Are the Detroit Lions showing signs of life?

I stepped away from writing posts on this site because of how depressing it was to watch two children (Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn) run an already disaster organization further into the ground. My last post visited my thoughts on the Detroit Lions and I expressed that Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn should be fired immediately. It took a little over a month, but my wishes were finally granted. I could talk about how terrible the two were, but I would be repeating what you already know and feel. Let’s talk about Brad Holmes, Dan Campbell, moves they have made, and what I think about their draft selections.

Player-Friendly Staff

Dan Campbell, Head Coach

(WDIV)

Moving completely away from a ‘hard-nosed’ and ‘Patriot way’ clown, the Lions hired Dan Campbell as their head coach. As a former tight-end in the NFL (also played for Detroit), he does have experience being a head coach with his time as the interim head coach for the Miami Dolphins, along with his time recently in New Orleans as Sean Payton’s assistant. Lots of fans were really interested in former 49ers defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, but I’m sure that almost everyone has come around on this guy. Dan Campbell understands Detroit and wants to be here. He has passion for not only the game, but our city. His press conferences are must-see TV, as every sentence he says could be a headline in the paper. Sure, he hasn’t coached a game for the Detroit Lions yet, but I am sipping the Kool-Aid because of Coach Campbell’s energy.

Brad Holmes, General Manager

The Atlantic

Since 2016, the only picks that were key players for the Detroit Lions are Taylor Decker (’16, 1st round), Kenny Golladay (’17, 3rd round), Frank Ragnow (’18, 1st round), and TJ Hockenson (’19, 1st round). Other than that, you have picks like Jarrad Davis, Teez Tabor, Kerryon Johnson, Jahlani Tavai, and A’Shawn Robinson as guys that Quinn selected that have been complete busts for Detroit (Leaving out the 2020 draft because they deserve to play for an actual coach before I write them off). Now let’s talk about Brad Holmes.

Coming over from the Los Angeles Rams, Brad Holmes was their director of collegiate scouting. He has some responsibility with selections like Cooper Kupp, John Johnson, Troy Reeder, Gerald Everett, and Jordan Fuller (all non-first round selections). Since 2016, the Rams have not had a first round pick (where the selected Jared Goff), and have not had a losing record, along with an appearance to the Super Bowl in 2018. People who have worked with Brad Holmes had nothing but great things to say about him, which I was unable to find anyone saying things about Bob Quinn. The only thing I found was Bill Belichick saying that Bob Quinn did a “solid” job in New England. Brad Holmes is hopefully the opposite of Bob Quinn, in that he drafts with a brain. I don’t want him to feel like he is the smartest guy in the room (like taking Tavai in the 2nd round). After watching his first draft closely, I get a sense that he knows what he is doing, and I am able to drink the Kool-Aid for this hire as well.

Coordinators and Assistants

Leading the offense for the Lions is Anthony Lynn, former head-coach of the Los Angeles Chargers. Before that, he worked with the Jets, Cowboys, Jaguars, Browns, Broncos, and Bills as primarily their running backs coach. With the amount of 1,000 yard rushers that he has worked with, I am excited to see how DeAndre Swift will run in his offense. His assistants include Mark Brunell (QB Coach), Duce Staley (RB Coach), and Antwaan Randle El (WR Coach). All former players in the NFL that most fans are familiar with.

Defensively, Aaron Glenn comes to Detroit as their defensive coordinator. Another former player, Glenn was hired from New Orleans, where he served as their defensive backs coach. This should excite fans because of the players that he coached in New Orleans, which include Marshon Lattimore, Marcus Williams, and Janoris Jenkins. With Jeff Okudah, Amani Oruwariye, and Tracy Walker, it will be interesting to see how improved our defense will look next year with a new scheme.

Offseason

The biggest trade was the Stafford deal, where the Lions received Jared Goff, a 2021 3rd round pick, a 2022 1st, and a 2023 1st. Though Stafford is an huge upgrade, one of those 1sts have to be for the Lions taking on Jared Goff’s insane contract. Regardless, the Lions are on the hook to pay Goff until there is an out after the 2022 season. Most people believe that the Lions will draft a QB next season after they have an expected down year.

