As of Wednesday morning, the Detroit Lions had only signed five players from outside the franchise in free agency. Every single one of them received a one-year deal, and over half of them were signed at—or very close to—the league minimum. In other words, the Lions prioritized keeping their own over venturing outside for help, because, as Lions general manager Brad Holmes said last week, the grass is not always greener.
One of those exceptions was cornerback Mike Hughes. The Lions added yet another young, intriguing member to their secondary, and invested more than just the league minimum in him.