Lions News

[jaadam4]

Per CBS sports the Lions have the top rated new unis


1. Detroit Lions


The Lions picked a good time to refresh their look, updating their wardrobe with a "One Pride" collection just as they've returned to relevance on the field, but it helps they've also opted for a makeover that's both splashy and justified.

The boldest of the strokes is clearly the "Motor City" alternates, featuring black jerseys with blue numbers and helmets. It's a hit-or-miss kind of look, certainly more sleek and aggressive than the previous grey alternates, but somewhat reminiscent of the Carolina Panthers.

The real stars are the traditional home and away looks; the "Honolulu Blue" getup has been tweaked to pop even more, shining with both vintage simplicity and radiant color, evoking the look of the 1990s Barry Sanders era. Meanwhile the white road jerseys, despite a new "Detroit" label beneath the collar, retain a lot of the clean, crisp look they already had.

[whatever_gong82]

Paywall NFL Draft article from today's Freep.

Detroit highway sign isn't 'Hollywood,' and that's OK. Lions want to be Kansas City anyway


Shawn Windsor
Detroit Free Press



Finally, the NFL draft is upon us. And it’s worth noting that the host of last year’s draft — Kansas City — is home to the football team that won the Super Bowl nine months later.

Coincidence?


Or Patrick Mahomes?



I’ll let you be the judge. Though I’d gently remind you that coincidence has no place in sports, but karma and superstition absolutely do.

So, yes, the Chiefs won because the city they play in hosted the draft, obviously. But also: Since the NFL took the draft back on the road in 2015 — it had been held in New York City for the previous 50 years — no other city has hosted the draft and had its NFL team win the Super Bowl the following season.


Who hosted before Kansas City, you ask? Las Vegas in 2022, then Cleveland, Philadelphia, Dallas and Nashville.

Eh, maybe one doesn’t have to do with another?

Well, it’s fun to think that Detroit could make it two years in a row. It’s not crazy to think this either, because, you know, the Lions are Super Bowl contenders, or at least they will be when the season begins in September.


Speaking of which, that’s only five months away.

But, first, we have the draft, and the couple hundred thousand fans city officials are expecting later this week, and the temporary stage that’s taken over Campus Martius, and the NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, who will man the stage Thursday night during the first round, and the Vince Lombardi Trophy, which is expected to be on display this weekend, available for photo ops.



Can you imagine? The Super Bowl trophy in downtown Detroit?

Until recently, you couldn’t. Now you can. That’s the new reality around here.

In years past, if Detroit were to have hosted the draft, it would’ve felt like the biggest football event of the year. Now it’s just a big party, and a reminder of the Lions’ relevance on the national stage, and a reason to debate a freeway sign.



Actually, the city had long planned a sign along I-94 welcoming visitors. Officials moved its unveiling up to coincide with the draft. Someone used the word “Hollywood” to describe what it would look like. “Water park” might have been a better description.

The viral reaction to the sign wasn’t surprising, given the pride folks have around here. The city is a unique, substantial and interesting place, and it's slowly beginning to get its due on the national stage. Folks had hoped for letters to match the city’s vibe.



The draft should only help.

Think back to January, when the Lions hosted their first playoff game in 31 years, and the overhead shots during the game’s telecast put images to the city that matched how so many feel about it?


This weekend could do similar things.

The mayor, Mike Duggan, declared Thursday as “Honolulu Blue Day.”



“Detroit Lions players brag all the time that Detroit has the greatest football fans anywhere. They proved it during the Lions amazing playoff run last season, even showing up in huge numbers in opposing teams’ territory,” he said in a statement recently. “This is a chance for Lions fans to show their pride in the heart of downtown as the eyes of the world are on our city, once again.”

Though it won’t only be Lions’ fans cascading into downtown. Fans are expected from everywhere, especially from driving distances around the Midwest.


Some similarly hearty fanbases exist within a few hours. Cleveland comes to mind. So does Pittsburgh, Chicago — the Bears have the first pick — Cincinnati and Green Bay.

The Commanders of Washington D.C. have the seventh pick, and D.C. is only 8 hours away. Some will fly. Hence, the sign on I-94 welcoming visitors from Metro Airport. The draft may not be the Super Bowl, but it attracts more folks.



The best part of the weekend, of course, is Lions fans — that is almost everyone in the area — get to experience the draft as the draft, not as a proxy for the Super Bowl. For decades, the draft has been the highlight of the year.

Now the season is. The games are. Thursday, Friday and Saturday will feel like playing with house money.



