The Blueprint Is Already Here
Here’s the thing that’s going to make some of you mad: the Lions are already building exactly like the teams that have been winning Super Bowls. They’re not missing some secret sauce. They’re not making different choices than Philadelphia, Seattle, or Kansas City. The blueprint is right there, and Brad Holmes has been following it to the letter.
The difference? Those teams keep their players healthy. We don’t.
The Eagles Aren’t Trade Happy
Everyone thinks Philadelphia is out here wheeling and dealing like some fantasy football addict. Reality check: aside from the A.J. Brown trade, most of their moves have been depth pieces and rentals. Gardner Minshew as a backup. Robert Quinn for half a season. C.J. Gardner-Johnson having a great year before bouncing.
The Eagles built their Super Bowl team with 12 draft picks from 2021-2024 on defense alone. Just like the Lions are trying to do. And spending? From 2023 to 2025, the Lions ranked 22nd in free agency spending. The Eagles were 20th. Both teams save their money for extending their own guys.
This offseason the Lions were 27th in free agent spending. Eagles were 28th. We’re literally doing the same thing.
Seattle’s Secret? Draft Your Own
The Seahawks had 11 starters on their Super Bowl-winning team that they drafted themselves. Everyone thinks they just traded for stars, but look at their actual moves: Gabe Jackson for a year. Ahkello Witherspoon for a season. A bunch of depth pieces that came and went.
Yes, they spent more than us in free agency, but that’s inflated by a massive Sam Darnold contract and Leonard Williams extension. This year they’re 15th in spending, but that’s because they made Jaxson Smith-Njigba the highest-paid receiver in NFL history, and also extended Rashid Shaheed. Everything else? Six guys on one-year deals, with Dante Fowler’s $2.5 million being their big splash.
Sound familiar? It should. It’s exactly what Holmes does.
Kansas City Keeps It Simple
The Chiefs are the gold standard, right? Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Chris Jones. All drafted. All extended. The core built the same way the Lions are building theirs.
Their big trades? Orlando Brown Jr. for a year. DeAndre Hopkins at 32 for 10 games. A bunch of depth guys who barely moved the needle. Nothing sexy. Nothing that screams “we’re buying a championship.”
Just smart, methodical building through the draft and keeping your own guys. Exactly what we’re doing in Allen Park.
The One Thing Holding Us Back
You’re going to hate hearing this, but it’s injuries. That’s it. That’s the whole damn thing.
Using adjusted games lost to injury rankings, here’s the brutal truth: Lions were 31st in 2025 while Seattle was 3rd. We were 25th in 2024 while Philadelphia was 2nd. We were 18th in 2023 while Kansas City was 6th.
We’re not talking about losing a starter here and there. We’re talking about losing our entire secondary in one season. Next man up works when you’re down a cornerback, not when you’re fielding practice squad guys at every position in the playoffs.
The Lions are drafting as well as anyone. They’re spending money the right way. They’re extending their core players. They’re building through the same blueprint that wins championships. The only difference is those other teams get to keep their guys on the field when it matters most.
We just need one healthy season. That’s all that’s standing between us and everything we’ve been waiting for.
Think I’m wrong about the injury excuse or are you finally ready to admit that maybe, just maybe, this front office knows what it’s doing? Let me hear it in the comments.
