Which Former Lion Is Actually Going to Ball Out Somewhere Else?
Look, I get it. Some of you watch a player leave Detroit and immediately wipe them from your memory. The minute they’re not in Honolulu Blue, they’re dead to you. Fair enough.
But others of us? We get attached. When a guy leaves everything on the field at Ford Field, plays through injuries, or just handles himself like a professional in a city that hasn’t always been kind to professionals, you remember. You root for them even when they’re gone.
This offseason hurt. We lost a lot of good players to free agency. Some were beloved veterans, others were just passing through Allen Park, and yeah, one or two didn’t exactly leave on the best terms. But that’s not what we’re here to argue about.
The question is simple: which former Lion is most likely to actually succeed with their new team?
The Big Money Moves
Four names jump off the page immediately because they got paid:
Roy Lopez got two years and $10.5 million from the Cardinals. DJ Reader landed two years and $12.5 million with the Giants. Alex Anzalone signed for two years and $17 million with Tampa Bay. Amik Robertson got two years and $15 million from Washington.
Reader’s situation just got interesting. The Giants lost Roy Robertson-Harris for the season with an Achilles tear, which could shift how the Giants use their interior defenders and potentially increase Reader’s role. While Reader is more of a nose tackle to Robertson-Harris’ defensive tackle role, this could mean more opportunity.
The Concerns Are Real
I love what Amik Robertson brings to the table, but joining that Commanders defense that was awful last year feels challenging. They’ve made changes, including a new defensive coordinator, but turnarounds in Washington aren’t guaranteed.
Lopez in Arizona worries me too. The Cardinals are going through changes this offseason—quarterback, coach, and roster overhaul. Lopez is probably looking at a starting role right now, which sounds great until you remember his productivity has always been best as a reserve. Without much help around him, this could be tough.
The Pick: Anzalone in Tampa
That leaves Alex Anzalone as my answer, and here’s why it makes sense. Yeah, he’s got big shoes to fill with Lavonte David retiring, but Tampa Bay still has enough pieces for him to succeed.
Having Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey up front means Anzalone can play fast and downhill, which should help the 31-year-old continue playing quality football. The surrounding talent on that defense should allow him to hit the ground running.
The Bucs defense has the pieces to be good. Anzalone just needs to be himself, not try to replace a legend.
Which former Lion do you think is going to have the best season with their new squad? Are we being too optimistic about any of these guys, or did we miss someone who’s about to ball out? Drop your take below.
Anzalone is the right pick here. He’s gonna thrive in Tampa with that front four doing their thing. Holmes knew what he had and getting him paid was smart – now let’s see him go out and prove it with actual good talent around him for once.
I want to believe Anzalone pops off in Tampa but I’ve seen enough ex-Lions get overpaid and fade away. The age factor worries me too. Hope I’m wrong but I’m not holding my breath yet.
Man, it’s wild how different this feels now compared to how things used to be with the way we’d let guys walk. With Campbell and Holmes running things, at least I know it’s deliberate and not just chaos. Anzalone’s gonna be solid in Tampa, that much I’m sure of.
I’m riding with you on Anzalone all day. That Bucs defense is actually built right and he doesn’t have to be Lavonte, just needs to be himself. This is the kind of move that makes sense for everybody involved.