Winners and Losers of NFL Free Agency in the 2023 offseason

2023 NFL Free Agency Winners: Detroit Lions

The Lions continue their upward trajectory after a season where they went 9-8 and finished in second place in the NFC North. Not to mention the fact that they eliminated the Packers from playoff contention after defeating Green Bay in the season finale.

Detroit has brought in pieces that will be major contributors out of the gate in 2023, including defensive backs C.J. Gardner-Johnson, Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, running back David Montgomery, and guard Graham Glasgow. All of these names will be monumental in Detroit’s success next season.

A major weakness of the Lions last season was the defensive backfield. The Lions were one of the worst passing defenses in the league last season, allowing 4,179 passing yards, which was the third worst in the NFL. That should no longer be the case with the additions of Gardner-Johnson, Sutton, and Moseley. These three players are above-average secondary players, and they will give the pass rush a little more time to get to the quarterback.

Even losing Jamaal Williams was not a major loss, as the Lions upgraded their RB2 position by signing David Montgomery. The 25-year-old running back signed a three-year, $18 million contract with the Lions, a relatively cheap deal for a more-than-serviceable running back. Montgomery will form a tandem with D’Andre Swift, who offers a change of pace to this offense. The former Bears’ running back will fill the Jamaal Williams role from last season.

Adding Glasgow to an already stout offensive line is another major win for the Lions this offseason. This will be Glasgow’s second stint with Detroit after spending three years with the Broncos.

When looking at Detroit’s roster, there are not many holes. The one complaint you could have is the quarterback position with Jared Goff. The 28-year-old quarterback has been very solid since joining the Lions, but there are clear limitations.

Because the Lions do not have a specific need, the Lions have the luxury of grabbing and developing a quarterback for the future. The perfect quarterback for this situation is Anthony Richardson. The former Florida quarterback has the rawest talent in this year’s draft but is still very raw when it comes to mechanics and accuracy. Richardson would be allowed to sit and learn for a year behind Goff before taking over the reins in 2024 or at some point next season if Goff struggles or gets injured.

Free agency has been very productive for the Lions, and Detroit heads into the 2023 NFL Draft with two first-round picks inside the top 20.

While there were teams that took full advantage of the free agency period, there are teams that got picked off or failed to add any significant pieces.