Free agency has not started, but the Detroit Lions have lost their first free agent of the year. Former third-round pick Julian Okwara will not return to the Lions. He has signed a futures/reserves deal with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Okwara was picked by former Lions GM Bob Quinn in his final draft as the Lions GM. Their was a lot of excitement around the pick because Okwara was at one point considered a first round talent before suffering an injury at Notre Dame. The other big factor for excitement was that his brother Romeo was in Detroit.
Okwara never became the pass rushing the pass rush danger that many hoped he would be. He time in Detroit was marred by injury, Ultimately he wound up playing just 38 games and had four starts. He spent much of the 2023 season as a healthy scratch and only played nine games.
Okwara was waived just before the Lions divisional round matchup with the Bucs to make room for James Houston to be activated. The Lions brought him back on a practice squad deal and then chose not to sign him to a futures deal and he became a free agent last week. He's now with the Eagles. We'll see how he does out there.
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