Before free agency began for this offseason, Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes raised some eyebrows when he revealed that he had been watching film of the team’s Week 3 win over the Arizona Cardinals because he was interested in one of their players.

That player turned out to be defensive tackle Roy Lopez.

The Lions signed him to a one-year deal worth $3.5 million to join a defensive line rotation that is expected to be without Alim McNeil early in the season.

Now Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox thinks the Lions should take another look at the tape from that matchup against the Cardinals.

In an article discussing a free agent who could help still help each NFL team this offseason, Knox named former Cardinals edge Dennis Gardeck as the free agent the Lions should pursue.

A Gardeck signing would not be nearly as good of a fit for the Lions as the Lopez signing was.

The Lions need an upgrade at their second edge spot as they don’t currently have a dependable option for that role.

Gardeck is not a solution to that problem.

He has never played 50% of snaps in an NFL season and has just 17 sacks in a seven-year NFL career.

If the Lions are going to sign a veteran, it needs to be somebody that can take the starting job opposite Aidan Hutchinson.

If all they’re looking for is somebody they can add to the rotation for the 2025 season, they should find that in the draft.

The Lions definitely shouldn’t be done at the edge position for this offseason, but Gardeck just isn’t the right guy for them.