The Detroit Lions’ latest wave of offseason talk split into two buckets. One part felt important, because it pointed to the Lions keeping their young core together. The other part felt like noise, with the usual Jared Goff debate tying into the broader narrative of the team’s NFC North standing and a trade rumor that never made much sense.
Rod Wood’s comments on extensions stood out most amid the local buzz around Ford Field. Meanwhile, the chatter around Spencer Fano and A.J. Brown raised a bigger question about Detroit’s offseason: should this team stay patient, or chase splashy moves that cost too much?
Key Takeaways
- Rod Wood confirmed the Lions will pursue 2023 draft class extensions for stars like Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch despite ongoing injury recoveries, following the Aidan Hutchinson model.
- Brad Holmes’ strategy of early extensions for players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jared Goff, and Hutchinson pays off as the market rises, locking in team-friendly deals before prices explode.
- Doubts about Jared Goff‘s Super Bowl ceiling ignore his improved play in Detroit, where he nearly got the Lions there in 2023. He’s not the same QB the Rams traded away.
- Skip splashy trades like A.J. Brown or moving up for Spencer Fano; Detroit should prioritize draft volume to address multiple needs over costly moves that don’t fit.
Rod Wood made Detroit’s plan for the 2023 class pretty clear
Health matters, but it is not stopping extension talks
Rod Wood told reporters that injuries do not have to freeze contract talks for Lions 2023 extensions. That matters because two of Detroit’s top young players, the injured stars Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch who are currently recovering, are part of the current injury discussion.
“Once we get an assessment on how they’re doing, it doesn’t mean that they have to play before we would do an extension,” Wood said, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
Wood also pointed to the Lions’ past talks with Aidan Hutchinson as the model. Those discussions started while Hutchinson was coming back from injury, and Wood said these new deals may also take time because they are “big deals,” not because of the injuries themselves.
That lines up with the four names Lions fans keep circling from the 2023 draft class:
- Jahmyr Gibbs
- Sam LaPorta
- Jack Campbell
- Brian Branch
This rookie class, complemented by offensive core pieces like Jameson Williams and David Montgomery, helped push Detroit into a different tier. So it is no surprise that the front office wants to keep the core together.
Why early Lions extensions keep looking smarter
Brad Holmes keeps betting on his own draft picks
Brad Holmes has built a clear pattern with the Detroit Lions. When the team hits on a draft pick, they move quickly on contract extensions to keep that player instead of waiting for the market to explode.
That approach gets criticized because early deals can squeeze the cap in the short term. Still, the long view is easy to understand. If a player is already part of the team’s future as one of the cornerstone stars, locking him up with a long-term extension before the next round of league-wide contracts can save real money.
That is why Kimber defended Detroit’s habit of paying early. He pointed to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jared Goff, and Aidan Hutchinson as examples of deals that already look better as the market rises. He also argued that recent money around the league, including Will Anderson Jr.’s extension, has made Hutchinson’s deal look even more team-friendly. For late-round gems like St. Brown, the fifth-round option logic underscores why these early contract extensions pay off big.
There is risk in any early extension. The Lions still have to get the number right, and they cannot hand out deals out of habit. But when the player is proven and the fit is obvious, waiting often makes the bill worse, especially with Jared Goff serving as a pivot point for the cap strategy.
For Detroit, this is not blind spending. It is a roster-building choice. Holmes drafts the player, develops the player, and then tries to keep the player with long-term extensions before the price jumps again.
The Jared Goff Super Bowl debate still feels recycled
Detroit is not watching the same version of Goff that Los Angeles moved on from
The Jared Goff discussion came back through another national-style argument. The basic idea was familiar: Sean McVay moved off Goff in Los Angeles, so maybe Detroit will hit the same ceiling.
It’s easy, and convenient, to believe Goff can lead the Lions to a Super Bowl win. But it’s reasonable to wonder if he truly can.”
That question is fair in the abstract. It is also one that follows almost every quarterback who is not universally viewed as elite. Josh Allen hears it. Lamar Jackson hears it. Aaron Rodgers heard it for years even after winning one. Goff is not alone in that club.
The bigger issue is that Detroit’s version of Jared Goff is different from the Rams version. Since the Rams trade, Jared Goff’s command of the offense looks stronger. His decision-making has improved. His confidence is higher, fueled by the electric atmosphere at Ford Field. The production backs that up, and so does the way the Lions have built around him.
