Who lines up opposite Hutch in 2026, and can Brad Holmes afford to go get him?

The Lions defensive line has three starters locked in, but the fourth spot is a blank page, the depth chart reads like a wish list, and the salary cap clock is ticking louder with every passing day. This week the boys pull apart the entire DL room, piece by piece, with the kind of analytical rigor that separates informed fans from the comment section.

We run through the latest Lions news and nuggets, from coaching staff additions and voided contracts to a Packers coaching exodus that should put a smile on every NFC North rival's face. Then the crew dives deep into the defensive line, breaking down Hutchinson's recovery arc, McNeil's post-ACL snap count concerns, Tyleik Williams' limited but promising rookie tape, and why the EDGE free agent market from Bosa to Ossai offers Holmes a rare chance to solve a problem without mortgaging the future. They also explain, with receipts, why the Max Crosby dream should stay exactly that.

DBC closes the show by walking through the salary cap minefield standing between the Lions and a competitive roster. Every critical date from March 11th through the 20th gets mapped out, restructure candidates like Goff and St. Brown get the full financial breakdown, and the retirement wildcards at left tackle and running back get the honest conversation they deserve. By the end, you will understand exactly how Holmes can turn a tight cap into real free agency firepower and what it means for a draft class that keeps mocking offensive and defensive linemen to Detroit.

🦁Join The Grey Manes Community🦁

✅ Official: https://www.thegreymanes.com/

✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyManes/

✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreyManes

✅ X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheGreyManes

✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@LionsGreyManes

Lions Grey Manes is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

It’s now time to dive deep into the 2026 NFL Draft's first round with data-driven analysis that cuts through the mock draft noise. Who's actually on Brad Holmes' board at pick 17? We break down positional value, best available talent, and Detroit's championship-building needs through statistical analysis and historical context. No hot takes - just experienced Lions fans dissecting film, analytics, and front office tendencies to project Detroit's next franchise cornerstone. Join us for myth-busting insights that separate informed fandom from speculation.

🦁Join The Grey Manes Community🦁

✅ Official: https://www.thegreymanes.com/

✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyManes/

✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreyManes

✅ X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheGreyManes

✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@LionsGreyManes

Lions Grey Manes is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

The Grey Manes break down All-Star Week with analytical precision - dissecting standout performances from the Senior Bowl and Shrine Bowl to identify 2026 draft prospects who fit Detroit's championship blueprint. Which position battles got easier to solve? Which under-the-radar players just skyrocketed up Brad Holmes' board? We cut through the noise with film-based analysis, historical context, and the data-driven evaluation that separates smart draft strategy from draft-day reaches. No hot takes - just some evidence-based scouting report Lions fans need as April approaches.

🦁Join The Grey Manes Community🦁

✅ Official: https://www.thegreymanes.com/

✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyManes/

✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreyManes

✅ X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheGreyManes

✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@LionsGreyManes

Lions Grey Manes is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

The Lions face their most critical offseason roster challenge: potential turnover at three offensive line positions. With Taylor Decker's future uncertain, Graham Glasgow departed, and depth evaporating after Skipper's retirement, we sift through the O-line puzzle that will define Brad Holmes' 2025 strategy. Should the Lions draft a right tackle and move Penei Sewell? Can Mahogany or Ratledge handle center duties? What's the realistic Week 1 starting five given cap constraints and draft position?

Plus: Mike Kafka joins the coaching staff after being a part of developing Patrick Mahomes - what does the former Giants OC bring to Jared Goff and Detroit's offense? And the Grey Manes induct Silver Rush legend Doug English to the Hall of the Underrated, exploring why the 4-time Pro Bowler who holds the NFL record for career safeties remains criminally overlooked in Lions history.

🦁Join The Grey Manes Community🦁

✅ Official: https://www.thegreymanes.com/

✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyManes/

✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreyManes

✅ X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheGreyManes

✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@LionsGreyManes

Lions Grey Manes is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

Should the Lions pay Alex Anzalone $7.6 million to stay, or let their five-year captain walk in free agency?

Alex Anzalone just posted career-best numbers at 31, anchored a top-10 defense, and wants to retire in Honolulu blue. But with Jack Campbell's extension looming, limited draft capital, and Aaron Glenn circling in New York, Brad Holmes faces a 50/50 decision that could define Detroit's Super Bowl window. We break down the four replacement paths (free agency, draft, trade, or re-sign), debate the linebacker age curve, and reveal what a "fair deal" actually looks like.

Plus: The Grey Manes Hall of the Underrated inducts Corey Schlesinger, the unsung fullback who paved the way for Barry Sanders and embodied old-school Lions grit.

Full article “The Case for Free Agent LB Alex Anzalone” by Dan Keener: https://www.thegreymanes.com/post/the-case-for-free-agent-lb-alex-anzalone

🦁Join The Grey Manes Community🦁

✅ Official: https://www.thegreymanes.com/

✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyManes/

✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreyManes

✅ X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheGreyManes

✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@LionsGreyManes

Lions Grey Manes is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

he David Montgomery situation isn't what the hot-take crowd wants you to believe.

When Brad Holmes gave his cryptic answer about Monty's future at the January 8th press conference, Lions media immediately declared him gone. But the we don't deal in knee-jerk reactions - we dissect the numbers, the cap implications, and the strategic realities that casual fans overlook.

In this episode, we break down the actual financial impact of trading or cutting Montgomery (spoiler: $4.8M in dead cap for $1.3M net savings), analyze the replacement cost matrix that makes moving on nearly impossible, and explain why a 29-year-old power back with a young family and championship aspirations has every reason to run it back in Detroit for 2025.

We'll decode Holmes' carefully worded response, examine the three realistic scenarios (Monty-initiated departure, Lions-initiated pay cut, or blockbuster trade offer), and reveal why Sonic and Knuckles are far more likely to share the backfield again than the narrative suggests.

🦁Join The Grey Manes Community🦁

✅ Official: https://www.thegreymanes.com/

✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyManes/

✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreyManes

✅ X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheGreyManes

✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@LionsGreyManes

Lions Grey Manes is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

With John Morton fired and 15 names circulating for Detroit's OC vacancy, the Grey Manes break down the candidates through the lens that matters: data, scheme fit, and Lions identity.

Which candidate has actually elevated pocket passers like Jared Goff? Who brings the intellectual firepower Goff craved with Ben Johnson? And critically: which hire ensures Detroit doesn't sacrifice offensive dominance for coordinator roulette?

🦁Join The Grey Manes Community🦁

✅ Official: https://www.thegreymanes.com/

✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyManes/

✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreyManes

✅ X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheGreyManes

✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@LionsGreyManes

Lions Grey Manes is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net

What if Frank Ragnow never retired? What if the Lions injury report didn’t look like a CVS receipt every week? What if those five fourth-down failures in Philadelphia went differently?

The Detroit Lions entered 2025 with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. They're ending it on their couches. The Grey Manes dissect the season's autopsy report with surgical precision - identifying the 13 critical junctures where championship dreams fractured into bitter reality.

🦁Join The Grey Manes Community🦁

✅ Official: https://www.thegreymanes.com/

✅ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheGreyManes/

✅ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GreyManes

✅ X/Twitter: https://x.com/TheGreyManes

✅ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@LionsGreyManes

Lions Grey Manes is produced by Chris Stone at https://CastAhead.net