Lions News

[CGVT]

Monnarez is nothing more than a hack, pot stirrer looking for clicks. Fuck him and any of his takes.

[ghandi]

So I saw a headline for the Freep that Carlos Monnarez says giving Glenn an extension is a mistake. But this is the guy that said firing Patricia was a bad move too so I’m okay with it…

I know the Lions defense was statistically bad this past season but I think they showed a lot of improvement in the second half of the season. I’m assuming they will upgrade via the draft and free agency so I think they’ll be even better next season.

Hmm interesting...does he think the defense should have been better? There wasnt alot of talent there early, especially as the young players were all learning.....Even now, I think most people feel the defense needs more talent...Could someone else do the job better? That is really hard to say....What you have to like though is that he and the head coach are on the same page...There is no butting heads there...Maybe Carlos just wanted to give it one more year before doing the extension to see if the last 10 games where a fluke, or the first 7.

[DanO]

So I saw a headline for the Freep that Carlos Monnarez says giving Glenn an extension is a mistake. But this is the guy that said firing Patricia was a bad move too so I’m okay with it…

I know the Lions defense was statistically bad this past season but I think they showed a lot of improvement in the second half of the season. I’m assuming they will upgrade via the draft and free agency so I think they’ll be even better next season.

Yes they did Tom. lots of young players on the defense.

[whatever_gong82]

This is from an article that I posted a few minutes ago, but I'm only including the Lions part of it here.

Potential NFL salary cap cuts per team for 2023 season: Joe Mixon, Matt Ryan and more

The Athletic NFL Staff

Feb 25, 2023

As NFL teams prepare for free agency to begin March 15, they’ll spend the coming weeks trimming bad contracts and creating more financial flexibility.

Most teams have at least one potential cap-related cut on their rosters, and some have a few. Even those who don’t possess a clearly cuttable contract might acquire more cap room by trading away a player of significance or seeing one retire. Below, The Athletic’s NFL writers identify potential cost-saving moves for every team.

(Editor’s note: All salary data is from Over The Cap. The figures mentioned generally reflect the finances associated with releasing a player before June 1, except in the instances when a post-June 1 transaction that spreads out the dead money charge over two seasons makes more sense.)


Detroit Lions

Potential cap cut: OG Halapoulivaati Vaitai

2023 cap hit: $13.9 million
Cap savings if cut before June 1: $6.5 million
Dead money if cut before June 1: $5.9 million



Vaitai, Detroit’s starting right guard, is coming off of a lost year. Injuries have plagued his Lions tenure, and the 2022 season was no different. Most recently, a back injury and subsequent surgery wiped out his year before it even began. He didn’t take a snap in 2022. The Lions could look to restructure his contract and run it back with a presumably healthy Vaitai in 2023. Or they could create an additional $6.5 million in cap space by releasing Vaitai prior to June 1, then draft his successor in April. Detroit has five picks among the top 85. This situation is certainly worth monitoring.

[NewOrleansLion]

I was lucky enough to talk with a Lions executive for an hour and a half the other night. He hasn't been with the team too long, and he's not in the football operations side of things, but high enough up that he knows what's going on. Some of the things that stood out to me:

• Not exactly breaking news, but the Patricia era did a lot of damage throughout the entire organization. Sounds like it took time untangle everything and mend fences within the whole operation. Every team has a divide between the football and business sides, but it was to an extreme and nasty while Patricia was coach.
• Along those lines, he's a big fan of Sheila. We all heard a lot about "cohesiveness" and getting everyone pulling in the same direction when Holmes and Campbell were hired. That came directly from Shelia. She takes that "One Pride" thing seriously and felt it was necessary to build cooperation and cohesiveness before they could be successful.
• I was surprised by his take on Rod Wood. I thought of him as an old school, out of touch, Ford upper management type of guy. Apparently there's a little of that in him, but not much. Overall, he empowers people to do their jobs with minimal interference from those higher up. He sounds surprisingly progressive. When I asked if he was strictly business side and not involved in football decisions, I was initially bummed to hear the answer was no, but the explanation made me feel better. He has input into football decisions, but he's not the decision maker by any means. An example was giving Ben Johnson a huge raise as an incentive to keep him with the team. Rod Wood's input wasn't about his abilities as an offensive coordinator, but the budgetary implications. The team doesn't have a blank check to spend whatever they want (nor should they), so Wood was explaining that the money from that raise could mean sacrificing something else, and discussing those options. The impression I got was the "sacrifice" wasn't player-related, but more to do with the operations.
• I was so eager to ask what the hell Spielman does. I said it's almost like the team is purposefully keeping him out of the public eye, or he is asking to stay off the radar. My guy was surprised to hear that. He sees Spielman all the time, and likes him a lot. It sounds like Spielman is to the football side of the operation as Wood is to the business side. He oversees that side, and his opinions are welcomed by Campbell and Holmes, but his job is also to be the liaison to the business side of operations, too. He meets with marketing, advertising, and ticket sales people after every game to give his breakdown on what happened and why. He gives them a football message to take to advertisers and season ticket holders. He also taught a Football 101 class to anyone on the business-side staff who wanted to know more about the game.
• This was the most interesting thing to me: There's a difference of opinion, if not outright conflict, between today's players and coaches/management regarding injuries. The Byron Jones news is a perfect example. This generation of players isn't having the "do whatever it takes to get back on the field" approach to injuries. They think much more about life after football than the previous generations did. He didn't mention anything specific regarding the Lions, but considering how many former players are on the coaching staff, and what was made public about Swift and Duce, it's not difficult to guess.

