Lions GM talks Za'Darius Smith, waiving rookie, Hutchinson extension talks and why team kept only 50 on initial roster

Allen Park — Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and assistant general manager Ray Agnew met with the media Thursday morning to discuss the recent establishment of the team’s initial "53-man" roster.

Below are the highlights from that nearly half-hour conversation.

● Let’s get the Za’Darius Smith stuff out of the way, because there’s going to be a segment of the audience only here for that information.

The Lions still have an open roster spot, with many speculating it’s being reserved for the veteran pass rusher. While Holmes didn’t shut the door on the possibility — an approach he’s maintained all offseason — he made it sound as if it’s not the current plan.

“You guys know me, anything is a possibility,” Holmes said. “At any point, I don't know what's going to happen. We just have one open roster spot. It's not for a specific player. It's for the player that makes the most sense for us, whoever that player may be. We went into last year, I think, with 52. It just gives some flexibility. It's not just about that player.”

A few minutes later, Holmes was asked if he's had any recent talks with Smith, casting further doubts on an imminent reunion.

“Not recently, no,” Holmes said.

Obviously, these situations can change in a hurry. Still, if you ask a Magic Eight Ball, at best, you’re getting, “Ask again later.”

Smith, a trade deadline acquisition to help bridge the loss of Aidan Hutchinson last season, delivered 36 quarterback pressures and 4.0 sacks during his half-season with the Lions. The team held a contract option to retain him for the 2025 season and expressed interest in continuing forward at a reduced salary before the sides parted ways in March.

The Lions only carried three edge rushers on the team’s initial roster after cuts, but have since added a depth piece, claiming Tyrus Wheat off waivers from Dallas. The team also has multiple interior linemen, including Pat O’Connor, Mekhi Wingo and another waiver claim, Tyler Lacy, who have experience playing snaps on the edge.

“Tyrus, he’s got some edge-rush ability,” Agnew said. “He’ll be a good depth at the defensive end position and help out in pass rush and run play.”

● The other edge rusher storyline this offseason has been a potential extension for Hutchinson. Holmes said the two sides are talking about a deal.

“Nothing’s changed from our end, in terms of the importance of getting something done,” he said. “We have had dialogue. That has started. So we’ll just kind of see where it goes. In terms of the level of importance, that has not changed. It is very important.”

● One of the most interesting elements of Detroit’s recent roster cuts is that they trimmed down to 50 players, well below the required 53. Holmes expressed contentment with the strategy, noting they’ll continue to operate this way if they don’t think they have 53 players worthy of making the team.

“I thought it was awesome,” Holmes said. “I loved it. I don’t think it’ll be the last time that you’ll see that.”

The Lions have since added three players, signing veteran safety Daniel Thomas and claiming Wheat and Lacy off waivers. They also opened another spot by trading wide receiver Tim Patrick to the Jaguars for draft compensation.

Holmes was asked why the team didn’t just keep 53 at the deadline and adjust later. The GM responded by saying the team is not going to put an undeserving player on the roster to fill a quota.

“Why not do the best 53? Well, if you only have 50 that we deemed as the standards of making it, then you’ve got to look elsewhere,” Holmes said. “So that’s the approach that we did.”

● Two players the Lions let go were 2023 third-round draft picks Hendon Hooker and Brodric Martin. Overall, Holmes has been stellar in the draft, which has fueled Detroit’s rise from bottom-feeder to Super Bowl contender. Regardless, those two have been his biggest misses in the event.

Holmes said every decision is an opportunity to evaluate yourself and your decision-making process. Through that, he has identified things he would change. However, he still feels good about the work put into making those selections.

“I think all you can do is put all the work in and feel good when you take the player,” Holmes said. “Look, I think there’s risk involved with every single pick that you do.”

Holmes referenced a quote from a financial analyst and author, Morgan Housel: “Risk is what’s left over when you think you’ve thought of everything.”

