-
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken L -
I can’t stand Carlos but yeah, this feels a little premature. They had a good season and it looks like they’re on an upward trajectory but we’ve seen teams get derailed before.Comment
-
I thought the Holmes presser was very well handled by Brad - very poised, articulate, and to the point. He simply pointed out to Carlos that the premature "evaluation" of the Lions draft proved to be just that (premature, and wrong). His points about building this team, the decisions they make (and don't make) are for specific reasons and that, to me, speaks volumes as to his ability to evaluate and acquire talent. Is he perfect? No, but this team has done what no Lions team in my 30 years of fandom ever did, wind a playoff game and even more.
"Premature Victory Lap" - no, even he said this was all part of the plan and where they expected to be. Things are only going get better. This helps take the sting out of the 49ers loss.Got Kneecaps?Comment
-
So apparently The Athletic did a hatchet job on Ben Johnson for Washington. Not going to link to it and give them the clicks, but The Ringer with a nice summary and also pointing out how bad some of the WFT logic seems to be while trying to spin this.
Comment
-
The one thing omitted in the Jeff Seidel article is the decisions made early on by ownership to trade Stafford when he wanted out. I don't think Lions ownership prior to Sheila would have accommodated it and things would have turned acrimonious on both sides. Sure, the Rams got their Superbowl with Stafford, but the Lions look to have capitalized heavily on this very smart decision, as Goff has proven he's still a very capable starter for the Lions and the draft haul has paid huge dividends.Got Kneecaps?Comment
-
Fuck a bunch of CommandersOriginally posted by Mainevent View PostI feel like I am watching the destruction of our democracy while my neighbors and friends cheer it onComment
-
The last two sentence kicker at the end of the article is worth the time to read. Relentlessly leaking rumors is true basketball guy shit.Comment
-
Looks as if Johnson may have dodged a bulletI feel like I am watching the destruction of our democracy while my neighbors and friends cheer it onComment
-
"Every single move is intentional" "Every single move not made, is intentional"Comment
-
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
-
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
-
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
-
Paywall article from the Freep.
Brad Holmes is raising Detroit Lions' expectations, not diminishing them. It's refreshing.
Jeff Seidel
Detroit Free Press
Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes oozed well-earned confidence and bravado.
“It’s only going to get better, OK?” Holmes said at his season-ending news conference Monday. “I don’t want anybody to think that this was a one-shot, Cinderella, magical journey that just happened. No, it’s real. This is exactly what was supposed to happen.”
After the Lions finished their best season in decades — claiming their first NFC North title, winning two playoff games, and getting within a painful, haunting, horrible 30 minutes of going to the Super Bowl — Holmes is embracing success, not acting afraid of it.
He is raising expectations, not diminishing them.
And it’s refreshing.
“It’s all to normalize what we’re doing, alright?” he said. “We love where we’re at. This was to be expected. It’s the standard. We love the window that we’re in. We just got finished with Year 3. We’re still building. We’ll stick to our plan. We’ll continue to put all of our effort in to improve each year, which we’ve done in my opinion.”
Normalize? None of this is normal for Lions fans. They didn’t know how to act during a run through the playoffs — it was all so new to them.
And that means this will be an entirely different offseason as well.
In the old days, the draft was the Super Bowl for Lions fans. It was the high point of the season, a moment to get supercharged with hope. Which, of course, quickly evaporated when the games began.
But now?
It’s entirely different.
The Super Bowl is the goal, which means this offseason will feel entirely different as well.
But Holmes cautioned fans not to freak out over some of his upcoming moves.
“Don’t get spooked this spring by speculation or negative talk or the entertainment news feed,” he said. “I just hope that — they know that every year we have not led them astray. Dan and myself, we’ve been very upfront and straight with everybody.”
Basically, Holmes was giving a clear message to fans that can be boiled down to this: Don’t freak out if we do something unconventional, just trust us and judge us next January.
Because Holmes has some massive decisions coming up.
New challenge: Building a sustained winner
Holmes has proved that he knows how to tear a team down the studs, build it back through the draft, work with the coaching staff to get players they can develop and get all the pieces to work together.
Now, comes the tricky part: Turning a very good team into a champion and sustaining success over a number of years.
There is no single way to do it.
Sometimes it requires making a stunning move and acquiring talent to fill a hole. But other times, it’s declining to pay somebody and trading talent.
Think about this year’s Super Bowl.
