Heading into the 2025 NFL offseason, Detroit Lions fans found themselves hoping the team would land a talented edge they could pair with Aidan Hutchinson.
They were set up well for it with a large chunk of their starting lineup returning and a pretty strong cap situation.
Now the league has revealed that the salary cap is going up and the idea of the Lions landing a mother star for their pass rush seems like an even more realistic idea.
That star could even be coming off a dominant performance in a Super Bowl win.
In a Touchdown Wire article discussing a free agent each NFL team should want to sign this offseason, Lions Wire's Jeff Risdon named Philadelphia Eagles edge Josh Sweat as the free agent the Lions should go after.
Sweat has been with the Eagles for all seven of his NFL seasons and has been a key piece of their defense over the years.
In 2021 he earned a Pro Bowl nod. In 2022, Sweat racked up 11 sacks and 17 tackles for loss.
This past season, he had eight sacks and 54 pressures according to Pro Football Focus, but he saved his best performance for what may have been his last game in an Eagles uniform.
The standout edge racked up 2.5 sacks and six tackles, including two for a loss, during the Eagles' demolition of the Chiefs.
He played well enough in the win that he thought he should have won the Super Bowl MVP award instead of quarterback Jalen Hurts.
While his stellar performance didn't end up earning him the award, it likely did earn him some more money in free agency.
The Lions could be the team to give him that money.
Their pass rush definitely needs some improvement after finishing with the NFL's 10th-least sacks this past season and the return of Hutchinson might not be enough to completely fix things.
There are plenty of options on the edge in free agency this offseason.
Sweat will be one of the more expensive ones, but that might not be an issue for the Lions if they believe he is the right fit for them.
Not only would they be adding somebody who just proved they can perform on the biggest stage, but they would be simultaneously weakening their toughest competition.
With so many options out there, the Lions may decide the edge isn't where they want to spend a large chunk of their money, but with more cap space than they originally expected, Sweat could be worth the investment.
