Saturday open thread: What’s been Brad Holmes’ best move so far?

The offseason is still young, but Brad Holmes, the Detroit Lions first-year general manager has been a busy man.

First, it was the trade that sent Matthew Stafford, the team’s franchise quarterback, to the Los Angeles Rams in exchange for Jared Goff and a bunch of draft picks. Then he was faced with the tough decision of whether or not to use the franchise tag on star wide receiver Kenny Golladay or breakout edge defender Romeo Okwara. With the wide receiver free agent market cratering, and the very affordable deal he ended up signing Okwara to shortly after the start of the league’s tampering period, Holmes looks to be more than capable of handling some of the toughest decisions a general manager has to make.

Now that free agency has kicked off, Holmes has been busy both signing players and making even more trades. To solidify the running back position, Holmes added Green Bay Packers running back Jamaal Williams. After cutting Jesse James, Holmes brought former New Orleans Saints tight end Josh Hill into the fold as the right fit next to budding star T.J. Hockenson. And in what is probably the most impactful transaction not involving quarterbacks, Holmes went back to the Rams to help further “re-tool” this Lions defense.

This brings us to today’s Question of the Day...

What’s been Brad Holmes’ best move so far?

I think this depends on your particular taste of the deal. If you’re into draft capital, you’re probably a fan of the move he made for Goff and three draft picks considering Stafford wanted to move on. If you’ve been dying for the Lions to have a pass rush—like the rest of us—you’re probably a big fan of the Okwara re-signing.

I haven’t seen a misstep out of Holmes yet, and I’m partial to the trade for Michael Brockers.

Detroit had to sacrifice just a seventh-round selection in the 2023 NFL Draft to add an elite defensive lineman in Brockers. He’s one of the best in the league defending the run, and he’s got a little juice to him as a pass-rusher—28.0 sacks in his nine-year career.

Inking Brockers to an extension was just the icing on the cake. An affordable three-year, $24 million extension to help solidify their defensive front with not only a productive player but a leader in the locker room? Holmes did some serious good with this move.

Your turn.