The San Francisco 49ers got to the Super Bowl, in part, by making a bold move and bolstering their offense, trading four draft picks to the Carolina Panthers for Christian McCaffrey, and the results have been undeniable. McCaffrey added a dynamic dimension to the San Francisco offense, helping both the running game and play-action pass game; and the 49ers, as Lions fans know all too well, are playing in the Super Bowl.
Now, look at Kansas City.
The Chiefs did the opposite. Unable to come to terms on a contract with six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Tyreek Hill, the Chiefs traded him to the Miami Dolphins for five draft picks.
And now, Kansas City is back in the Super Bowl.
So there’s no firm way a team has to be built.
Of course, it helps when you have Patrick Mahomes.
Huge lesson there: When you have a quarterback, you hold onto him.
Tons of massive decisions to make
Holmes is entering a critical period of time. The Lions have several players who are due extensions, like Jared Goff (extend him now!), Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alim McNeill and even Penei Sewell (although he has a fifth-year option).
Should he extend Goff? Heck yes.
How about everybody else?
Oh, boy. It’s gonna be tricky.
The Lions have a strong offensive line, but there’s no guarantee that Frank Ragnow will be back. Taylor Decker is entering his final year, and both guards, Jonah Jackson and Graham Glasgow, are headed for unrestricted free agency.
So, it’s going to be hard to bring back everybody for the long term.
But when in doubt, the Lions must do everything to keep that line together.
Here’s my bold prediction: Holmes is going to do something this offseason that has everybody freaking out.
If nothing else, this front office and coaching staff is incredibly transparent, and Holmes basically telegraphed it on Monday when he said, “Every move is intentional. … over the next few months, every move that we make, it’s to win in December. It’s not to win March, April, and May, which it’s easy to do.”
Maybe, it happens in the draft — OK, that’s cheating on my part. Of course, he’s going to make a draft pick that has everybody freaking out; and if Holmes' history is any indication, everything will work out just fine.
Or maybe, it’s not extending a high-profile player, declining to give out a massive contract and relying on the draft and development to make up the difference.
That wouldn’t surprise me at all — OK, it would surprise me if he doesn’t extend Goff or Sewell, but everybody else? Nothing would surprise me.
Holmes has never been one to follow a usual script.
His goals are pretty simple: Get football players who love the game. Keep adding talent and the rest will take care of itself.
“My job is to have a foot in the present and a foot in the future at all times,” he said. “And that’s what I pride myself on doing. And so, regardless of how sunny or dark things are midpoint in the season, or late in the season, or in a playoff run, I’m always looking for this is what we need to do right now, but this is what we also have to do in the future. And that really doesn’t really change, really.”
I disagree. One big thing has changed.
If Holmes makes the right moves over the next few months — by making smart contract decisions, finding more talent in the draft, being creative and manipulating the salary cap to set up long-term sustained success, holding onto as much talent as possible while not handcuffing future decisions — the draft will no longer be the Lions’ Super Bowl.
Simply put, if Holmes has another great offseason, the real thing ... let me take this slowly to let it sink in ... the real Super Bowl will become a real possibility.
And, yes, it’s going to take a while for that to feel normal.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him @seideljeff.
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
-
Another paywall article.
Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher: Detroit Lions' Dan Campbell 'reminds me a lot of myself'
Dave Birkett
Detroit Free Press
LAS VEGAS — Hall of Fame coach Bill Cowher sees a little bit of himself in Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell.
"Love Dan," Cowher said Tuesday ahead of the weekend's Super Bowl 58 matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers. "He’s just, you could tell he was just in the locker room. He’ll ask them to give no more than what he’s willing to give, and I speak from the heart. He put his heart and soul into it, and when you lose something, it hurts. It hurts because you were fully invested. He hurts every time they lose. How can you not play for a guy like that? So he reminds me a lot of myself."
Cowher, like Campbell, had an unheralded NFL career as a player before getting into coaching, where he cut an imposing figure on the sideline.
Cowher played six seasons as a linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns and bounced around the Midwest as an assistant for nearly a decade before returning to his home state of Pennsylvania to coach the Pittsburgh Steelers, for whom he went 161-99-1 in 15 seasons, winning eight division titles and Super Bowl 40 (held in Detroit in 2006).
Campbell spent 11 NFL seasons with four teams as a player, then led the Lions to the NFC championship game in his third season as head coach.
"He wears his emotions on the sleeve, and I hope like myself, he continues to grow as a coach," Cowher said. "You learn from every experience. You don’t let the same experience happen twice when it’s not a good one, so you ask your players to do the same thing and you have to continue to do that as a coach."
