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Detroit Lions re-sign 'critical' depth piece DT Pat O'Connor
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- Detroit Lions re-sign 'critical' depth piece DT Pat O'Connor
Brad Holmes mentioned Pat O'Connor as the type of "critical" player depth the Detroit Lions were looking to sign in free agency, and on Tuesday the team re-inked the defensive tackle to a one-year deal.
O'Connor had 18 tackles and one sack in 12 games last season after signing with the team during training camp. He opened the season on practice squad, but played vital snaps on the interior defensive line after Aidan Hutchinson , Alim McNeill , Marcus Davenport , Kyle Peko and Mekhi Wingo were lost to season-ending injuries.
Detroit Lions defensive end Pat O'Connor (95) cheers on teammates before a play against Green Bay Packers during the second half at Ford Field in Detroit on Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024.
Holmes said at the NFL combine in February that he was focused on adding depth in free agency after last year's injury-riddled season.
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"It made it more evident that depth is a huge critical piece and that's throughout the entire year, so it might not be first wave of free agency, it might not be the draft, it might be a Pat O'Connor during the summer that you add and you just never know that that's going to be that critical piece that you need from a depth standpoint," he said.
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O'Connor, a 2017 draft pick by the Lions who spent most of his career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers , is the 13th free agent the Lions have re-signed this offseason. The team also re-signed tight end Shane Zylstra on Tuesday, and finalized its previously reported deal with running back Craig Reynolds.
McNeill and Wingo are coming off late-season knee injuries and McNeill could miss the start of the 2025 season. The Lions return starting nose tackle, re-signed Levi Onwuzurike and added defensive tackle Roy Lopez in free agency.
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Dave Birkett will sign copies of his book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline," at 7 p.m., March 24, at the Birmingham Public Library. Order your copy here . Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on Bluesky , X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Lions re-sign 'critical' depth piece DT Pat O'Connor
