” Barnwell concluded.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/detroit-lions/nfl-rumors-lions-stole-packers-target-draft-trade-terrion-arnold">Detroit traded up a few picks to pick Terrion Arnold</a> in the 2024 NFL Draft. Perhaps they execute another trade up this April.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jake
Bates

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