Lions quietly just made one of the best moves of free agency

For a moment, it looked like the Detroit Lions were on their way to the Super Bowl this past season. They were one half away from doing what nobody expected them to do. Unfortunately, a second-half collapse in San Francisco ended their season while the 49ers had the pleasure of losing to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Rather than be satisfied with an NFC Championship appearance, the Lions have been active this offseason, revamping their secondary and now making a move to improve their offense.

The Lions reportedly signed veteran guard Kevin Zeitler to a one-year deal. That move came off the heels of Detroit losing Jonah Jackson to the Los Angeles Rams. Not only did they replace Jackson with a battle-tested veteran, but they upgraded in doing so.

Lions just made one of the best moves in free agency and nobody is talking about it

The terms of this deal are just an utter steal for the Lions. They committed just $6 million to sign one of the best guards in the game in Zeitler while Jackson signed a three-year deal worth $33 million to join the Rams. Forget that. The Lions managed to upgrade with the move.

Zeitler has been one of the best guards in the game for a while now, and was this past season. His 71.6 grade on PFF was good for 15th among all guards ($). That's pretty darn good. Jonah Jackson, while pretty good, ranked 34th with a 61.0 PFF grade. That's quite the upgrade for Detroit, and they managed to also get him for less money.

Zeitler being 34 years old and seven years older than Jackson undoubtedly played a role, but they're a team trying to win right now. Zeitler gives them a better chance. Additionally, it's not like Zeitler has seen a decline at all. He made his first Pro Bowl appearance this past season for the Ravens. He's played at least 15 games in each of his last nine seasons and 10 of his 12 overall.

The Lions upgraded, saved money, and found durability with Zeitler. He undoubtedly could've gotten more money or term elsewhere, but the Lions, a true contender, were able to land him. This is an unbelievable deal signed by Brad Holmes and Co. and we should see it pay off this season.