Lions News

[ghandi]

Holmes is definitely going to package some picks to move up. And it’s tradition for the Lions to trade next year’s 4th.

lol im hoping he adds picks by moving down...will be interesting to see how this draft plays out.

[Mainevent]

Actually, I forgot they can’t trade next year’s 4th because it was conditionally part of the Hock trade - it’s a 4th round pick if Vikings win a playoff game otherwise it becomes a 5th.

Lions have 9 picks this year. They don’t need more. They may move back early to try and pick up more in round 3-4 area. And those 2 5ths and 6ths can help facilitate that if they have to throw in some capital to get it done.

[El Axe]

This draft is incredibly deep at CB. I almost expect that they'll use that 5th to draft a sleeper CB that will be better than Okudah. It's not just Holmes -- Glenn knows a thing or two about CBs.

I'd also like to see them package picks to get some picks from 25-40. Some really nice players in that area (Washington, Benton, Tillman, Campbell). Use 6 or 18 to move back if possible and package it with some multiple late picks to get more 2nds. I know it's easier said than done.

I mean, I do it all the time in my mocks, how hard can it be? lol

[jaadam4]

The more picks Brad Holmes, John Dorsey, and Ray Agnew have, the more chances of finding talent in the NFL Draft.

"Let Brad cook" should be on the lips of every Lions fan each and every NFL Draft.

Amen

[whatever_gong82]

2 very interesting and good articles from the Free Press this morning, released here for everyone to read. Enjoy!!


Detroit Lions embracing big expectations for 2023: 'I want to go to the playoffs bad'


Dave Birkett

Detroit Free Press


Amon-Ra St. Brown left Detroit in January bracing for bad news.


St. Brown saw Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson briefly in the hallway of the team’s Allen Park practice facility after he finished his end-of-season exit interview with receivers coach Antwaan Randle El. He dapped up Johnson just before the Lions’ first-year play-caller ducked into a meeting, with a promise to talk to Johnson again soon, then flew back to California only to find out Johnson was a hot commodity on the head coaching circuit.


Johnson had virtual interviews with the Arizona Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers a few days later, and was widely considered a front-runner for the Carolina job when he decided to put his head coaching pursuit on hold and return to Detroit for a second season as coordinator.


St. Brown learned Johnson was staying in Detroit when news broke on Twitter, then got confirmation in a text from Lions quarterback Jared Goff.


“Once Jared texted me, I was like, ‘OK, it’s probably official,’ so then I called him,” St. Brown told the Free Press on Thursday. “We just talked. He told me he was excited to come back, I told him I was excited he was coming back. And we just talked about life, family, whatever it was and how we’re ready to take that next step next year.”



Johnson’s return, and what it means for St. Brown and the rest of the offense, is one of the biggest reasons almost everyone expects the Lions to take another step forward into contention in 2023.


The Lions won eight of their final 10 games last season to finish 9-8 and just miss the playoffs, but they beat the Green Bay Packers in Week 18 at Lambeau Field and are the early favorites to win the NFC North this fall.


As they get ready to report for the start of voluntary offseason workouts Monday, the Lions are one of the buzziest teams in the NFL, and St. Brown said that’s not just coming from inside the building or talking heads on TV.


continued..

[whatever_gong82]

“I talk to other players, they told me like, ‘Man, you guys were rolling towards the end. We did not want to play you in the playoffs,’” St. Brown said of conversations he had with players from the San Francisco 49ers at the Pro Bowl and the Los Angeles Chargers during offseason training. “So teams know now. We’re not no walk-over team now. I think that’s just going to make it tougher for us this season, but it’s just going to make it more fun because I feel like teams sometimes in the past, my rookie year, they’d come into our stadium thinking it was just going to be an easy game for them they’re going to go win. And maybe that was the case, maybe it wasn’t. I know it wasn’t my rookie year against the Cardinals, that was for sure. I feel like that was a crazy game for them.


