The Detroit Lions have added a piece to their defensive line ahead of the official start of NFL free agency.
On Tuesday, multiple reports indicated that the Lions have agreed to a one-year contract with former Arizona Cardinals nose tackle Roy Lopez. The contract is reportedly worth $4.65 million.
Lopez has played in 63 games with 50 starts over his four NFL seasons. He entered the league as a sixth-round pick of the Texans in the 2021 draft, and he spent two seasons with Houston before landing in Arizona for the last two years.
In four seasons, Lopez has totaled 137 combined tackles, 17 tackles for loss and three sacks. He had one sack, three passes defensed and four tackles for loss last season. He is a nose tackle and earned a 54.9 run defense grade via Pro Football Focus for his performance last season.
Lopez had modest pass-rush production with 18 pressures last year. He has appeared in at least 16 games in three of his four NFL seasons, with the lone exception being in 2023 when he played in 14 games.
The Lions have DJ Reader returning at the nose tackle position. The veteran nose tackle is in the final year of a two-year contract inked last year in free agency. In his first season with the Lions, Reader produced 23 combined tackles and three sacks.
Defensive tackle Alim McNeill suffered a season-ending torn ACL in Week 15, and his status for the start of the 2025 season is uncertain. The addition of Lopez provides some insurance in the event that McNeill is unable to play at the start of the 2025 season.
Elsewhere, the Lions also have Brodric Martin at the nose tackle position. A third-round pick in 2023, Martin has yet to make a substantial impact through two seasons and was viewed as a developmental selection at the time of his signing.
The Lions also re-signed restricted free agent Myles Adams to a on
e-year contract.