Another deal that most people do not know is the trade for DT Michael Brockers from the Rams. Though the Lions did draft two DT in rounds 2 and 3 of the draft, Brockers will be both a leader in the locker room and will allow for our two rookies to learn and develop under him.

With Stafford leaving, we also watched Kenny Golladay sign to the New York Giants and Marvin Jones sign to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Justin Coleman, Desmond Trufant, Duron Harmon, and Danny Shelton are also no longer with the Detroit Lions. Most notably also is Matt Prater. The starting lineup for the Detroit Lions in 2021 will be very different than last year’s, and it will not be better talent wise.

On offense, the Lions added WR’s Breshad Perriman, Germino Allison, Tyrell Williams, RB Jamaal Williams, and most likely TE Darren Fells (deal not done as of 5/5/2021). On the flip side, the Lions acquired a few depth pieces on defense but did not make any real splashes in free agency. This is expected with a new regime that is probably trying to get our cap situation under control. I would expect that the following couple years result in a couple of paydays for major talent.

Draft

I will go into a deeper dive on the picks individually in a separate post. However, I do want to say that I like what Detroit did in the draft. Sure, I would want to see Waddle, Smith, Parsons, or Fields in a Lions jersey because they would be the ‘sexy’ pick, rather than the ‘right’ pick in my mind. Sewell in the first is a blessing that not many fans will realize but soon will in a Quinton Nelson-esque way after he becomes a star. Building a top offensive line will allow Detroit to give Jared Goff a true chance, or draft a QB next year and not have a Joe Burrow situation where he is not protected. This pick was great long-term for the Lions, which is what they need.

The Detroit Lions took DT Levi Onwuzurike in the second round, and both DT Alim McNeil and CB Ifeatu Melifonwu in the third round. With Dan Campbell announcing that Detroit will be mostly in a 3 man front, this allows for a constant rotation of Brockers, Penisini, and the two rookies which will keep the defensive front fresh. Melifonwu’s tackling ability may allow him to see some time on the field as a nickel corner, which would help replace Justin Coleman’s role.

In the fourth round, Detroit selected Amon-Ra St. Brown, who also could see significant time due to the lack of talent that the current WR’s have shown. With all three of Detroit’s top targets gone (Amendola, Golladay, and Jones), I would expect to see St. Brown used in several sets on offense. The pick following Amon-Ra was LB Derrick Barnes, who is the type of player you would expect to catch Dan Campbell’s eye, a hard-nosed, pedal-to-the-metal type player. Barnes will most likely be primarily a special teams guy, until he develops into rotational EDGE/LB for the Lions.

With their last pick, the Lions selected RB Jermar Jefferson. I was surprised to see him last this long because I figured a team that was interested in a burner-type running back would grab him earlier, but Detroit was able to select him in the 7th. What this tells me is that they are moving on from Adrian Peterson, and probably Kerryon Johnson. Draft capital is important, but I think either Jefferson will return kicks for Detroit or serve as their RB3 behind Jamaal Williams.

Expectations

Less talent, better coaching. That is what I am thinking. A quick look at the schedule, I would say that the Lions are a 3-5 win team. Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, and Denver are all POSSIBLE wins. The problem is that I would like for Detroit to be in the 1-3 range in next year’s draft to take Sam Howell or Spencer Rattler. Surely there will be a Joe Burrow/Zach Wilson type riser in next year’s class, but the Lions will take a QB next year. A three win season will end with the Lions taking a top QB and also using the other first to grab a WR or LB will also be in play. This season will be interesting for the Lions, but I would recommend to fans that if they expect to win, then not to watch. This is a full rebuild that will take 2-3 seasons, but I do believe that this organization has taken the correct steps in beginning the process.

Be sure to follow the page and comment below on your thoughts. The more interaction, the more I am motivated to push out content for people to call me an idiot for. Thanks for reading.

