NFL free agency recap: Lions come to terms with DT Lopez, lose Melifonwu on second day of negotiations

The Detroit Lions reached an agreement with Cardinals defensive tackle Roy Lopez late Tuesday night. (Getty Images)

The second day of the NFL's legal tampering period started slowly but finished with around four dozen players reaching agreements with new teams or re-signing with their current employers.

The Detroit Lions' day had a similarly quiet start after a splash agreement with cornerback D.J. Reed on Monday. The team made a minor move in the early afternoon to bring back Myles Adams. That transaction, reported by the Detroit Free Press, will extend the defensive lineman's time in Detroit after he was poached off of Seattle's practice squad in late November. He appeared in four games for the Lions in 2024, logging 46 defensive snaps, four tackles and a sack.

Then, late in the evening, the Lions added more depth to their defensive line. First reported by the NFL Network and confirmed via a league source, the team reached a one-year agreement with nose tackle Roy Lopez, reportedly worth up to $4.65 million.

Listed at 6-foot-2, 318 pounds, Lopez was an above-average athlete coming out of Arizona when he was drafted in the sixth round by the Houston Texans in 2021. He played two seasons there before he was waived/injured and picked up by the Arizona Cardinals.

Lopez was a 16-game starter for the Cardinals last season and has averaged 480 defensive snaps per season during his four-year career. Primarily aligning heads up against the center or in the A gap between the center and guard for the Cardinals, Lopez has never been much of a pass-rush threat, generating just 3.0 sacks and 22 total pressures in 63 career games.

Lopez is the third nose tackle on Detroit's roster, joining veteran D.J. Reader and 2023 third-round pick Brodric Martin. It's immediately unclear if Lopez's addition has any short- or long-term impact on their roster spots. It's worth noting that Reader has a $4 million roster bonus due later this week.

Beyond the addition of Lopez, the Lions did lose a piece on Tuesday, although it wasn't an unexpected departure. Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu reached a one-year agreement with the Miami Dolphins, which will pay him up to $4 million.

A third-round pick in 2021 — and part of the return package in the trade that sent Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams and brought back Jared Goff — Melifonwu routinely battled injury during his four seasons in Detroit.

As a rookie, he suffered a quad injury during his first start, shelving him for nine of the next 10 games. Following a position switch the next offseason, he missed time in training camp and seven regular season games.

He managed to appear in all 17 contests in 2023. However, his elevation into the starting lineup was delayed after he suffered a broken hand in practice, requiring a club. Regardless of the setback, he finished the year with a playmaking flurry, flashing added versatility with expanded blitzing responsibilities. He even earned Defensive Player of the Week during the final month of that season.

This past campaign, already on track to come off the bench after the team shifted Brian Branch from nickel to safety, Melifonwu was sidelined for the first 14 games with ankle and finger injuries.

Understanding the best ability is availability, it was clear the sides were likely to part this offseason.

Melifonwu wasn't the only safety with Detroit ties who was on the move Tuesday. C.J. Garnder-Johnson's triumphant return to Philadephia lasted one season. The Eagles shipped the trash-talking defensive back to Houston in exchange for offensive lineman Kenyon Green. All things considered, Gardner-Johnson got a Super Bowl ring, so he can't be too upset.

Other former Lions on the move include safety Will Harris, who lands in Washington on a two-year agreement. Former first-round pick Laken Tomlinson will join his fifth franchise — and third in three years — when he officially signs with Houston later this week. And another lineman from that era of Lions football, Cornelius Lucas, scored a two-year deal with the Browns.

For the second straight day, the NFC North made the biggest moves. On Monday, it was the Chicago Bears backing up the Brink's truck. Today, the Minnesota Vikings made a pair of massive trench additions. They reached monster, multi-year agreements with defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and offensive lineman Will Fries, who many viewed as the best guard on the market.

Finally, there were a couple of big names joining AFC contenders. Three-time All-Pro receiver DeAndre Hopkins is set to join the Ravens, while five-time Pro Bowl pass-rusher Joey Bosa skipped a chance to join his brother in San Francisco, instead agreeing to a one-year deal with the Buffalo Bills.

You can see the full list of reported agreements below, with reported contract figures in parentheses.

