There was a bunch of nothing and then, with the league year about to officially turn, the Detroit Lions made their first massive move of the new season.
That headlined a hectic first day for Detroit, and here are some thoughts about what went down.
1. Haloti Ngata works in the short term: The Lions had to make a big move here to try and lessen the loss of Ndamukong Suh to Miami. While Ngata isn't Suh -- he's 31 years old and on the back end of his prime at best -- he is still better than most of the other options out there. He's also a proven, name player to satiate the majority of the fanbase. But in reality, Ngata probably has a season or two left of productive football before age catches up with him. So unlike last year, when the Lions passed on Aaron Donald, if a strong defensive tackle option is there, Detroit should take him to be groomed by Ngata and whoever else the Lions sign at tackle. But this works as a solution for the 2015 and maybe 2016 seasons.
2. Still holes to fill: While Ngata is a good first step, how the Lions use the rest of the money saved by not re-signing Suh will ultimately determine Detroit's fate this season. The Lions still have needs at cornerback, defensive tackle, and on the offensive line. Making plays at running back and receiver wouldn't be out of the question, either. But as far as potential starters, the Lions still need to find two or three in free agency with options at corner and the offensive line starting to slim down.
3. The small re-signs were smart: The Lions need to make sure they didn't forget special teams, and they helped shore up coverage teams in bringing back linebacker Josh Bynes and safety Isa Abdul-Quddus. They are also capable defensive reserves, so they serve multiple roles on the roster. Abdul-Quddus could eventually turn into a starting safety, either in Detroit or elsewhere.
4. The Lions need to be better with draft picks: With Suh gone, the 2010 draft class no longer exists on the Lions roster. If Nick Fairley -- who is visiting Cincinnati on Wednesday -- departs, the Lions will have no players from the 2011 class, either. If Andre Fluellen doesn't return, that means the Lions only have four players on their roster from their 2007-11 draft classes. Of the 38 picks made by the Lions those five years, only Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Pettigrew and DeAndre Levy remain. That's a combination of bad drafting and not retaining some of the better talent in those classes (Cliff Avril, Suh, Fairley if he leaves).
5. Suh should still sting: No matter what the Lions do in free agency this year, losing Suh after being so optimistic for over a year is going to follow Martin Mayhew and Tom Lewand for a while. It'll be interesting to see if one or both decide to talk whenever they announce Ngata to explain what happened and how they got to this position. But if Suh goes on to have a Hall of Fame career, the mismanagement that led to Detroit letting Suh go to Miami is going to end up being mentioned in any bio of either of them.