The Lions don’t even pick until No. 29. They don’t have to use it. They could trade down and acquire more picks for Friday, even Saturday.

Whatever they do, it won’t feel like the future of the franchise is at stake, as important as every draft is. It will just feel like the team has the chance to get better, kind of like when San Francisco drafts, or Kansas City drafts.



Well, maybe not exactly like Kansas City, as the Chiefs have now won three Super Bowls with Andy Reid and Mahomes, and played in four of the last five. Yet the point stands: For the best franchises in the league, the draft is fun, not the end-all of the calendar.

When was the last time anyone could say that?



So, enjoy the three-day celebration of the city, and of the Lions, and remember what the city said on its Instagram account in response to the reaction to its sign:



“The Detroit Sign is a testament to Detroit’s growth over the last 10 years. No, it hasn’t been perfect, but it’s been a decade of resilience, tough conversations and togetherness ... This is only the beginning.”

Just don’t stop on the freeway to take a picture of it.



Contact Shawn Windsor: 313-222-6487 or swindsor@freepress.com. Follow him@shawnwindsor.

[whatever_gong82]

NFL Draft articles from today's Freep:

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/04/23/sam-richardson-detroit-ad-campaign-nfl-draft/73412399007/

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/detroit-is/2024/04/23/nfl-draft-detroit-painted-cleats-decleated-ed-cliett/73411194007/

[whatever_gong82]

NFL Draft paywall article from today's Freep:

I love how NFL draft is coming to Detroit, even if this event is completely bonkers



Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press




I absolutely love that the NFL draft is coming to Detroit this week.

I love the idea that thousands of people will descend on the Motor City, filling up hotel rooms, spending money, eating in our restaurants, filling up our bars, shopping at our stores.



I love how countless people will get to experience Detroit in a new way and see the truth: the old narrative about our city just doesn’t apply anymore.

I love that Detroit is going to be the center of the sports world for several days. There will be countless shots of the skyline and talk about grit and how the Detroit Lions and the city are perfect for each other.



That’s a big positive.

Just having the draft here is good for the Lions. Good for Detroit. Good for Michigan. Good for all of us in the big picture.



But more than anything, I love the fact that the spectacle of the NFL draft has lured my youngest son home from Washington, D.C., for a few days. He is flying back to Michigan with his girlfriend, so they can go to the draft with my other two kids and their spouses. Just to see it. Just to be part of it.

Heck, the fact that my entire family is back together is wonderful.



So, I love the NFL draft for that reason alone.

But I have to admit something else.



All of this is completely absurd and doesn't make any sense.

If you are a casual sports fan — or not a sports fan at all — you may be wondering, what is the fuss? Why are so many people excited about 32 NFL teams doing nothing more than picking some new players?"



You must be a rationale person.

Because the NFL draft has become three days of entertainment and sports debate fodder and is completely ridiculous when you step back and look at the big picture.



At its core, the NFL draft is no different than kids on a playground, picking teams, dividing up the new kids who just moved to the neighborhood.

But the NFL has taken that concept to extreme.


And it’s become nothing short of bonkers.


They've created a monster


Could the NFL simply hold the draft in a hotel? Well, they did until 1994.

Could it just do it in a big place, like Madison Square Garden or Radio City Music Hall? Yes, that’s what it did until 2014.


But the NFL knows how to squeeze every ounce of drama out of every situation, turning the sport into a year-round story that never stops producing content.

So, it has taken the draft on the road since 2015, and it has morphed into an elaborate reality TV show.



Like any good TV show, there are familiar returning characters, like draft expert Mel Kiper Jr.

There are familiar scenes, like watching some players wait nervously to be picked in the first round.



There is a consistent built-in drama, as the clock ticks down and tension builds and the announcers try to guess what will happen.

There are wonderful rituals, like how the selected players march across an oversized stage, greet NFL commissioner Roger Goodell with a bro hug and then hold up a jersey of their new team.



There are heart-breaking moments, like hearing players get interviewed right after being picked; and it’s even better when they break down while talking about their mothers — I’m not crying, you are crying.

There are usually unexpected dramas and surprises, like trades or a player slipping compared to mock draft boards. Mind you, those “mock drafts” are nothing more than educated guesses. But those lists will impact reactions and grades and fan reactions.


It adds up to some great TV, and it has become so popular, it has been stretched over three days, starting out Thursday night in prime time on multiple national TV networks.

But every great reality TV show needs an interesting setting, and that’s what Detroit is this week.



We are the background to the NFL’s annual springtime celebration.

And here is the first golden rule of being a background character in this drama: You gotta boo Goodell.