That about covers the Lions part of the conversations. (We talked a lot about living in Detroit, the city's history, and the Detroit attitude.) While a Ford still owns the team, it sounds like there's been a significant overhaul in the environment and how it operates. Apparently there still are a couple of old school holdouts in the hierarchy, and while they're annoying, they're far enough outside of the day-to-day operations that their negative impact is minimal, at most.

[froot loops]

Good stuff NOL.

[jaadam4]

That’s awesome bro

[JGSpartan]

That's exactly what I thought Spielmans job was but in more detail.

[Tom]

That’s cool.

[chemiclord]

Apparently there still are a couple of old school holdouts in the hierarchy, and while they're annoying, they're far enough outside of the day-to-day operations that their negative impact is minimal, at most.

That's as good of a sign as anything in that discussion. The amount of ol' drinking buddies and family toadies in the organization (and in critical roles) were in my opinion the source of a majority of the incompetence in the franchise. The Lions were just a dumping ground for anyone the family couldn't trust in the FoMoCo, and it showed.

[jaadam4]

Monnarez is nothing more than a hack, pot stirrer looking for clicks. Fuck him and any of his takes.

The Lions inept decisions made him right about all the shit the was spewing. His smug schtick won't work with this regime. He's lazy and has enjoyed rubbing it in over the years. This is our time clown.

[NewOrleansLion]

I forgot to mention he met most of the executives during his interview process and said Holmes was a very thoughtful guy. Gave him lots of time then gave his card and told him to call if he thought of any other questions. Really thinks a lot of Holmes.

I told him there’s a sense amongst fans that not only is the team moving in the right direction, but we can feel good about the people who work for the organization. He said that’s not just hype. Nobody’s perfect, but there are lots of decent humans throughout the organization. (Gave a big thumbs up for Disner, too.)

Now don’t start next year 0-4 and f*ck the whole thing up.

[-Deborah-]

Very cool, NOL!! Great conversation, thanks for sharing!!

[Futureshock]

I forgot to mention he met most of the executives during his interview process and said Holmes was a very thoughtful guy. Gave him lots of time then gave his card and told him to call if he thought of any other questions. Really thinks a lot of Holmes.

I told him there’s a sense amongst fans that not only is the team moving in the right direction, but we can feel good about the people who work for the organization. He said that’s not just hype. Nobody’s perfect, but there are lots of decent humans throughout the organization. (Gave a big thumbs up for Disner, too.)

Now don’t start next year 0-4 and f*ck the whole thing up.

That's better thenany article or news we've heard in awhile. Thanks NOL!

[whatever_gong82]

Some Detroit Lions are on this list. I'm going to try and post the entire Free Agent rankings list on the NFL thread in a few minutes. Warning: It has 150 players on it, and it's long. I'm going to try and break it down into sections.



2023 NFL free agency rankings: Lamar Jackson, Derek Carr and Daron Payne lead top 150

Larry Holder and David DeChant

Feb 27, 2023

Ages as of Week 1 in the 2023 regular season are in parentheses.

57. DJ Chark Jr., WR, Lions (26)

Chark joined the Lions on a one-year deal and battled injury early. But when he returned, he provided the sort of downfield value the Lions expected, while also proving to be an excellent locker-room addition. Chark is young and has the profile of a vertical threat. In a weak class, he could be an attractive option. And with Jameson Williams seemingly ready for an expanded workload, Chark could move on. — Colton Pouncy


79. Jamaal Williams, RB, Lions (28)

A solid RB2 for five seasons, Williams broke out in 2022 with 1,066 rushing yards and 17 rushing TDs, breaking Barry Sanders’ franchise record. He is the Lions’ heart and soul and wants to return, but what would they pay to keep him? Many of his touchdowns were a product of Detroit’s offense — specifically, its offensive line. Running backs have a shorter shelf life in this league, so Williams might want to cash in while he can. — Pouncy




131. Evan Brown, C/G, Lions (26)

Brown proved to be Detroit’s best backup lineman, and he has held his own in the starting lineup. The Lions signed him to a one-year, $2.025 million contract last offseason, after he filled in admirably at center for Frank Ragnow. He has since added extended tape at right guard, which might be enough to entice another team to sign him to a multiyear deal. — Pouncy



148. John Cominsky, DL, Lions (27)

A fourth-round pick out of Division II Charleston in 2019, Cominsky was waived by the Falcons last summer, and eight teams put in a claim. One of the Lions’ most underrated defensive players, Cominsky did a lot of dirty work, and his presence was felt. So was his absence when he went down with a wrist injury. By the end of the year, he was playing like one of Detroit’s best defenders. — Pouncy