Kimber also pushed back with a simple reminder from the 2023 run. Detroit came painfully close to reaching the Super Bowl, and one or two plays in the NFC Championship Game could have changed the whole story. If Josh Reynolds holds onto one of those key passes, the conversation around Goff probably sounds very different.
Goff does not have to be the best quarterback in football to win at a high level. In the competitive NFC North, where high-level play is necessary for division dominance, he has already been to a Super Bowl once, and he has played his best ball in Detroit. That is enough to make the “he cannot take you there” argument feel tired.
Trading up for Spencer Fano sounds better than it fits
The problem is not the player, it is the price
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter floated a move that would send Detroit up from No. 17 to grab Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano in the NFL draft. The appeal is easy to see. Fano is tough, physical, and fits the type of blocker Dan Campbell loves.
Reuter’s idea also included trying Fano at right tackle, with some projecting him inside because of 33-inch arms. That is where the comparison to Penei Sewell lost steam. Kimber’s point was simple: Sewell was not a risky swing with major questions. As the gold standard for tackle prospects, he was viewed by many as one of the best players in that class, period.
The bigger reason to pass is roster math. Detroit has more than one need, and moving into the top 10 in this NFL draft would likely cost a premium Day 2 asset.
The Lions still need help at several spots:
- Pass-rusher and tackle are the headline needs
- Linebacker, cornerback, safety, tight end, and defensive tackle still matter for depth and injury insurance
That is why standing pat makes more sense. Detroit did not go wild in free agency, so free agency did not solve every hole. This makes rookie class volume more important than a single splashy trade-up to provide both starters and rotational help. If the Lions burn extra picks to move up for one lineman, they make it harder to fill the rest of the board.
Kimber’s view was that there are enough similar offensive line options available without forcing a climb. That is a reasonable stance for a team that still needs volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will injuries stop extensions for the Lions’ 2023 draft class?
No, Rod Wood made it clear that health assessments won’t freeze talks for players like Sam LaPorta and Brian Branch. The Lions followed a similar path with Aidan Hutchinson, starting discussions during his injury recovery, as these are big deals that take time regardless.
Why does Brad Holmes extend draft picks so early?
Holmes bets on his hits by locking them up before the market inflates, as seen with Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jared Goff, and Hutchinson—deals that look smarter now. Early extensions save cap space long-term, even if they squeeze short-term, prioritizing proven fits over waiting for higher prices.
Can Jared Goff really lead the Lions to a Super Bowl?
Goff’s version in Detroit shows better command, decisions, and confidence, fueled by Ford Field and the 2023 near-miss in the NFC Championship. He doesn’t need to be elite; his prior Super Bowl trip and NFC North success make the doubts feel recycled and unfair.
Should the Lions trade for A.J. Brown or Spencer Fano?
Pass on both—the A.J. Brown rumor costs future picks and Ennis Rakestraw Jr. without fixing edge or line needs, overcrowding receivers. Trading up for Fano burns assets for one player when volume drafting addresses pass-rush, tackle, and depth better.
The A.J. Brown trade rumor is the easy call
Detroit should pass on this one and keep its picks
The wildest idea of the day came from a mock trade that sent A.J. Brown to Detroit. In return, the Eagles would get Detroit’s 2027 first-round pick, 2027 second-round pick, and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.
Brown is an excellent receiver. The issue is not talent. The issue is cost, fit, and what Detroit would be ignoring by making that move.
Sending out a first and second for another wideout would leave the Lions thinner where they need help most. Edge rush would still need work, especially after Aidan Hutchinson’s Achilles surgery. The offensive line would still need depth. Goff would still need protection. Meanwhile, the receiver room would get even more crowded, and a young player like Isaac TeSlaa could lose snaps in a room that is already strong.
Rakestraw’s inclusion did not make the idea more attractive. In the context of that mock, he felt like a throw-in rather than the center of the deal.
If the day boiled down to three simple choices, the cleanest answers were easy: sign the 2023 core with upcoming contract extensions for players like Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta, and Brian Branch, pass on the Brown trade, and keep your draft capital where it is.
The loudest rumor was also the least useful one.
Detroit’s offseason story still comes back to its core. The Lions want to keep their homegrown stars, trust their board, and avoid paying premium prices for moves that do not solve the right problems. With veteran pieces like David Montgomery already in place, Brad Holmes is more likely to stick with his current roster building plan rather than chasing A.J. Brown.
That approach may not win the rumor cycle. It still looks like the better way to build this Detroit Lions roster.
