On Sunday, January 21, 2024, at Ford Field in Detroit, safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (2) of the Detroit Lions enters the field for the NFL divisional round playoff game. MLive.com / Joel Bissell
DETROIT: The Lions nearly made it to their first Super Bowl ever.
The frightening aspect is that they accomplished this with one of the league’s five youngest rosters, and the majority of their star players are still bound to contracts for the upcoming year. This team appears to be set up for a successful campaign the next year.
But in the NFL, change is unavoidable, and Dan Campbell was especially hurt by the team’s 34–31 defeat to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC title game since he knew it was the last for a unique bunch that helped Detroit have one of the most memorable seasons in franchise history.
“Losing that way is difficult,” Campbell remarked. It’s challenging. It feels as though your heart is being torn out. That gang, though, makes me proud, and I’ll go anywhere with them. You wish you could pull everything together, but that’s not how things really work.
It’s not. With that in mind, here’s an early look at the Lions players eligible to hit unrestricted free agency in March. A couple are starting offensive linemen at the top of the list, but most of the key players from their epic run remain under contract.
18. QB Teddy Bridgewater: The Lions were able to persuade one of the most well-liked backup quarterbacks in the game to return to Detroit for a last payout and a chance to win a title after he had considered retiring last summer. Despite playing just three plays, all of which were for kneel-downs to end a blowout over Carolina, he was valuable in the background as Jared Goff’s injury ultimately prevented him from being required on the field.
17: Quarterback Nate Sudfeld: Sudfeld will most likely stay in Detroit in the future. Teddy Bridgewater will take his position in 2023, while Hendon Hooker will take over for him after that. He was brought in for backup to Jared Goff during the previous season.
16. LS Jake McQuaide: Although they are rarely given priority in free agency, long snappers are also humans. This is particularly true if and when Scott Daly returns from his injury.
15. After hours Matt Nelson: Played a variety of positions for four years in Detroit, most notably as Dan Campbell’s gigantic offensive lineman.
14. G. Vaitai Halapoulivaati: I understand, listen. In the running game, he’s a 6-foot-6, 322-pound behemoth. There is attraction there for a club that wants to run the ball physically. But Vaitai’s time in Detroit must come to an end due to the ailments.
13. EDGE Charles Harris: A defensive captain in Detroit who just exudes heat. While he was a healthy scratch for many games towards the end of the season, he finished with just 1.5 sacks and five quarterback hits after opening the season in the starting lineup. It’s difficult to notice him under the revised pass rush scheme.
12. Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones: After joining Cleveland in a deadline deal, he struggled to produce, catching just five catches for 58 yards during the regular season and none at all during the postseason.
11. K Michael Badgley: After starting the season on the practice squad, Badgley overcame Riley Patterson to take over the starting role in the latter part of the season. He converted all seven of his field goals, including a 54-yarder in the postseason.
10. CB Kindle Vildor: Emmanuel Mosely and Ceedy Duce combined for just four games played during the regular season, despite the Lions’ efforts to rebuild their secondary in free agency last winter.
9. Dan Skipper, OL: Skipper is a dependable sixth offensive lineman who can also play blocking tight end. He is most remembered for being at the center of the Dallas officiating controversy. In fact, he caught a pass! Dan Campbell loves Skipper, and the large packages from Detroit are a perfect fit for him.
8. Database Will Harris: Started as a third-round safety, but he has extended his career as a dependable special teams player. In Detroit, he backstopped all secondary positions and played the fourth-most snaps of any player.
7. EDGE Romeo Okwara: Okwara is a senior player who the Lions should take into consideration in 2024, but they are anticipated to make an offseason investment in their edge rush.
6. CB Emmanuel Moseley: Despite rupturing his ACL in both knees, he has only played two plays in the past 15 months. Upon his return to the field, it remains to be seen what sort of football he will play.
5. Wide receiver Josh Reynolds: One of this season’s best deals, Reynolds went from being a late 2021 waiver claim to collecting 97 receptions for 1,313 yards and 10 touchdowns in 38 Detroit games.
4. LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin: Reeves-Maybin returned to Detroit and became an enormous hit after playing for one season in Houston. During the regular season, he led the league in special teams tackles (13) and was selected to the second team of the All-Pro team. He was also a good football player at linebacker, even after injuries there.
3. S Ceedy Duce: A standout player in last year’s free-agent class, Duce was limited to just five games due to a torn pectoral. Detroit admires Duce’s skill set as a ballhawk who adds a lot of power to the secondary.
2. G Jonah Jackson: A third-round pick in the 2020 draft, Jackson is one of the few home-grown success stories of the previous era. Over the past four years, he has started all 57 games in which he has played at left guard. In 2021, he was selected to the Pro Bowl. Jackson’s absence would be noted since he is an essential component of Detroit’s diverse rushing assault.
1. G Graham Glasgow: While the Lions have almost all their starters under contract for next season, guard is the exception, where all three of their top players are eligible to hit free agency. Jackson likely will be the biggest draft on the open market, but here’s betting Glasgow is actually the better fit for Detroit. His versatility is a big draw, starting 15 games at all three interior positions before ultimately settling in at right guard.