In Pittsburgh, Cowher led the Steelers to six AFC championship games in 10 playoff appearances. The Steelers went 2-4 in those games, including a loss in Cowher's first trip to the AFC title game in 1994, when they blew a 10-point third quarter lead and lost to the San Diego Chargers on a late touchdown.
The Lions lost to the 49ers in similar fashion in the NFC championship game, blowing a 17-point halftime lead.
Cowher was not overly critical of Campbell's decisions in that game, including passing on two second-half field goals to try and convert fourth downs.
"I understand that’s what got them there," he said.
But he said he would have tried at least one field goal, on the Lions' opening possession of the third quarter after the 49ers pulled within 14 points. The Lions failed to convert on fourth down. The 49ers scored a touchdown five plays later to turn momentum their way and tied the game at 24 on their next possession.
"Hindsight’s 20-20 so you can always say that," Cowher said. "And it’s something that I talk about with him. I do believe there’s a certain way you coach with the lead and there’s a certain way you coach to get a lead.
"My record speaks for itself from the standpoint of having a lead of 11 points or more — 106-1-1 — 'cause I believe that you coach a certain way to get the lead. when you get a lead, your, the clock becomes your ally. So I coach a different way with the lead. And he says, well, you don’t change when you get a lead. I go, yeah, you do, because there’s a finite time and there’s only so many possessions they have, so I’m going to take away the possessions by taking away the time, where now I’m going to put the pressure on you that now you’re going to start calling plays differently because you’re running out of time. You work hard to get it, and I always said when I want to get it, I'm going to make sure I don’t lose it."
The Steelers reached the Super Bowl in Cowher's fourth season as coach, after winning in their second straight trip to the conference championship game.
They did not win a Super Bowl until Cowher's second-to-last season in the NFL, and the CBS analyst said his four losses in conference championship games stung more than his one defeat in the Super Bowl.
"I had to live there for two weeks and watch the team that beat me, and every one of those games I could say we could have won and I could point back to whatever it could have been, maybe a decision I made or a ball that bounced the wrong way. Or a play that was made," he said. "But for two weeks, I got to sit there and watch that team talk about how they’re great, stories, all the story lines that go into it, you can’t get away from it and it’s hard. It brings back that painful memory of how close you were. This week, you lose this game, there’s finality after Sunday anyway. We’re all watching basketball next week. There’s no more football games. So that to me is the difference."
Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
-
Paywall article from The Athletic.
Ranking the Lions’ top free agents: Will Jonah Jackson, C.J. Gardner-Johnson return?
By Colton Pouncy
Feb 7, 2024
The Detroit Lions are set to enter next season with Super Bowl expectations, for the very first time under this regime.
First, they’ll need to determine which of their key pieces they want back. They have some free agents who could command attention from other teams. Who they prioritize and who they let walk could have a direct impact on the 2024 season. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of their top internal free agents, and how they could fit into the picture next season.
Before we get started, an important distinction: This list ranks the players by their league-wide value, not by their likelihood to return.
1. Left guard Jonah Jackson
Detroit’s starting left guard has been a valuable asset since the previous regime selected him in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He has certainly outperformed his draft stock since then. A Pro Bowler in 2021, Jackson has been a mainstay on one of the best offensive lines in football. He’s mobile in space, powerful at the line of scrimmage and a remarkably consistent lineman when healthy — and he’s still just 26 years old. But there’s a chance he might not be back in 2024.
These are the difficult decisions any GM of a contending team must make. As the Lions look to win a Super Bowl next season, they must also consider the future contracts they’ll need to hand out to players like Penei Sewell, Amon-Ra St. Brown, Alim McNeill, Aidan Hutchinson and others.
2. DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson
The veteran defensive back just finished his fifth year in the league and will once again be an unrestricted free agent. The market last year was cooler than most (including Gardner-Johnson) would have expected, and it’s certainly possible Gardner-Johnson’s unapologetic antics turned some teams off. That said, he’d be a good addition to any secondary, given his ability to play nickel or safety and his vast postseason experience.
What the Lions decide to do here will be fascinating. They didn’t get a ton of time to evaluate Gardner-Johnson, who missed 14 games with a torn pec. He made headlines in the playoffs for past comments regarding Baker Mayfield and Deebo Samuel, which, intentional or not, stirred the pot.
