With the Detroit Lions salary cap the way it currently is (not good), coupled with the fact that the Lions are in a rebuild (stop with the “retool” stuff), it would be pretty surprising to see new general manager Brad Holmes bring in a highly-priced free agent during the current offseason.
That being said, just because the Lions are in a rebuild does not mean they will not try to win in 2021, so it is possible that Holmes takes a “big swing” when the free-agent period begins.
One ‘big swing’ free agent, according to Chris Burke of The Athletic, that the Lions could pull the trigger on, is Los Angeles Rams safety, John Johnson.
The Rams might not be able to afford Johnson. The Lions probably can’t either. While the safety market can be tough to pin down, year to year, contracts at the high end are in the $10 million to $14 million range annually.
Should Holmes take one big swing in free agency, though, this might be the spot to do it. Holmes, of course, helped find Johnson in Round 3 of the 2017 daft, and Johnson since has developed into a premier safety. He’s proven to be a versatile option, capable of playing in the box, up high or over the slot. Assuming the Lions shift Tracy Walker back to more of his natural free safety spot, Johnson’s all-around game would pair extremely well. It’s a pipe dream, perhaps, but … maybe.
Ideally, Johnson would be a perfect offseason addition for the Lions but, unfortunately, former Lions GM Bob Quinn screwed up when it comes to handling the salary cap and now Brad Holmes has to fix the mess.
Chances of this signing happening? I will go with 10-15%
