Lions News

[El Axe]

Walter Football's Draft grade. Nice writeup

https://walterfootball.com/offseason2024det.php

This quote in particular was cool

I asked one high-ranking NFC personnel man whom he thought was the most shocking player to drop in the first round. He told me it was Terrion Arnold, and that his team tried to move up for him, but was beaten to the punch by Detroit. Arnold was an absolute steal at No. 24, and the Lions did well to move up five spots for him. Detroit is on the cusp of winning the Super Bowl, and a dynamic cornerback talent like Arnold could put them over the top.

The other thing that's kind of funny is that they gave the Manu pick a "Millen" grade.

[jaadam4]

Hahaha.. the Manu pick will keep us from moving up next year if our guy is falling. Not a good move…. Unless he turns into the shit

[whatever_gong82]

[Sanders Fan]

Cowherd’s top ten teams after the draft:

10. Chargers
9. Texans
8. Eagles
7. Bills
6. 49ers
5. Packers
4. Rams
3. Lions
2. Ravens
1. Chiefs

[El Axe]

This is the professional scout/Lions fan that I linked before that some of you really liked, Scott Bischoff. His summary of the Lions draft

[El Axe]

Here is Tim Twentyman & Danni Rogers Draft Recap. It says 51min, but it starts at 3min and the last 13min are highlights that they already showed, so it's really only 35min.

[ghandi]

Threw this tentative roster out there. Please let me know if I've missed something. Comments welcome

image.png

It still seems like there are some weaknesses there, mainly among the backups...We know there are going to be injuries...Its a game of attrition and some years are worse than others.....Come playoff time, the Lions were pretty healthy last year...This year may not be as fortunate.

QBs: We dont know if Hooker can play or not
RBs: Good if Montgomery and Gibbs stay healthy
WRs: Jamo had a breakout game in NFC championship, but hasnt really been a 5-6 catch a game guy....DPJ we have no idea if he can step up
TEs: LaPorta is outstanding and the backups are pretty good
OL: We have Ragnow insurance but he's getting older too....Im guessing this and DL will be main positions addressed in next years draft.

DTs: Reader was a must sign...Still a little weak at backups...Cominsky and Paschal can fill in if needed though
DEs: How good will Davenport be? Houston can come in on passing downs and we will see what he has after a major injury last year.
LBs: Looks like the same group as last year...no real issues at this point. Campbell was good aggainst the run, now needs to improve vs Pass
DBs: The biggest area of change...on paper looks much better...We will wait and see what the results are on the field

K/P: Fox is one of the best....Badgely is OK but his lack of distance is always a concern...50+ yard FGs are pretty important in todays game.

[jaadam4]

This is the professional scout/Lions fan that I linked before that some of you really liked, Scott Bischoff. His summary of the Lions draft

This guy is awesome. His thought on Manu were spot on him starting at right guard and the progression.

[edindetroit]

Paywall Freep article.

Mitch Albom: The end of a perfect weekend: Lions, NFL draft, Detroit, all went great



Mitch Albom
Detroit Free Press



The stage is empty and the deconstruction will soon begin, rafters coming down, seats removed, trucks carting away the various booths, exhibits and pavilions from their venues. But like the family cleanup after a wedding, there’s a wistful joy in the farewell, because the memory is indelible.

And this was. Indelible. Let’s just say it. The NFL draft was one of the best things to hit this city in decades. If the Chamber of Commerce went to Fantasy Land and asked three fairy godmothers for a gift, it would have looked like this. Detroit did more for its reputation in the last three days than it has in the last 10 years.



We were massively organized. We were good hosts. We shared the party in different pockets of the city. We even arranged for decent weather. On top of that, our team drafted really well.

The reward was a sea of humanity that broke attendance records, and when you break a record in the NFL, you are doing something. Campus Martius was Woodstock without the mud. Hart Plaza was Disneyland on a summer weekend. I spent many hours these last three days scooping desserts at the Detroit Water Ice Factory on Woodward, and at times, we had a line that spanned a city block. No one got impatient. Everyone was in a good mood. Young couples stood next to grandparents, who stood next to toddlers in colorful wagons.



“Yo, Detroit is ON THE MAP!” I heard one happy local yell. “This is BIG TIME!”



Our city: Absolutely a first-round pick


Of course, we’ve always been on the map. And we should have always been big time, given the size and history of our city. But you know how it’s been. For so many years, no media came to Detroit unless they were doing a hit job on Devil’s Night. One of our biggest tourist attractions was a burned-out auto factory. People snapped photos. Poverty porn.

After this weekend, we should declare those days history. Remember, more than 50 million people watch the draft. Over three days. That’s an awful lot of eyeballs on the beauty shots of our skyline, our waterfront, the RenCen, the mass of happy people filling Woodward like gumballs in a giant glass container.



And let’s be honest. Football lighting is elite lighting. When the NFL blesses you, you take it. It’s a bit like Taylor Swift saying she likes your clothing shop. People pay attention and crowds are sure to follow. I’m betting a good percentage of people who came to Detroit for the first time this weekend will come back again. You can’t buy that. We looked good. We hosted well. We surprised a lot of people.

Who knew an event in which the primary activity is reading names off cards could do so much for a hungry metropolis?


Lions GM may be happiest guy in the city


Speaking of those cards, the Detroit Lions and their fans were pretty ecstatic about the top names being read. General manager Brad Holmes was so giddy in his remarks about trading up five spots to nab Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold in the first round, I thought they’d have to tie him down to keep him from floating off to nirvana.