“I don’t know how much more preparation that we could have done when we select these players, but it’s just a respect of the unknown,” Holmes said. “Unfortunately, they did not meet expectations in the timely manner that we would have liked for them to do, but you’ve just got to look at it. I’m a big self-assessment individual, after-action review. Look at it. Analyze it. I think we’ve already identified some areas (of improvement) already. You’ve just got to learn. You’ve just got to grow and get better.”

● Multiple times in recent months, Holmes has talked about the roster being in a place where the team no longer had room it previously did for developmental projects. That seemingly played into the decisions with Hooker and Martin.

However, Holmes noted he won’t shy away from a project in the future if the situation is right.

“It’s not that we won’t go for that anymore,” Holmes said. “I think everyone is case-by-case. …It’s just, I think where we’re at as a roster right now, you’re just more cognizant of it. I think there’s times and windows to strike here and there, but you’re just more aware of it, as opposed to when we first started (in 2021). We just had a lot more room for those guys and had a lot more time. I would never say that we would not take a developmental player, but it’s just got to be the right situation.”

● On the decision to trade Patrick, Holmes spoke glowingly about what the veteran meant to the team. Still, the decision to move on was best for the franchise.

“First of all, outstanding individual,” Holmes said. “I mean you’re talking about a pro’s pro, everything that we were about. I think everything — him coming in last year, going on the practice squad, earning (a spot on the active roster). I mean, he was — Tim is awesome. I wish him the best.”

The GM also noted he had interest from multiple teams, which would explain why he was able to pull a sixth-round selection from the Jaguars, as opposed to a seventh-rounder or conditional choice.

The understandable perception is that the trade was facilitated by the rapid development of rookie Isaac TeSlaa. However, Holmes preached continued patience with the team’s third-round pick.

“Obviously it may open up some more (opportunities) for him, but I think you’ve got to still keep in perspective that TeSlaa’s a rookie, a young player,” Holmes said. “He’s had a good training camp, a good preseason, but we’ll just see how it goes.”

● Regarding another rookie expected to play a big role this season, offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, Holmes acknowledged the franchise remains high on the former Georgia standout's long-term potential as a center.

“Yeah, we do,” Holmes said. “I say that with I don’t know what the future’s going to bring. But yeah, I think we felt good about trying him here. And look, I think he could’ve handled it if we just could’ve left him there. But when you start looking at the whole combination of him and Graham (Glasgow) and everything, I think that that was the best thing for not only the players being put in the best positions, but also for the team.

“…We knew what he was at right guard,” Holmes continued. “We already know that, so we were very confident about that. But we felt confident about the center stuff, and he’s shown that he’s going to be able to do it. So, it’s an argument that the ceiling is even higher there, at that position, at center.”

● Holmes also explained the decision to waive rookie defensive end Ahmed Hassanein with an injury settlement, while vowing that the edge rusher will eventually return to the team this season.

“Yeah, there were multiple avenues that we could have went with that one,” Holmes said, referring to the possibility of putting Hassanein on IR instead of waiving him. “What we wanted to do is what is going to be the best path for him to get him back to the practice field when he’s healthy? The injury settlement was the way to go. Especially him, specifically, with where he was at in his football career.

“Bottom line, he’s going to be a Detroit Lion,” Holmes said. “He’s going to be back on the football field playing this year.”

● Holmes was asked about his thoughts regarding how Alex Anzalone’s situation played out this offseason, with the veteran linebacker and defensive captain expressing discontent with his contract before getting the final year of his current deal fully guaranteed.

“I think that’s part of it, that we do have a lot of players that we’re paying and we’re trying to keep around,” Holmes said. “Also, I understand from Alex’s standpoint, too. I’ve always said with Alex, he’s always been a good player. He just happened to go through some things early in his career that he peaked a little bit later. When you peak a little bit later, then now, you have all of these other (contractual) things going on, it’s hard to make the forecast sometimes.

“I understand where he was coming from,” Holmes continued. “We had productive communication with that and I’m glad that we came to a resolution for the immediate.”

Beyond this season, Holmes said the situation remains uncertain, but he could see Anzalone remaining in the fold beyond 2025.