Advertisement

My Thoughts on the Detroit Lions

Matt Patricia

Tim Fuller/ USA Today Sports

The ship carrying my support for Matt Patricia has sailed. Entering the 2020 season, most Lions fans knew he was on the hot seat. Currently holding a 10-25-1 record, Matt Patricia will be fired unless a magical force leads this team to at least a playoff win. Making it in as a wildcard is not enough at this point. I do believe that Patricia has matured as a head coach over his 3 years here in Detroit, but this team is on a downward spiral. Yesterday’s loss against an injured Saints team after being up 14-0 in the first shows the incompetence, lack of will, and simply horrendous display of football from the point of Golladay’s touchdown in the first quarter to the end of the game. I will say that 29 points should be enough to win. Allowing a 41-year-old QB to navigate a defense without his #1 receiver laughable. Latavius Murray and Alvin Kamara were picking up yards at will. The Saints defense generated 3 sacks, 7 QB hits, and an interception. Stafford threw for just over 200 yards against that Saints defense who were without both of their starting corners. The Lions offense looked atrocious, the defense even more so.

This leads to question whether this is a schematic issue or a management issue. To answer that, it’s both. This scheme does not work. The man coverage does not work. The lack of pressure the opposing QB does not work. The star player for the Lions is Jack Fox, the punter. The defensive line did not make the improvements I expected transitioning from last year to this year. The Lions are still not controlling the ball on offense. Their 3rd down efficiency is garbage. Their red zone efficiency is garbage. Every opponent has more 1st downs than the Lions. The Lions average over 6 penalties a game. Mitch Trubisky is not even a starter anymore and threw for 3 TD’s against the Lions in week 1. Actually looking back, he is actually 3-0 vs the Lions with 753 yards and 9 TD’s in his short career. The Lions’ lead back is Adrian Peterson, who signed with Detroit a week before their first game. Kerryon Johnson, 2nd round pick in 2018, is getting limited touches. DeAndre Swift, 2nd round pick in 2020, is getting limited touches. The Lions also drafted Ty Johnson and Jason Huntley. So with 4 picks spent on the position in the last 2 years, the Lions are using 35 year-old AP as their bell-cow back. Something isn’t adding up. Besides from week 1, as a collective, the Lions have not rushed for over 100 yards.

The passing attack hasn’t improved. This can be due to Kenny Golladay’s injury earlier in the season, however, Stafford has not thrown for over 300 yards in any of the games this year. Along with this, Stafford’s completion percentages from week 1 to week 4 are as followed: 57%, 60%, 70%, 54%. Clearly, there is an outlier. A 70% completion percentage against the Cardinals week 3, and well, they won that game. That was also the only game that Stafford didn’t throw a pick. Weird. I will say that Stafford is not the problem in my opinion. Stafford is a top QB in the NFL but is being held hostage by this disaster of a team.

My verdict for Matt Patricia is that he needs to be fired. There is no improvement. Darrell Bevell will most likely as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2020-21 season. If 9-7 wasn’t good enough, then what is Bob Quinn thinking about Patricia’s 10-25-1 record?

Bob Quinn

 Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

As much as I have liked Quinn’s drafts, it does not make up for how long he has held onto Patricia for. Quinn said himself that 9-7 is not enough, but his buddy has not even come close to 9 wins. It is a disappointment. This team is built to be a contender. It has a QB, a few solid RB’s, an underrated WR in Golladay, a future star in Hockenson, and pieces that will hopefully come together on the offensive line. The defense has question marks. First, the defensive line has been added to, just lacks production. I have liked what I have seen from LB Jamie Collins, still not a fan of his ejection week 1. We can only hope that Okudah, Walker, and Tavai end up being foundational pieces that the next GM can build off of. Other than the Davis and Tabor picks, I have been satisfied with Quinn’s drafts. Would I have liked Ed Oliver over TJ, sure. I do believe that if Josh Allen dropped past the Jaguars last year, we would have selected him. At least, that is what I hoped he would have done.

My verdict of Bob Quinn is that he will be gone at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season. The only way he survives is by firing Patricia this week and allows Bevell to showcase the talent this team has.