In some ways, the Lions are better equipped than they would’ve been a year or two ago to handle a potential departure at safety, given the rise of Ifeatu Melifonwu in the second half of the season. But Melifonwu hasn’t proven capable of staying healthy in recent years, and if the Lions also part ways with Tracy Walker (who has one year at a nearly $12.9 million cap hit left on his contract), they’d suddenly be lacking depth at safety. For a secondary that needs all the help it can get, you don’t want to get in the habit of letting proven players walk.
We’ll see how this one ends, but Gardner-Johnson should command attention.
3. Right guard Graham Glasgow
Glasgow saw a career resurgence after rejoining the Lions this offseason on a one-year deal. Originally thought to be a reserve piece with positional versatility to start in a pinch, Glasgow earned a starting job and played in every game, turning in one of his best seasons to date.
It’s hard to find quality linemen in this league. Turn on one preseason game in August and you’ll see it. When you have some, it’s best to keep them around. Glasgow has earned himself a raise with his play, and the Lions have made it known they want him back. We’ll see if the two sides can reach an agreement.
4. Wide receiver Josh Reynolds
Reynolds is coming off one of the best seasons of his career. As Detroit’s No. 3 option, he recorded 40 receptions for 608 yards and five touchdowns. He is beloved by the Lions’ coaching staff, has a calming presence in the locker with his cool demeanor, and has been a reliable performer on the field. His drops against the 49ers were costly, but they don’t reflect the player he’s been for the Lions or how they view him.
If you want further proof of how much the Lions like him, look at the end of their Week 18 game against the Vikings. Knowing Reynolds was close to a $500,000 contract incentive, the Lions kept him on the field and threw his way until he got it.
Teams looking for an affordable receiver who’s seen a thing or two in this league could look to add Reynolds, though the Lions might have something to say about that.
5. LB/special teamer Jalen Reeves-Maybin
The Lions brought Reeves-Maybin back last offseason as a part-time defensive contributor and a special teams ace. It was an under-the-radar signing at the time but ended up proving worthwhile in more ways than one. Reeves-Maybin excelled in the role, ranking among the league leaders in special-teams tackles and earning both Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods. The Lions also had defensive packages for him on third downs and found ways to highlight his strengths.
He’s not the flashiest player on the market, but any team looking for high-quality special teams play should have an eye on him.
6. Cornerback Emmanuel Moseley
Moseley was coming off a breakout start to the 2022 season with the San Francisco 49ers, before a torn ACL that ended his season that October. The Lions added him in free agency knowing he would need time to recover, but they expected him to start at corner when healthy. Unfortunately for Moseley, he was healthy for all of two snaps before tearing his ACL again in his first game back.
So, now what? Moseley will have missed quite a bit of football whenever he’s finally healthy. If a team is willing to wait it out and hope he’s still the player he once was, it could probably sign Moseley to another 1-year “prove it” deal like the Lions did a year ago. Quality cornerbacks are hard to find, and Moseley was one when healthy. Might be worth a flier.
7. Defensive end Romeo Okwara
Before tearing his Achilles during the 2021 season, Okwara was viewed as one of the Lions’ best defensive players. He was coming off a 10-sack season and had proven to be reliable against the run. However, he was left shaking off the rust from the injury when he returned in 2022 — and it looked like more of the same in 2023. The Lions used him as a situational reserve lineman; he totaled 15 tackles and two sacks.
The Lions may try to bring Okwara back as depth, but he’s also a player who might benefit from a change of scenery and a better opportunity elsewhere.
8. Wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones
The Lions traded for Peoples-Jones at the deadline, but he didn’t make much of an impact. Peoples-Jones played limited snaps as the fifth wide receiver in Detroit and contributed briefly as a punt returner. Perhaps he needs more time to get acclimated, but the production wasn’t there in Cleveland or Detroit this past season.
Still, Peoples-Jones has an 800-yard season under his belt, an intriguing athletic profile and will be just 25 when the 2024 season begins. That should be enough to get him on teams’ radars when he hits the open market.
Colton Pouncy is a staff writer for The Athletic covering the Detroit Lions. He previously covered Michigan State football and basketball for the company, and covered sports for The Tennessean in Nashville prior to joining The Athletic. Follow Colton on Twitter @colton_pouncy
"I hope to see the Lions in the Super Bowl before I die"
My friend Ken LComment
- If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.
If you are having difficulty logging in, please REFRESH the page and clear your browser cache and try again.
If you still can't get logged in, please try using Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, or Safari to login. Also be sure you are using the latest version of your browser. Internet Explorer has not been updated in over seven years and will no longer work with the Forum software. Thanks
If you've simply forgotten your user name or password, you can use this link or email me directly admin@detroitlionsforum.com.
Tweet
Comment