The Lions have added some muscle to the interior of their defensive line. Nose tackle Roy Lopez is coming to Detroit on a one-year, $4.65 million deal, per NFL Network.
Lopez spent the past two seasons with the Cardinals. He started 16 games last year and finished with 28 tackles, four tackles for loss and one sack, adding 18 quarterback pressures and 14 defensive stops, per Pro Football Focus.
Lopez will likely serve in a backup role in Detroit behind vet DJ Reader, while giving the Lions some insurance at defensive tackle as Alim McNeill recovers from a torn ACL. He will also provide direct competition for Brodric Martin, the former third-round pick who’s played in just five games for the Lions over his first two seasons.
Listed at 6’2, 318 pounds, Lopez will add to Detroit’s girth up front. The hope is that he can fortify a defense that ranked fifth in the NFL against the run last season but 30th against the pass. The Lions have also re-signed defensive end Marcus Davenport and defensive tackle Myles Adams in free agency.
A sixth-round pick out of Arizona in 2021, Lopez has 137 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and three sacks over 63 games (50 starts). He has played in all but five games over his first four seasons.