“But I feel like moving forward for us, we got to know that teams are going to be on their A-game when they play us, so we’ll be ready for it.”



Last season, the Lions had one of the NFL's most dangerous offenses, a unit that propped up their young and figuring-it-out defense most of the year, and St. Brown said expectations will be even higher in 2023.


Goff, entering his third season in Detroit, is coming off one of the best seasons of his career having completed 65% of his passes with 29 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He had one turnover and no interceptions in the Lions’ final five games and already has been back at work throwing with his receivers this offseason.


St. Brown said he and Goff have worked out together several times already this spring, and they were joined by a handful of other Lions including Jameson Williams, Tom Kennedy and Kalif Raymond for a workout last month in California.


The Lions also return most of an offensive line that ranks among the league’s best, and added running back David Montgomery in free agency to replace leading rusher Jamaal Williams.


“We had a pretty decent offense last year,” St. Brown said. “Obviously, you want to be No. 1 in every category, so I think that’s what we’re striving for as an offense. Obviously, No. 1 in total yards per game, total scoring offense, we want to be No. 1 in all those categories. Not turning the ball over. I think we did a pretty good job of that last season, but you can always improve. So I think honestly, I think if you ask Ben, his goal would be to be No. 1 in all categories and that’s my goal, too. I think that’s everyone’s goal on offense because we know we can do it.”


St. Brown set career-highs with 106 catches, 1,161 yards and six receiving touchdowns last season, when he made his first Pro Bowl as an alternate.


He appears primed for an even bigger season this fall, with a second year of seasoning under his belt and a healthy Williams ticketed for a bigger role and capable of drawing extra attention with his deep speed on the outside.


The Lions’ second first-round pick last season, Williams had more drops (three) than catches (one) as a rookie, but played in only six games as he rehabbed from the torn ACL he suffered last January in his final game at Alabama.


“I can’t wait to see Jamo fully getting a whole offseason under his belt, being able to work with all of us,” St. Brown said. “I can’t wait to see what he does. I’ve seen it in practice. I know what he can do. It’s just a matter of everything just lining up. He came off that knee, threw him in toward the end of the season, so just him getting a whole offseason under his belt, being able to work out, train how he’s used to training. I think the sky’s the limit for him. I can’t wait to see what he does. I know he’s for sure going to stretch that defense so hopefully underneath routes will be much more open, but I can’t wait to see what he does on the field.”


St. Brown said making the Pro Bowl won’t change who he is, on or off the field.

He still carries a sizable chip on his shoulder from being a fourth-round pick in 2021, he has stayed diligent this offseason to his workout plan and he said he plans to take on more of a leadership role to help the Lions win more games.


“I feel like for me, like moving forward, obviously I have my personal goals but what I really want to do this year is I just, I know we won a few games last year, we finished pretty strong, but man, I want to go to the playoffs bad,” St. Brown said. “I feel like Detroit as a city, they want it so bad. I feel like as a team we want it bad. I feel like we got the guys to do it, so I’m just excited to start winning games consistently, week in and week out.”


Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.

[whatever_gong82]

Detroit Lions — surprise, surprise — offer hope for Pistons, Tigers and Red Wings

Jeff Seidel

Detroit Free Press


One year later, everything has changed.


For all of them.


Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Báez has gone from “Yes! Finally, the Tigers are spending some money” to “Ugh, I’m so sick of this, stop swinging at stuff in the dirt.”


Detroit Lions coach Dan Campbell has gone from “OK, he’s fun and a good quote but can this guy coach?” to “I wonder how far he can lead them in the playoffs in 2023?”


Detroit Pistons GM Troy Weaver has gone from “This man can do no wrong,” to “Man, he’s gotta nail this summer.”


The Detroit Red Wings have gone from “Finally, The Captain has pieces coming together” to “Oh man, how long is this gonna take?”