Tuesday’s agreements

Quarterback

• Jacoby Brissett with Arizona (2 years)

• Daniel Jones with Indianapolis (1 year, $14 million)

Best remaining: Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, Gardner Minshew

Running back

• Darrynton Evans with Buffalo (1 year)

• Ty Johnson re-signs with Buffalo (2 years, $5 million)

• Jeremy McNichols re-signing with Washington (1 year)

• Patrick Ricard re-signing with Baltimore (1 year)

Best remaining: J.K. Dobbins, Rico Dowdle, Nick Chubb, Kyle Juszczyk, Khalil Herbert

Wide receiver

• DeAndre Hopkins with Baltimore (1 year, $5 million)

• Zay Jones re-signing with Arizona (1 year, $4.4 million)

• Dante Pettis re-signing with New Orleans (1 year)

• Demarcus Robinson with San Francisco (2 years, $9.5 million)

• Trent Sherfield with Denver (2 years, $8 million)

• KaVontae Turpin re-signing with Dallas (3 years, $18 million)

• Nick Westbrook-Ikhine with Miami (2 years, $6.5 million)

Best remaining: Amari Cooper, Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, Diontae Johnson, Tyler Lockett, Mike Williams

Tight ends

• Juwan Johnson re-signing with New Orleans (3 years, $30.75 million)

• Robert Tonyan with Kansas City (1 year)

Best remaining: Evan Engram, Tyler Conklin, Mo Allie-Cox, Stone Smartt

Offensive line

• Brady Christensen re-signing with Carolina (1 year, $2.8 million)

• Wesley French re-signing with Indianapolis (1 year)

• Will Fries with Minnesota (5 years, $88 million)

• Kenyon Green traded from Houston to Philadephia

• Cornelius Lucas with Cleveland (2 years, $10 million)

• Coleman Shelton with Los Angeles Rams (2 years)

• Laken Tomlinson with Houston (1 year, $4.25 million)

Best remaining: Cam Robinson, Tyron Smith, Jedrick Wills, Andre James, Kevin Zeitler, Mekhi Becton, Brandon Scherff

Edge

• Joey Bosa with Buffalo (1 year, $12 million)

• Leonard Floyd with Atlanta (1 year, $10 million)

• Anthony Nelson re-signing with Tampa Bay (2 years, $10 million)

• Joe Tryon-Shoyinka with Cleveland (1 year, $4.75 million)

• Payton Turner with Dallas (1 year, $3 million)

Best remaining: Demarcus Lawrence, Za’Darius Smith, Azeez Ojulari, Von Miller, Dennis Gardeck, Dante Fowler Jr.

Defensive tackle

• Jonathan Allen with Minnesota (3 years, $60 million)

• Mario Edwards Jr. re-signing with Houston (2 years, $9.5 million)

• Roy Lopez with Detroit (1 year, $4.65 million)

• Solomon Thomas with Dallas (2 years, $8 million)

Best remaining: Levi Onwuzurike, Larry Ogunjobi, Maliek Collins, Dre’Mont Jones, Calais Campbell, Dalvin Tomlinson

Linebacker

• Quinton Bell re-signing with Miami (1 year, $1.5 million)

• Devin Bush with Cleveland (1 year, $3.25 million)

• Divine Deablo with Atlanta (2 years, $14 million)

• Luke Gifford with San Francisco (1 year)

• Nick Niemann with Houston (2 years, $6.5 million)

• Curtis Robinson re-signing with San Francisco (1 year)

Best remaining: Kyzir White, Tyrel Dodson, Denzel Perryman, Eric Kendricks, E.J. Speed

Cornerback

• Kristian Fulton with Kansas City (2 years, $20 million)

• Mike Hughes re-signing with Atlanta (3 years, $18 million)

• Marco Wilson re-signing with Cincinnati (1 year, $1.52 million)

Best remaining: Asante Samuel Jr., Rasul Douglas, Stephon Gilmore, Mike Hilton, Kendall Fuller

Safety

• Mike Brown re-signing with Tennessee (1 year)

• Elijah Campbell re-signing with Miami (1 year, $1.9 million)

• C.J. Gardner-Johnson traded from Philadelphia to Houston

• Richie Grant re-signing with San Francisco (1 year)

• Will Harris with Washington (2 years, $8 million)

• Javon Holland with the New York Giants (3 years, $45.3 million)

• Ifeatu Melifonwu with Miami (1 year, $4 million)

• Justin Reid with New Orleans (3 years, $31.5 million)

• M.J. Stewart re-signing with Houston (1 year)

• Xavier Woods with Tennessee (2 years, $10 million)

Best remaining: Justin Blackmon, Justin Simmons, Jordan Whitehead, Damar Hamlin, Juan Thornhill