Why? It’s tradition.

Because every fan base of every team has some reason to be ticked at the NFL, and here in Detroit, we have a long list of grievances.


Don’t worry. Goodell seems to embrace the boos.

It’s all part of the show that never really ends.


In addition, the NFL draft has its own cottage industry — prospect experts and analysts — which has grown in a year-round business.

So, as soon as this draft ends with Mr. Irrelevant — the final player picked on Saturday — you will start to see predictions about the 2025 draft.



Which will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Like I said, nothing with the NFL ever really ends.



Lions in different spot


More than anything, the NFL draft is how this league sells hope, which is why it has been extra special in Detroit.

For many years, the draft was all Lions fans had to look forward to. It was Detroit’s Super Bowl. The one time of year when all the frustration started to burn away and hope was renewed and everybody got a jolt of positivity.



Even for a franchise that had suffered for decades.

This is the brilliance of the NFL draft — it is an annual transfusion of hope for the upcoming season.



So, there is a twisted sense of irony that this particular draft is being held in Detroit.

Because everything is different.



Finally, the Lions have a strong team.

Finally, the fan base doesn’t need a draft to get excited about the upcoming season.



Because the future is already so dang exciting, and the Super Bowl — the real one — is a legitimate possibility.

In fact, it’s possible the Lions will trade their first-round pick and won’t even have one on the night the nation tunes in to the Motor City to watch.



So be it.

The best reality TV doesn’t always make sense — somebody surprising always gets booted off the island, and somebody you like doesn’t get a rose.


The theater is all that matters.



The fact that people are coming to Detroit to witness this event, spending money and seeing a different side of the Motor City means we all win.

But no one more than me. I’m just happy I get to hang out with my kids for a few days, even if it took the NFL draft to bring them all together.



So, thank you, NFL.

Detroit, you are on the clock.


Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.

[Coop]

So, my wife and I have a current plan. We don't go downtown often and haven't been to New Center in over a decade, so if anyone is willing to offer advice on our plan, it would be much appreciated

We are planning on going Friday. Going to park in the New Center area and then go eat lunch at Baobab Fare. Never been, but it looks amazing. After lunch, get on the QLine and take it to Little Caeser's. I understand that the line unfortunately won't be going further than that during draft week.

At the moment, we're planning on walking from there to Campus Martius. It's about a 20min walk. We're older, but we walk daily, so shouldn't be too bad. I'm not sure what other options we have. Uber maybe?

From there, just see the sights for a couple hours and then walk back to Little Caeser's and get back on the QLine.

You have a good plan, just expect it to be very busy. There is really good dining in Greektown, and it you like a good steak, look for a restaurant called "The Grey Ghost" near LCA.

[Blue Lagoon58]

Yet another paywall article from the Freep.

Detroit Lions' Brad Holmes not interested in Super Bowl 'windows,' wants sustainable success


Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press



The Detroit Lions are closer to a Super Bowl than they’ve ever been.

They won 12 games last season for the second time in franchise history. They played for the NFC title, and should have beat the San Francisco 49ers in that game. They did beat the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in the regular season.



But while some fans and former NFL general managers believe now is the time for the Lions to go all-in and maximize their window of opportunity, Lions GM Brad Holmes insisted Thursday nothing will change with his approach to roster building and this year’s draft.

“I understand the question because you’re like, ‘OK, all right, the roster’s at a certain point. OK, you guys should be contenders headed into the season, so, OK, how do you operate this way?’” Holmes said. “But again, I just think if we just keep improving every single year through doing it through our process, that’s what we’ve been doing and that’s what we’ll continue to do. And I think when you start getting into, ‘Well, we’ve got this window, so we’ve got this and we’ve got to pivot,’ that’s when I think you kind of get into a little bit of trouble.”


Holmes has built one of the best, most complete rosters in the NFL in his three years as GM, and he’s done it primarily through the draft.

The Lions traded for quarterback Jared Goff at the start of their rebuild and added projected starters Carlton Davis, D.J. Reader and Kevin Zeitler through trades or free agency this offseason, but otherwise have drafted and develop the nucleus of their roster.


Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Kerby Joseph, Jahmyr Gibbs, Sam LaPorta.



The Lions pick 29th in next week’s draft, which is 22 spots lower than the first first-round pick Holmes has started a draft with in Detroit. And while he acknowledged he likely won’t land a blue-chip talent comparable to Sewell (the seventh pick of the 2021 draft), Hutchinson (No. 2 in 22) or Gibbs (No. 12 last year, after a trade down) with his first pick this year, Holmes said it’s important to “stick to the same process" nonetheless.