And Tigers president Al Avila has gone from ... whoopsie ... well, he’s just gone.

The Motor City sports roller coaster keeps chugging along, giving surprising highs and lows — not just for the fans but the team executives, too.


“Honestly, it's an emotional roller coaster,” Steve Yzerman said Friday afternoon in a season-end news conference. “There's days you walk out of out of the rink and you're like, 'You know what? I'm real happy with the way things are going.' … And then two weeks later, you walk out of the rink and you're like, ‘Oh my God, there's no end in sight.’”


Oh, Stevie, we know how you feel.


That sums it up: Not just for the Wings, but for all the teams in Detroit.


Some days, you feel encouraged — you see the young kids getting better, you see what's possible and you can feel the optimism growing.


But far too often, there is this horrible, sinking feeling: “There’s no end in sight.”


continued..

[whatever_gong82]

One painful year



Try to think back to mid-April 2022.


Think about the questions that swirled around the Lions at this time about a week before the NFL draft: Would they take Aidan Hutchinson or Travon Walker? Why didn’t they bring in more new players in free agency? Could they count on Jared Goff? And besides, could Campbell even coach?


Now, in hindsight, it’s clear: Ah, heck yes this dude can coach; Hutchinson worked out wonderfully; and yes, Goff, too, had a fantastic season.


Or think about the situation Tigers were in a year ago: After signing Báez and trading for Austin Meadows, not to mention adding Spencer Torkelson, the optimism was soaring. How much better would the Tigers be in 2022? Could they play meaningful games in the fall?



Now, the answers are clear: Ugh. No.


Everything that could go wrong in 2022, did go wrong. And it’s not like it has gotten much better. One year later, Avila might be gone, but this team is still painful to watch.


Or what about the Wings: What magic could Steve Yzerman pull off? How fast could he build this team? Could the Wings get to the playoffs in the spring of 2023?


Now, the answers are clear: The Wings made a tremendous push for the playoffs, which even surprised coach Derek Lalonde. But then, everything got ugly in Ottawa, prompting the Wings to sell.


Or what about Pistons: A year ago in the Troy Weaver regime, the optimism was sky high.


Flash forward to reality: Ugh. Cade Cunningham went down. So did the season. Cue a coaching search and — oh man, if only they can win the lottery.


One year later, the soaring optimism for the Wings, Pistons and Tigers has turned into cautious optimism at best, complete frustration at worst.


continued..

[whatever_gong82]

Meanwhile, the Lions have made one smart move after another. After crushing it in free agency and the draft and getting several young players to develop, the Lions have filled just about all their holes; and they are in a tremendous position to put a winner on the field this fall. Suddenly — if not stunningly — out of all the teams in Detroit, the Lions are poised to have the best season over the next year.


Let me pause here to blink my eyes and shake my head in disbelief, because I’ve never typed that sentence before.


The Lions are entering this 2023 NFL draft with some intriguing questions: Will they stay put at No.6 and take the best available player? Will they move up in Round 1 to draft a QB or Will Anderson?


Or will they move down? I have no idea. But I have so much faith in Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes to make a smart move.


Yes, one year later, it’s stunning how perceptions can change.



Learning from the Lions


To be fair, these teams are in different stages of rebuilding, and different sports have different timetables for the speed of turning things around.

So what can the Pistons, Tigers and Wings learn from the Lions?


1. Have a plan;

2. Stick to the plan;

3. Bring in the right guys;

4. Don’t make moves out of desperation;

5. But be ruthless.


Ruthless, you say? See Jeff Okudah.


continued..

[whatever_gong82]

The greatest reason to hope for the Wings is Yzerman; he has a track record in front offices.


“I wish we were farther ahead,” Yzerman said. “Everybody wishes we were farther ahead. Every other organization kind of in our spot feels the same way. So there are a lot of positive things and our younger guys are growing and playing well.”


