There’s a strange kind of quiet in Detroit these days—the kind that comes just before something breaks. Not the silence of apathy. The silence of calculation. In the front office, phones are ringing. In draft war rooms, names are being crossed out and circled again. And in living rooms across Michigan, fans are trying to decode Brad Holmes’ poker face. Because when a team sits this close to contention, every move feels monumental—and every non-move, even more so.

The Lions have built something real. Jared Goff has found his rhythm. The offensive core hums with potential. But the buzz around Allen Park isn’t about what the Lions have—it’s about what they might still be missing. And this offseason? It’s proving harder than expected to close that gap. Brad Holmes has always played the long game. Think of him as the guy meticulously restoring a ’67 Mustang in his garage—no shortcuts, just grit and a vision. But even the savviest mechanics hit snags.

The Detroit Lions’ offseason feels like the seventh inning of a nail-biting Tigers game: you know a move’s coming, but the bullpen’s still warming up. Fans clutch their Vernors, wondering if Holmes will swing for the fences or bunt to keep the line moving. Detroit’s offense? It’s a fireworks show missing its grand finale. Jared Goff’s arm is the lighter, but the fuse hasn’t been lit. Amon-Ra St. Brown and Sam LaPorta are reliable sparklers, yet the boom hinges on Jameson Williams—a human highlight reel who’s equal parts thrilling and unpredictable. Think Randy Moss’s talent with a dash of Mercury Morris’s flair. But Holmes, ever the pragmatist, isn’t rushing to hand out blank checks.

On April 15, Holmes admitted he’s less certain about extending Williams compared to Aidan Hutchinson or Kerby Joseph. The reason? “There’s a lot of extensions that are hopefully coming,” Holmes admitted. “But it’s just one that you just don’t know what’s going to happen from a financial standpoint cause a wide receiver, it’s expensive.” Williams’ 2024 breakout—1,001 yards, seven touchdowns—earned him a fifth-year option pickup. But his off-field hiccups (suspensions, a gun incident) and injury history linger like a bad halftime show.

Holmes’ financial analogy hit home: “You have a mortgage or your kid’s college fund, your 529, you have insurance you have to pay. You know you have to pay those things, but that might require that you can’t take the vacation you really want right now this summer. So, that’s kind of where we are right now.” So, Detroit’s budgeting for a dynasty, not a one-season splash. Now, the Lions’ draft strategy mirrors a blackjack table…

Holmes tried dealing his way up the board multiple times, including the 2022 Williams trade. “It takes two,” he shrugged, confirming failed attempts to replicate that gamble. Last year’s Terrion Arnold move worked, but this year’s edge-rusher hunt remains stuck in neutral. With pick No. 28, Holmes is eyeing Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku or Texas speedster Matthew Golden—a potential Williams contingency.

Brad Holmes’ draft gambles: High risk, higher stakes

Holmes’ draft philosophy? “Get the best player.” Period. He’s the guy who drafts Jahmyr Gibbs despite having David Montgomery, then watches them become the NFL’s top RB duo. But Detroit’s edge-rusher woes are glaring. Hutchinson’s health is a question mark, and Marcus Davenport’s résumé reads like a hospital chart. The Lions need a Myles Garrett-esque force but lack the capital to trade up. Holmes’ solution?

‘Double-dip’ in a deep edge class per The Athletic’s Colton Pouncy. Imagine pairing Hutchinson with a rookie like Landon Jackson—a power-and-finesse combo hotter than a Lafayette Coney dog. However, Williams’ shadow looms. Hosting Golden—a 4.29-speed receiver—hints at contingency plans. Trading Williams now could end up like selling Apple stock in 1998…

His value’s rising, but another 1,000-yard season could skyrocket it. Holmes knows this. Letting him walk risks alienating Goff, whose chemistry with Williams is as synced as Motown’s Funk Brothers. But could the Williams deal be a smokescreen to trade up? Folks from WoodwardSports sure think so.

Holmes’ balancing act is tighter than a Lions’ fourth-quarter lead. Extend Williams, and he risks cap hell. Let him walk, and Goff’s offense loses its nitro boost. The draft offers hope, but only if Holmes plays his cards right. As author F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, “The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind and still retain the ability to function.”

So, Lions fans: Do you trust Brad Holmes to thread the needle, or is this the calm before a storm? The clock’s ticking—will Detroit’s next move be a checkmate or a false start?