Breaking news: Detroit lions head coach QB landed a 5-star defensive player from Texas tech against the….
The Detroit Lions stormed to the top seed in the NFC, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos grabbed the final two play-off spots on the final Sunday of the NFL regular season.
As the final play-off picture was set, the Lions dominated the Minnesota Vikings in their final-game showdown to ensure the road to the Super Bowl in the NFC would run through Detroit.
The Broncos shut out the Kansas City Chiefs back-ups to punch their play-off ticket, while the Tennessee Titans finished bottom of the entire NFL to win the first pick at the next draft.
Aaron Rodgers joined an exclusive club with a big landmark on what could well be his final game for the New York Jets – and possibly his Lions urged to sign unheralded $33 million defender as Carlton Davis replacemen
Lions urged to sign unheralded $33 million defender as Carlton Davis replacement imageJunfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Detroit Lions had their sights set on the Super Bowl in 2024 but ultimately fell short, losing to the Washington Commanders in the divisional round, 45-31.
Now, the team will regroup and try to remain in contention for the 2025 season. Even with a stacked roster, the Lions have the ninth-most projected cap space for 2025, according to Over the Cap.
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As a result, the team could make a notable move or two in free agency. Tyler Brooke of the 33rd Team recently predicted a landing spot for each of the top free agents this offseason, and star corner D.J. Reed was placed with the Lions.
After serving as the No. 1 cornerback in Detroit in 2024, Carlton Davis is set to hit free agency and may not be back, which could lead to the Lions adding a veteran cornerback. Regarding the Reed fit in Detroit, Brooke offered the following:
“Sauce Gardner may get all of the attention with the New York Jets, but D.J. Reed has been a solid starting cornerback in his own right,” Brooke wrote. “While he didn’t have any interceptions last season, he held quarterbacks to a 58.3 completion rate when targeting him in 2024. In fact, he hadn’t allowed a completion percentage higher than 61.4 over the last four seasons.
“Reed has real No. 1 lockdown potential, which makes him an ideal replacement for the Detroit Lions, who are losing Carlton Davis and Khalil Dorsey to free agency,” he added. “They have the cap space to swing on a free agent somewhere, and Reed could be a great pairing with rookie Terrion Arnold for a one-two punch at the position.”
Reed collected 64 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 11 passes defensed in 2024. While the defensive back didn’t record any interceptions, he led the Jets in pass breakups and earned a stellar 70.7 coverage from PFF.
The Lions appeared to draft Davis’ future replacement in 2024 second-round pick, Ennis Rakestraw Jr., but the jury is still out on the rookie after he didn’t play much in Year 1. That could lead to Detroit either re-signing Davis or bringing in a different veteran to start.
Reed could be the perfect compliment to the young Terrion Arnold in Detroit and would shor
e up one of the biggest offseason question marks for general manager Brad Holmes.