The Pistons are entering a complicated, important stage. Weaver is about to hire a new coach, pick a player in the top five and adjust the roster through free agency. If he nails the next few months, this franchise will be in a fantastic position — almost Lions-esque.


If he fails? Ugh. See the Tigers — still years away.


I realize Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris hasn’t even been here for a year yet. He is still dealing with Avila’s decisions. But the next year will be crucial for his team. Miguel Cabrera’s massive contract will be gone, and Harris should be able to build something. If he makes the right decisions over the next year, this entire franchise could see some promise.


If he repeats the mistakes that have plagued this franchise for years?


Ugh. More misery.


In the short term, the Tigers can do what Yzerman did and bring up the youngsters.


Perhaps bring up Parker Meadows, Justin-Henry Malloy and Andre Lipcius — ah, no, let me rephrase that. Good gosh, they better bring them up at some point.



Here's some hope


The Wings have missed the playoffs for seven straight seasons. The Pistons had the worst record in the NBA this season, and the second-worst in franchise history. The Tigers are coming off a miserable 66-96 season and haven’t had a winning record since 2016, which is the last season the Lions made the playoffs.


All this losing sucks. High draft picks might be interesting but even that is starting to get old. Because it’s emblematic of the losing.


I’m so sick of hearing about rebuilding and being patient.


I’m sick about hearing about “lottery luck.”


I’m so sick of focusing on draft picks instead of the playoffs.


But to be fair, all these teams do have a core of young players with all kinds of potential.


The last year has taught us one major lesson. Nothing messes up a rebuild more than a few key injuries, whether it was Cunningham, any number of Wings, or any of the Tigers.


But the Lions are proving that, with smart decisions, sticking to a plan and not making desperate moves, it can be turned around.


So there’s your dash of hope.


And it’s coming from the Lions, of all teams.


Just stunning.


I mean, who saw that coming a year ago?



Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com or follow him on Twitter @seideljeff.

To read Seidel's recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.

[chemiclord]

The problem with the Tigers centers around the reason why they are waiting for Cabrera's contract to drop off the books before they do anything.

Their owner has effectively imposed a hard cap that is below league average payroll. You're not going to win reliably with that sort of miser running things. There's no hope there.

[whatever_gong82]

The problem with the Tigers centers around the reason why they are waiting for Cabrera's contract to drop off the books before they do anything.

Their owner has effectively imposed a hard cap that is below league average payroll. You're not going to win reliably with that sort of miser running things. There's no hope there.

Unfortunately, Mike Ilitch's son, Chris is about as inept as they come, since he was largely responsible for the Randy Smith era Detroit Tigers.

Now that he's running things (into the ground) again, expect no hope whatsoever.

[chemiclord]

The Tigers, Wings, and Pistons have been in near decade long rebuilding plans. The Lions went from whatever the hell that was at the end of Patricia and Quinn's control to the cusp of a playoff spot in 2 offseasons. And the primary reason for the woes of the other three is shitty ownership, the same reason the Lions were wandering the wilderness for most of Willie Sr.'s 60 year control.

What the Lions are showing is that with competent leadership, and an ownership that is willing to get out of the way, not worry about maximizing their profit margins, and running the team like an actual team rather than a playground for all your drinking buddies, you can change a team's fortunes very quickly.

[froot loops]

It also helps that of all the sports you can turn around to respectable fairly quickly in the NFL. In the other sports you can be bad for a long time. The Tigers told us to be patient for 5 years and declared the rebuild over last season. When it turned out they blow chunks, they say here's a new GM be patient for another 5 years!

[jaadam4]

Man I don't care about how long any of it takes in any sport. I can't believe the Lions are on the cusp of something. We've waited our whole Detroit Lions fandom lives for this shit. The owners are being smart and backing a fantastic / deep front office, who have a talented / deep coaching staff, who are coaching a talented up and coming football team with a ton of premium draft picks in tow.

I never in my life thought I'd see this.