In just a few years, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes has established himself as a wheeler-dealer in the NFL.
Once again, he’s caught the attention of Yahoo Sports’ Frank Schwab, who ranked one of the Lions general manager’s offseason decisions among the best five in the league. The list isn’t about acquiring the top overall players, but about getting who you need at the right price.
It’s no secret that one of the Lions’ primary needs is to improve their defense in a variety of ways. Schwag argues why signing DJ Reader—one of the finest run-stopping defensive tackles—to a two-year, $22 million contract was the perfect decision.
“It’s not a big investment as Reader nears his 30th birthday,” he writes, “Reader came at a value because of a torn tendon in his quadriceps, which is a severe injury. But Reader has offered an optimistic outlook on his recovery. If Reader returns early in the season and is back in his normal role of blowing up the opponent’s interior run game, that can be transformative for a Lions defense that needed an upgrade to take the next step.”