“You got to just get your head around the players,” he said. “And we’ve been doing this long enough to know like, all right, we’re probably not going to be in on some of those (top) guys.”



Holmes has found gems in the middle rounds of his three drafts, and that’s played a huge part in the Lions’ success.

St. Brown, a fourth-round pick in 2021, is one of the best receivers in the NFL, while McNeill and Joseph are key defensive starters who were third-round picks.



Still, SiriusXM NFL analyst Mark Dominik, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager in 2009-13, said Holmes should consider a bold move up in next week’s draft to acquire another difference-making player.

“I think when you’re at the door and you think you can knock through it, then I think you’ve got to try to swing for it, especially with where they are as a football team,” Dominik said. “I look at them and say be aggressive here. Take your fifths and sixths or take your extra third from Minnesota and go and go get two guys that are going to make a difference for you.


“So if you come out with your first- and second-round pick, but you take Round 3 and move it into your second-round pick or your first-round pick and move it up to pick 23 or 22 or 24, I think you’ve got to go be aggressive because you do have a window that’s wide open and yet you’ve got a Packers team that looks like it’s charging strong and obviously other teams that are still really good in the NFC. So I just don’t think you sit back and play it safe and just let the picks come to you, I think you parlay it up and if you walk out of the draft with five picks instead of seven, I think that’s a good thing for them.”



Holmes has been aggressive in past drafts, making nine draft-day trades, including four moves up specifically for players. In 2022, he jumped 20 spots to take wide receiver Jameson Williams at No. 12 overall without sacrificing a future draft pick.



Last year, Holmes took the opposite approach in Round 1, moving down six spots after the Lions’ top target, Devon Witherspoon, came off the board.

“It’s certainly not a year for them to be trading picks and accumulating picks in 2025,” Dominik said.


Holmes apprenticed under Los Angeles Rams general manager Les Sneed, who famously authored the “F them picks” philosophy that helped the Rams win a Super Bowl. The Rams have a first-round pick this year for the first time since 2016, when they took Goff No. 1 overall.

It’s possible the Lions get to that point one day under Holmes, but the flip side of chasing one championship then rebuilding on the fly, as the Rams did while making the playoffs last year, is trying to construct something more sustainable.


The Lions have significant contractual investments to make in the coming months and years to Goff, St. Brown, Sewell, Hutchinson and others.

Those contracts typically hinder a team’s ability to retain some of its starting-level talent, and in one regard make hitting on draft picks — and having the cost-controlled contracts that come with them — more important.



That’s part of why Holmes subscribes to the talent-over-need philosophy.

“Really, with where the roster’s now, I actually think you even have more flexibility to not be anchored into (drafting) a need,” Holmes said. “We’ve always said best player, but it’s even more emphasized now.”



And that’s why, as badly as he wants to win a Super Bowl, Holmes insists the Lions won't pivot from what made them contenders in 2024.

“I don’t really base it off of windows, really,” he said. “It’s just how much of an impactful player do you want to get?”



Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.

Can't wait to see how many people ignore Holmes' words in this article too, "win now" "WINDOW!!!"

[whatever_gong82]

Can't wait to see how many people ignore Holmes' words in this article too, "win now" "WINDOW!!!"

The Freep troll, Carlos, more or less in one of his 'articles' is going by that 'win now' method.

Let Brad cook!!

[Coop]

Detroit Media pretty much has to invent ideas of writing negativity about the Lions these days. it just isn't there.

[jaadam4]

I don’t even bother with Carlos articles anymore. We all
know negativity gets the clicks but we don’t need that crap around here anymore

No matter who they draft or sign, the owners, front office and coaching staff completely changed all the years of loser mentality here. Sheila, Holmes and MCDC deserve all the credit in the world and they can do whatever they collectively think.

The negativity can exit the building

[Blue Lagoon58]

The Freep troll, Carlos, more or less in one of his 'articles' is going by that 'win now' method.

Let Brad cook!!

Ooooo boy. Luckily, I've never had to read his shit. Found him on a podcast before reading any of his stuff and learned the easy way. Beyond worthless.

[edindetroit]

I only read my posts. They’re awesome

image.png

[froot loops]

St. Brown 4 years 120 million with 77 million guaranteed per Ian Rappaport.

[dsred]

WHOA!

[Mainevent]

That's a lot of dimp. Got the full $30M AV. But once Justin Jefferson, Jamar Chase and CeeDee Lamb get paid, this number could look quaint.

[Cody_Russell]

Congrats to Sun God.
Love to have him as a Lions player long term.