Michael Rothstein, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

What can be learned from Lions' moves -- or lack thereof -- so far in free agency

So far in free agency, the Detroit Lions have been quiet, at least relative to their counterparts in the NFC North and many other teams around the NFL. Free agency has been going on for five days now, and the Lions have been involved -- just not too involved.

And certainly not to the point of overpaying for anyone or making a big-splash signing, as they’ve done the past two seasons under general manager Bob Quinn.

That’s not to say it won’t happen -- there still are players out there at positions of need for the Lions -- but it seems a bit less likely now that most of the better players in this free agency class already have found new homes.

And Detroit? It’s not clear at all whether the Lions are better now than they were a week ago, when they still had the chance to sign many of their own free agents and make plays for some of the bigger names on the market. While Green Bay snagged Jimmy Graham and Chicago signed Trey Burton, the Lions got worse at tight end by letting go of Eric Ebron, now the best tight end on the open market.

Minnesota added Kirk Cousins at quarterback. The Packers, more active in free agency than in years past, also added defensive tackle Muhammad Wilkerson. And the Bears, desperate for offensive assistance, signed Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel to give quarterback Mitchell Trubisky a much more talented group of pass-catchers than he had as a rookie.

Meanwhile, the Lions’ biggest signing so far was either a 31-year-old running back (LeGarrette Blount) or a pair of linebackers who are likely to start but came at reasonable prices (Devon Kennard and Christian Jones).

Most know by now that teams don’t often build winners through free agency. Success more likely than not comes from drafting well and making smart veteran additions. And that’s the key for what Detroit has done so far -- and what it says about where the Lions might look next as free agency enters its second phase and the draft comes into greater focus.

Other than three big signings during Quinn’s first two years as general manager -- receiver Marvin Jones in 2016 and offensive linemen T.J. Lang and Rick Wagner last offseason -- Quinn has used free agency mostly to find guys to compete for starting gigs or to provide roster depth the Lions lacked when he took over in January 2016.

The signings so far this offseason reflect that strategy once again.

They also have given some hints about what the Lions might do the rest of the way and how the team might look under first-year coach Matt Patricia. Patricia’s new linebacker signings didn’t provide any hints of the type of defense Detroit will run, although signing both Kennard and Jones suggests it will be a more versatile defense than the Lions have run in the past. Bringing in DeShawn Shead to compete with the re-signed Nevin Lawson and Teez Tabor for a starting cornerback role gives the Lions a taller, longer corner than they have had in years.

And Blount is the type of short-yardage, grinding running back Detroit was missing the past two seasons under former coach Jim Caldwell.

Most of the signings, though, are role players or midrange starters. Which means that once again, as the Lions continue to have holes that could require immediate playing time from rookies, they’ll have to have some bigger hits in the draft.

The Lions have clear needs. Sure, help still can be found in free agency, but these spots seem like likely draft targets.

Tight end, which wasn't a need a week ago, is a glaring hole with the three players at the position remaining on the roster having a total of 17 games and four catches for 46 yards. All of those receptions came from last year’s fourth-round pick, Michael Roberts.

Defensive tackle is still a big issue with Haloti Ngata leaving for Philadelphia and no players yet signed to replace him. Yes, the Lions have some talent at the position in A’Shawn Robinson and Akeem Spence, but neither Robinson nor Spence is the space-eating run-stopper Ngata was. There are potential options remaining in free agency, including former Lions first-round pick Ndamukong Suh and Michigan native Johnathan Hankins, but Suh and Hankins may end up being more expensive than the Lions are willing to pay.

Kennard can rush off the edge and the Lions used their franchise tag on Ezekiel Ansah, but the pass-rush issue Detroit has had since the 2015 season remains. And unlike tackle, where some high-level starter options still are available in free agency, defensive end is thin, so this could be another place Detroit looks early in the draft.

That doesn’t even mention the Lions taking a running back, which should happen early in the draft, and needing to figure out the interior of the offensive line.

There’s still a ways to go before Detroit’s roster is fully constructed, but as the new league year heads toward its second week, the Lions have a lot of pieces they still need to fill.

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