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I'm not a draft guy, but I didn't think the blocking thing would be an issue like it was for Ebron. He was from Iowa and most of those tight ends from there are at least serviceable blockers. He has been better than Hock was, his blocking turned out to serviceable but disappointing considering the expectations.
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Any news about Ragnow yet?
Last I heard was Campbell’s postgame comments that made it sound more promising than we originally thought.
If Ragnow is out a few weeks and is back for the playoffs, that’s totally fine.AAL 2023 - Alim McNeillComment
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Here's why Isaiah Buggs has been benched by the Lions
MIKE PAYTON 9 HOURS AGO
The saga between the Detroit Lions and their defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs has been something that's been on Lions fans minds all season long. If you haven't noticed, Buggs has been a healthy scratch for the Lions in the last three games. He hasn't played since the team took on the Chargers in Los Angeles. What is happening?
First off, to understand what's happening today, I think it's necessary to take a trip back in time. All the way back to 2022. Buggs signed with the Lions in July and was thought to be an addition that could help the Lions get some girth in the middle of their defensive line.
Eventually he began to start for the Lions and after a bad start, it was Isaiah Buggs who took on something of a leadership role with the team when he was outspoken in a players only meeting midway through the season. The Lions started playing much better down the stretch.
Then to start the 2023 season, Buggs got pretty publicly benched by the Lions and then made a big statement about that on social media when took any mention of the Lions out of his bios, changed his profile picture from a picture of him in his Lions jersey on game day to a black circle and put out this tweet.
This came after he had missed most the teams voluntary workouts over the offseason when pretty much all of the team showed up. The team did not take that very well and Buggs knew that.
Buggs has been on the field for the Lions for six games this year. There's this idea that generates from the Lions fan base that the teams pass rush is so much better with Buggs in the game. I think that's what leads to the biggest misunderstanding here when it comes to his benching. Because that's not true. Let's take a look.
Buggs made his season debut against the Falcons. He played on 18 snaps in that game. Nine of which were pass rushing snaps. The Lions did get seven sacks in that game. But Buggs was only on the field for one of them.
He played eight pass rush snaps against the Packers the following week. The Lions got five sacks in that game and he got one of them. He was on the field for just one other one.
He played a season high 21 pass rush snaps against the Panthers the following week. The Lions got one sack in that game and he was not on the field for it.
He then played 10 pass rush snaps against the Bucs, 17 against the Ravens and 18 against the Chargers. The Lions did not record a sack in any of those games except for Julian Okwara's sack on Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay. Buggs was not on the field for that.
Buggs has played a total of 83 pass rush snaps this season and he has only generated four hurries and one pressure in that time. The Lions have only been able to register three of their 25 sacks with him on the field.
There's a reason why Buggs is not on the field anymore. It's because on top of the offseason issues, he's just not playing well at all. I know fans are upset and they want to think that there is some sort of conspiracy here or that the coaching staff is bad because they're not playing him. That's just not what's happening here. This guy is having a bad year. He had a bad mini camp, he had a bad training camp and it was apparent that Benito Jones was passing him up in reps and then he's had a bad season. That's why he's a healthy scratch and that's why the team has been playing Quinton Bohanna in the last three games. That's it.
As far as the future, Buggs did sign a two year extension this offseason. The Lions have an out in that deal after this year. It will cost them a half a million dollars in dead cap to part ways with him after the year. It certainly seems like that is the way this is going.
#birdsarentrealComment
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The fact that Bohanna was with the team all of a week or so before starting on T-day and tells you all you need to know about DT. Martin nowhere to be seen. Him, Levi and Paschal 3 early picks not delivering a whole heck of a lot of production.Comment
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Press conference today Campbell said it didn’t look like Ragnow will play against bears.
Alim McNeil may not play eitherComment
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Bohanna has been on the practice squad since 8/31 after he was the last cut for the Cowboys. He started 9 games for the Cowboys last year. It was a really nice pickup by Holmes.Originally posted by Mainevent View Post
We always knew Martin was going to be a developmental player this season. He's gotten a few snaps lately. Levi has been a disappointment, but largely injury driven. I'm not counting out Paschal yet but it's fair to be concerned.
I do wonder if the new DL coach is any good, though. It feels like the entire line is underperforming and that includes several vets who have been productive in the past. When a whole unit underperforms, I look to the coach.Comment
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I'm less worried about Martin at the moment than I am a 35-year old journeyman pulled straight off of the couch and immediately outperforming Harris and the Okwara brothers. Those veteran leaders have been invisible all season while McNeil and Hutchinson are battling double and triple teams.Comment
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I thought Paschal played well yesterday. He might be coming on, but the position he is playing is probably never going to be too glamours.Comment
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Paschal has been okay. He's a decent piece that the Lions have been able to use all across the line. He's more of a "glue" guy than a playmaker on his own, which is fine... on its own.
When no one else is finishing plays, however, someone like Paschal isn't going to turn the tide.Comment
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Nobody playing a 5 technique is going to in this defensive scheme. The job is to set the edge above all else.Comment
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The Martin pick was a head scratcher...he was projected as a 5th round pick...The lions gave up 3 fifth rounders to move back to the end of the 3rd to get him....All we have seen is yes he probably should have been taken in the 5th round like the draft projections thought he should be......but I think Brad Holmes felt pressure because he passed on Jalen Carter.....There were still several Dts available but I think Martin might have been the biggest guy.....Even so, there were alot of questions marks on him, and one of the biggest knocks on him was his pad level was always too high to dominate in the NFL (dont get ROd Marinelli started on pad level!)Originally posted by Mainevent View PostComment
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I don’t think Holmes felt pressured, I think they had Martin pegged all along but then didn’t want to wait. They were always going to package a couple of those picks together. Just sucks that he is such a nothing right now. They can’t all be winners.
The Irvin signing at least signals they understand they have a problem. They put a lot of expectations on Paschal, Harris and the Okwaras and that hasn’t panned out. Cominsky regressing hasn’t helped. I think you’ll see a lot of resources - either FA or draft, maybe both - put into the pass rush in the offseason.Comment
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Cominski needs the club hand back. That made him awesome...lolComment
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We can't judge the Martin pick on this season. We can next year. He was always going to be a developmental guy. He was a small school player who developed late. That's not unusual for someone that big. It can take time to grow into a body like that.
If he's not earning playing time next year, then it was a bad pick.Comment
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