Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes made a bold statement Monday: If the player and the price are right, the organization is willing to do whatever is necessary to improve the roster.
During an appearance on FanDuel TV’s Up & Adams show with Kay Adams, she asked Holmes whether the Lions had considered adopting an all-in mentality, given Detroit’s Super Bowl window.
“Yeah, I mean, we’re always staying open-minded and again, we’re always going to do the best thing for the organization,” Holmes told Adams. “But that was me and (Lions coach) Dan (Campbell)‘s vision and plan from the get-go, build through the draft, like you said.
“These guys that are coming up next, and that’s why we’ve been able to stay consistent, is building through the draft. But no, we’re not scared … there’s always a time to strike, and if it comes, we have never, I don’t think we’ve shown a time where we’ve been scared to really do something or make a move. But it’s always going to be just calculated, and there’s got to be a little bit of strategy behind it.”
Adams followed up by asking Holmes if back-to-back 17-sack seasons might interest him, an obvious nod to Cincinnati Bengals star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson.
After months of contract disputes between the four-time Pro Bowler and the organization, the Bengals have reportedly made Hendrickson available for trade and are fielding calls. Pairing another top-level edge rusher with Aidan Hutchinson has been a frequent topic of conversation for Holmes and a constant cry from the fan base.
“Sacks are good, but we have a pretty good (pass rusher) now,” Holmes said, alluding to Hutchinson.
Holmes has previously mentioned the “bill coming due,” referring to the need to re-sign key players such as Hutchinson. That makes it unclear whether Detroit would pursue someone like Hendrickson, who has been vocal about wanting a significant payday.
Hendrickson, 30, has been one of the NFL’s top sack producers over the past two seasons, recording 17.5 in each year. As was the case last season, the injury bug has already hit Detroit’s pass rush heading into the new year. Levi Onwuzurike is out for the season with a torn ACL, rookie Ahmed Hassanein is sidelined indefinitely with a pectoral injury, and Josh Paschal remains on the non-football injury list.
While unlikely given the state of the roster, acquiring Hendrickson would provide a major boost to Detroit’s pass rush.
Still, Holmes has reiterated that the Lions are willing to go all in if the right opportunity presents itself.
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