The Garrett Trade Has Everyone Asking: Should Holmes Be More Ruthless?
The Los Angeles Rams just traded for Myles Garrett and suddenly every NFL talking head is crowning them Super Bowl favorites. Meanwhile, Lions fans are watching from the sidelines wondering why Brad Holmes isn’t making these kinds of splash moves. After missing the playoffs entirely, some are starting to ask the uncomfortable question: is our GM doing enough to finally get this franchise over the finish line?
Look, I get it. We’ve been patient. We’ve trusted the process. We’ve watched Holmes build through the draft while other teams swing for the fences in free agency and trades. But when you see a move like this Garrett deal, it stings a little. Especially when you remember we were a half away from the Super Bowl three years ago.
The Reality Check Nobody Wants to Hear
Here’s the thing though. The Lions literally could not have pulled off the Garrett trade. Not even close. The Rams had Jared Verse, a young Pro Bowl talent who’s costing them practically nothing against the cap. Detroit’s equivalent players are Jahmyr Gibbs, Brian Branch, and Sam LaPorta. Only Gibbs comes close to Verse’s trade value, and even then we’d probably need to throw in another first round pick to make it work.
The salary cap math alone would have been a nightmare. We’re not the Rams. We don’t have their flexibility, and frankly, we don’t have their desperation.
But That Doesn’t Mean Holmes Gets a Free Pass
Just because we couldn’t land Garrett doesn’t mean Holmes couldn’t have been more aggressive this offseason. After losing both coordinators, watching our All-Pro center retire, and suffering through what might have been the most injured defense in franchise history, maybe it was time to get a little more creative.
The home-grown talent approach has worked beautifully so far. But there’s something to be said for knowing when to cash in some of those chips. We’ve got a championship window that’s wide open right now. Jared Goff isn’t getting younger. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Aidan Hutchinson are in their primes. At what point do you stop building for tomorrow and start going all-in for today?
The Uncomfortable Truth About Last Season
One bad season doesn’t erase what Holmes has built here. We were the best team in football for most of the regular season two years ago. The season we just finished was a perfect storm of injuries, coordinator departures, and plain old bad luck. Throwing away the entire strategy because of one disappointing year would be the kind of reactionary move that defines bad franchises.
But it’s also fair to ask whether Holmes needs to adjust his approach. The patient, methodical rebuild has gotten us to the doorstep. Now what? Do we keep knocking politely or do we kick the damn thing down?
The Garrett trade is going to have everyone second-guessing their team’s offseason moves, and honestly, that’s probably healthy. Competition breeds excellence, and if seeing the Rams make a bold move pushes Holmes to be a little more aggressive next time around, maybe that’s not the worst thing in the world.
Do you think Holmes needs to start swinging bigger, or are we just getting impatient after one bad season? Let me know in the comments.
