Lions to Sign Former Cardinals DT Roy Lopez

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 Houston Texans in the 2021 draft, and he spent two seasons with the Texans 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.