“We couldn’t be more ecstatic or thrilled (with) how it went,” he said,


He was almost equally happy with his second round pick, Ennis Rakestraw Jr. from Missouri, who fell to the Lions without a trade. “Hate to sound like a broken record,” Holmes told the media, “but again thrilled with how it fell tonight.”

Holmes spent Day 3 moving all over the place, trading up twice for players that were not as obvious a need as the cornerbacks he drafted Thursday and Friday. Sending next year’s third-round pick for a fourth-round project offensive lineman in 6-foot-8 Giovanni Manu from (ahem) the University of British Columbia is a head-scratcher for sure, but Holmes has earned the right to take his chances.


Same holds for the dual threat running back/defensive back Sione Vaki, whom Holmes chased with a trade with Philadelphia. But hey, never let it be said that this GM sits on his hands. He worked the draft like a man at the craps table, moving chips on this number and that number, playing his hunches. Remember, a lot of people thought Sam LaPorta was a reach, too.

The best part of all this analysis is that for the first time in a long time, draft picks weren’t the biggest dollop of hope for the Lions. Everyone seems to think they are already returning a Super Bowl contending team. And if the huge number of blue jerseys in the more than 700,000 visitors were any indication, there’s an awful lot of Lion pride in this city outside of the locker room.

Someone asked me if this draft would have been the same success if the Lions were still lousy, and I thought about it, and the answer is no. We’d still have done a nice hosting job. But this weekend felt like the confluence of respect for the NFL and NFL respect. Like that fan yelled out, we are on the map, we belong on the map, and people who just love football now love Detroit football as well.


That’s a wrap, folks. The draft is over. The circus is moving on. Thank you all for coming, for enjoying, for spending your money, and for getting to know us. And don’t forget to tell your friends to come by for a visit. We’re a friendly bunch — although I will say a woman came into our shop on Saturday wearing a Green Bay Packers jersey, and since the Lions fans jeered the Packers when they selected Thursday night, I felt compelled to say something.

“Sorry about the booing,” I offered. “We’re usually nicer than that.”



“That’s OK,” she said, grinning, “we all know who the better team is.”

“Not last year,” I said.



She shrugged in defeat. And I have to admit, that felt good, demanding a little respect for our oft-jilted city.

I just hope she doesn’t drive past that new Detroit sign on her way out.



Contact Mitch Albom: malbom@freepress.com. Check out the latest updates with his charities, books and events at MitchAlbom.com. Follow him @mitchalbom.

I scrolled by the headline so I missed who wrote it. Then something caught my eye and I started reading and I'm thinking this guy writes like a Mitch Albom wannabe.

[jaadam4]

lol.. I’ll have to go back and read it now and see what Mitch is up to these days.

[chemiclord]

lol.. I’ll have to go back and read it now and see what Mitch is up to these days.

Last I checked he was writing quasi-religious feel good books and shaming rape victims.

But that was a few years back. My neighbor that loved to talk endlessly about Hobbits moved out, so the trigger that brought him to the top of my mind hasn't been there.

[DanO]

The Lions really need to have Bates in for a looksee.

[chemiclord]

It still seems like there are some weaknesses there, mainly among the backups...We know there are going to be injuries...Its a game of attrition and some years are worse than others.....Come playoff time, the Lions were pretty healthy last year...This year may not be as fortunate.

QBs: We dont know if Hooker can play or not
RBs: Good if Montgomery and Gibbs stay healthy
WRs: Jamo had a breakout game in NFC championship, but hasnt really been a 5-6 catch a game guy....DPJ we have no idea if he can step up
TEs: LaPorta is outstanding and the backups are pretty good
OL: We have Ragnow insurance but he's getting older too....Im guessing this and DL will be main positions addressed in next years draft.

DTs: Reader was a must sign...Still a little weak at backups...Cominsky and Paschal can fill in if needed though
DEs: How good will Davenport be? Houston can come in on passing downs and we will see what he has after a major injury last year.
LBs: Looks like the same group as last year...no real issues at this point. Campbell was good aggainst the run, now needs to improve vs Pass
DBs: The biggest area of change...on paper looks much better...We will wait and see what the results are on the field

K/P: Fox is one of the best....Badgely is OK but his lack of distance is always a concern...50+ yard FGs are pretty important in todays game.

I agree with most of that with these exceptions:

QBs: The teams that know if their backup QB can play or not generally already know the answer to that question is "not." The league can't even find 32 quality starters. The best you can hope for is an uncertain shrug from the QB2.
RBs: NO team has the sort of depth at RB you want the Lions to have. Every single team's third and fourth RB is going to be a massive question mark.
WRs: I would have liked to see a quality "X" type receiver, but much like every other depth concern, those sort of guys are not easy to find.
OL: That was and is my biggest worry. While again, every team has some big question marks in the depth department at O-Line, considering how fundamental it is to the Lions offense, I would have liked to see a more certain and ready bench. I'm just not sure that is particularly feasible.
DL: I'm actually of the mind that the DL depth is pretty solid. My problem is that I think they lack one more impact starter. Even if Davenport finds his groove, he's a temp option at best.

[froot loops]

I think they believe they have a find at running back with Vaki.

[Forsh]

I think they believe they have a find at running back with Vaki.

I think they might be right. I know it's just highlights but he looks incredible for a guy who hasn't really played the position. Probably will be able to block too given his safety background. Looks instinctive and explosive ... Montgomery insurance at the least with upside

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TSvParKVKmQ