4 takeaways from Brad Holmes press conference before 2026 Lions season
Dave Birkett breaks down what he heard from Brad Holmes' annual Detroit Lions preseason press conference Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026 in Allen Park.
Video Transcript
Dave Birkett here, Detroit Free Press, and Lions general manager Brad Holmes had his annual preseason news conference today.
I've got a couple thoughts on what he said, and let's start, number one, with the most important thing in my eyes.
The Lions still want to get deals done with Brian Branch and Sam LaPorta.
Obviously, the Lions signed their two thousand twenty-three first-round picks, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell, to extensions earlier this summer.
It's still a priority to get their second-round picks, Branch and LaPorta, done before they hit free agency.
Brad didn't offer a timetable on when those deals will get done, and certainly there's maybe some complicating factors, I think, beyond the injuries that both players are coming back from, and that's just where the, the markets are.
You know, safety in particular, that thing's gone up a lot.
Kirby Joseph was the highest-paid safety in the NFL when he signed his deal with the Lions last spring at about twenty-one million dollars per year.
Now it's twenty-five million dollars per year.
At tight end, there are three tight ends making more than fourteen million dollars per year.
Top of that market is nineteen with George Kittle.
So we'll see where those deals come in at when they're finalized.
Number two, Brad is confident in the cornerback room, not just the depth, but also the collection of talent that's there.
Obviously, the question of Terrion Arnold, hung over the, the head of that room all offseason and whether the Lions did enough to insure themselves, for his p- possible arrest.
I think we all assumed that was going to happen, and maybe the Lions didn't.
I asked Brad about that specifically, and he said that didn't go into the decision of what we did in this past offseason, meaning the Lions made these moves a- and it wasn't a case of them thinking Terrion Arnold was gonna be there.
They just like what they have.
That's obviously Roquan Sin and DJ Reed as your starting cornerbacks.
Ennis Rakestraw right now is your number three.
Khalil Dorsey will certainly be in the mix there as a, as a backup, though, you know, he's more a special teams player.
And then Roger McCreary and Keith Abney are vying for that slot jobs.
Christian Iz again could be in the mix too once he's healthy.
But Brad likes that group.
We'll see how that plays out in the season.
I have some major concerns about the secondary and the cornerback group and whether there's enough playmakers there, but hey, Brad likes it, and he put the team together.
Number three, no timeline on returns for Brian Branch, Kirby Joseph, Isaiah Pacheco.
I guess that's not too surprising.
You know, Brad doesn't like to be locked into those things, but he did say he expects all three back at some point.
Branch and Joseph are on the physically unable to perform list right now.
They have to miss at least the first four games, and Pacheco is out for at least the first four as well on IR.
Jacob Sailors will be your number two running back behind Gibbs there to start the season.
And last thing, look, there were no-- you know, I think sometimes you expect a, a Super Bowl or bust declaration or, "Hey, this is the best roster we've ever assembled," coming from, you know, these press conferences.
That wasn't the case, and nobody, nobody asked him about that.
It was a lot more about the moves and how the Lions, you know, got to this point with, with the roster.
But I wanted to point out three position groups, okay?
We mentioned the, the secondary already and how, how confident Brad is there because that's, you know, that's a major concern.
Number two, the offensive line, right?
They-- the Lions invested a whole lot in that group this off-season.
It's been a big focal point of training camp, and Brad said he was really excited about what, you know, he has in that group and, and what they've done so far.
I think we all know what Penei Sewell will be.
Tate Ratledge, certainly a breakout candidate.
I think Blake Miller will be a good player, though he's gonna have some ups and downs as a rookie.
And, and then obviously, you know, Christian Mahogany is your left guard for now.
We'll see exactly, how long he can hold onto that job.
But, you know, he's, he's played pretty well at times, just has to be a little more consistent.
Brad obviously touted the, the depth.
Juice Scruggs starting at center right now with, with Cade Mays out.
So they like that group as well.
And then the last one, the defensive line, since that's been a group we've talked about for many years and whether they have enough pass rush.
Ray Agnew, who was at the press conference as well, he called that the strong point of the defense.
I think that's what we all saw this off-season or this summer at training camp.
It's not just Aidan Hutchinson.
Alim McNeill looks back.
Tyleik Williams looks like he's ready for a big year.
There's some depth up front.
DJ Wonnum obviously can do some good things.
Derrick Moore will play in pass rush packages.
So I think the Ri- Lions are right to like what they have on the defensive line.
I like what they have on the offensive line too.
I just think there'll be some growing pains there.
And again, maybe I, I disagree a little bit on, on what they have in the secondary, but the Lions like what they have at all three position groups.
That'll do it for me out here in Allen Park.
I'm Dave Birkett, freak.com.
