The Offseason Thread

[GALion68]

Now that the offseason is in full swing let the speculation begin on who Holmes will draft and add in free agency. And what a big offseason this needs to be. First and foremost, properly address the D-line.

[Mainevent]

Hope Holmes and DC were paying close attention yesterday - why sacks matter and why getting there with the DL is important:


On Sunday, the Eagles didn't blitz once on Mahomes' 42 dropbacks. (They had a couple of plays that would technically qualify as blitzes when the Eagles sent Zack Baun, but they dropped a lineman off into coverage as part of the snap.) Fangio rushed four players 39 times and three players three times. The Eagles still managed to pressure Mahomes on nearly 45% of his dropbacks through three quarters before Fangio gave his backups some run in the fourth
. . .
When these two teams played in the title game two years ago, the Eagles managed to get pressure on Mahomes, but he wriggled and maneuvered his way out of danger. A dominant Philadelphia defensive line pressured him on 37% of his dropbacks then, but it failed to take him down for a sack on 11 pressures. Those 11 snaps produced just 35 yards, but a lack of negative plays helped keep the Chiefs afloat on offense in a shootout. This time, the Eagles finished the job. They ran a similar pressure rate to that Super Bowl (38%), but they turned six of those 15 pressures into sacks.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...fense-barnwell

[El Axe]

When healthy, our Dline is Hutch, Reader, McNeil & Smith. That's as good a starting unit as you'll find.

Onwuzurike, Peko, Wingo, Paschal & Cominsky are the top rotation players. When healthy, that's a solid backup unit. Muhammad looked to be pretty good in limited time.

This draft supposedly has really strong DE prospects at the end of the first, so a good chance we'll draft our future Smith replacement.

I mean, if any top DL players want to come play for us on a minimum contract, that would be great, but I don't see any imperative need to doing much more than picking up a good draft prospect.

[Blue Lagoon58]

The DL, especially DT, is loaded. Should be able to get impact guys in the first couple of rounds.

[wcfwtf]

I do believe that the Lions had the most pressures of any D line in the league at the time of the Hutch injury.

[Mainevent]

I’m certain DL will be an early pick, which way they go will be interesting. McNeil will probably miss a large chunk of the regular season and Levi is a FA, so the Lions may not be able to bring him back. Reader will also be 31 heading into next season. So while I would love to get a DE to be the long term guy opposite Hutch, DT might be the bigger priority. I’m not counting on Brodric, but if he can just become a solid rotation player that could spell Reader, that would be helpful.

[Whitley]

DL needs help no doubt. But the O-Line is a bigger priority if Zietler leaves you are looking to have a starting G to replace him and I am not sure Glasnow is an every week starter anymore. Plus we are going to be needing a Ragnow replacement sooner than later.

[Blue Lagoon58]

Everyone freaked out over a few quotes a few years back about Ragnow. I'm not convinced he'll be done within 5 years, so while I'll always support high OL draft picks, that need isn't near the top.

Agree on Glasgow, I'd cut him TBH, but we have Mahogany and we can get a good G in FA or mid rounds.

[Mainevent]

I think if they re-sign Zeitler, they probably have the starting 5 with the hope/plan for Mahogany to beat out Glasgow. So they may not need to chase an OG that high. But I have no problem with them looking at a versatile OL early. Glasgow and Decker are aging, no clue what they have in Manu, Zeitler isn’t going to play forever, Sorsdal and Yoda were jumped by a rookie. Always need to keep that OL pipeline full.

[froot loops]

I think Mahogany jumped them because he was a steal if he stays healthy. Sorsdal got jumped by Skipper, that is a worry but Skipper was good as the swing tackle. When he started at LT he was much better than I had hoped.

[chemiclord]

The Lions actually have a fairly good pipeline on the O-Line at this point. Hell, Mahogany is pretty much already set to break through, and a lot of developmental guys already there. Might not be a bad idea to grab a Center in the mid-rounds to develop, but outside of that, I think Holmes probably feels quite fine with the O-Line and its depth.

They're probably pretty okay with the D-Line and its depth as well. No team has or ever will have the sort of depth that would allow them to absorb the number of severe and season-ending injuries the Lions suffered last season. There just isn't, and there never will be. That said, I do think if Jack Sawyer (or someone of his skill set) starts dropping, you're probably going to see the Lions first round pick emerge.

[El Axe]

The Lions actually have a fairly good pipeline on the O-Line at this point. Hell, Mahogany is pretty much already set to break through, and a lot of developmental guys already there. Might not be a bad idea to grab a Center in the mid-rounds to develop, but outside of that, I think Holmes probably feels quite fine with the O-Line and its depth.

They're probably pretty okay with the D-Line and its depth as well. No team has or ever will have the sort of depth that would allow them to absorb the number of severe and season-ending injuries the Lions suffered last season. There just isn't, and there never will be. That said, I do think if Jack Sawyer (or someone of his skill set) starts dropping, you're probably going to see the Lions first round pick emerge.

The Lions made the most important offseason OL move when they were able to keep Fraley.

Ragnow was quoted saying that this is the best he's felt at the end of the season in years. Eguakun was a well regarded C prospect going into last year's draft who unexpectedly went undrafted and then beat out another UDFA center who was also well regarded to be on our PS. Manu is a mystery to us, but I think they feel that he is the Decker replacement. Let's hope he is a serviceable backup next year.

It'll be interesting to see if Holmes manuevers for one of those DEs in the mid to late 1st.

[DanO]

Hope Holmes and DC were paying close attention yesterday - why sacks matter and why getting there with the DL is important:


On Sunday, the Eagles didn't blitz once on Mahomes' 42 dropbacks. (They had a couple of plays that would technically qualify as blitzes when the Eagles sent Zack Baun, but they dropped a lineman off into coverage as part of the snap.) Fangio rushed four players 39 times and three players three times. The Eagles still managed to pressure Mahomes on nearly 45% of his dropbacks through three quarters before Fangio gave his backups some run in the fourth
. . .
When these two teams played in the title game two years ago, the Eagles managed to get pressure on Mahomes, but he wriggled and maneuvered his way out of danger. A dominant Philadelphia defensive line pressured him on 37% of his dropbacks then, but it failed to take him down for a sack on 11 pressures. Those 11 snaps produced just 35 yards, but a lack of negative plays helped keep the Chiefs afloat on offense in a shootout. This time, the Eagles finished the job. They ran a similar pressure rate to that Super Bowl (38%), but they turned six of those 15 pressures into sacks.

https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...fense-barnwell

My thoughts exactly as I was watching. Get Garrett.

[chemiclord]

It was noted that Z. Smith has a bunch of escalators in his contract that trigger if he is on the roster next season, so that might be a factor in whether or not the Lions keep him around next year. I do suspect that the D-Line (both interior and EDGE) are going to be the focus... but there will not be any Crosby or Garrett or Hendrickson or whomever suiting up in the Honolulu blue and silver, no matter how much the fans are screaming to get that deal done.

It is not happening. Period. Accept it now so you're not pissed off later.

[Coop]

If we truly are 1 player away...get Garrett or Crosby. But are we really 1 player away?