Replacements

via Colts.com

I’m in the belief that if you want someone fired, you should mention who you want to replace them. In saying so, I will be compiling a list of possible hires that Detroit will make, and who I believe will lead this team in the right direction. First, the GM position needs to be filled. There are a few names circulating, however, I was hoping that Bob Quinn would have been fired last year and be replaced with Ed Dobbs, the assistant GM for the Colts. Luckily, Dobbs remained in Indy, and unfortunately, Quinn remained in Detroit. I think Dobbs is the best case scenario for this team. Again, I will be making a separate article highlighting why I like Dobbs, while also adding a couple of other candidates.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Once the GM job gets filled, I think it’s most likely that they will grab someone from the organization they are coming from. In the Dobb’s scenario, I would like him to bring over Matt Eberflus, the defensive coordinator in Indy. The Colts have had one of the top defenses in the NFL that last few years, and grabbing two guys that contributed to that will be monumental for Detroit. Another name to keep in mind is Robert Saleh, who has been one of the leading candidates to land a head coaching gig following his run as the 49ers defensive coordinator.

Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group

If you have any names around the NFL that you think would be great takeover in Detroit, leave a comment, and I will add them to my list, which will be posted in the coming week. Detroit is off this next week, but will return October 18th to faceoff with the Jacksonville Jaguars. If all goes well this week, it will be Bevell’s first game as head coach of the Detroit Lions.

Grading the Detroit Lions’ free-agent signings

The 3-12-1 Lions entered the off-season with a dumpster fire defense. Flashback to Week 1, many believed that this defense would carry the load. Signing Trey Flowers and Mike Daniels, while also having Da’Shawn Hand, A’Shawn Robinson, and Damon “Snacks” Harrison. Fans hoped for Jarad Davis to improve, yet it shows that he is not a suitable MIKE for this team. We scratched our heads at the Tavai pick, yet he showed some flashes throughout the season. Then the Quandre Diggs trade happened, which seemingly spiraled everything out of control. Injuries upon injuries struck this team, and now, here we are. Slay traded to Philly for a 3rd and 5th. Kennard released. Snacks released. Glasgow released. Daniels let go. Melvin let go. Sam Martin let go. McKissic let go. What did we get back in return? Well, let’s go through everything.

Desmond Trufant, CB (Atlanta Falcons)

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

With Slay gone, many were hoping for Byron Jones. The Lions play the most man-to-man defense in the NFL, therefore, the available pool of corners that fit our scheme slims down. The former first round pick back in 2013 has been the CB1 for the Falcons, leading their secondary. What worries me is that this could be another situation like Mike Daniels, where an aging player is released by their team and we sign them after they come off a serious injury.

THE GOOD: Trufant is able to fill a massive hole at CB1 with the departure of Darius Slay.

THE BAD: Concerns with injuries, as well as Trufant is turning 30 later this year. This signing satisfies the Lions’ need for a CB1 for the short-term, but will need to invest in a younger CB somewhere in the near future. With the third pick in the draft this year, Okudah seems like a strong possibility to be this successor to Trufant.

GRADE: B

Jamie Collins, LB (New England Patriots)

Winslow Townson, Associated Press

Patricia likes the guys that he has experience with back in New England. Jamie Collins is a linebacker that is a great fit for the Lions because of his ability to cover tight-ends and running-backs. A revamp of this defense is much needed, so bringing in veterans that understand the culture that Patricia is trying to develop.

THE GOOD: Collins has experience in Patricia’s scheme and is capable of playing at an incredibly high level. He has been very productive over the course of his career, particularly with New England.

THE BAD: Collins is currently 31 years old and just signed to Detroit on a three-year deal worth $30M. I’m not a huge fan of the deal itself, but if Detroit is able to get similar production to what he did with New England last year, Collins will be a great addition to this defense.

GRADE: B+

Halapoulivaati Vaitai, OT (Philadelphia Eagles)

Dave Zangaro/NBC Sports

The offensive line for the Lions had question marks looming since the departure of TJ Lang. Taylor Decker appeared to be a star early, however, has not been able to keep it all together. Frank Ragnow has been awesome at center, but that is really it. Glasgow seemed to be a solid guard, yet Quinn thought otherwise. Rick Wagner proved to be overrated and overpaid with his release. The key factor at play is what the Lions are going to do with Tyrell Crosby. Many believed he would get his chance at RT, yet the Lions signing Big V to a 5-year $50M contract, I find it hard to believe that Big V is going to sit behind Crosby making that much money.

THE GOOD: Vaitai has sat behind two of the best tackles in the game, Lane Johnson and Jason Peters. With Cory Undlin (former Eagles coach) joining Detroit’s staff, one can assume that Undlin saw promise in Vaitai.

THE BAD: A 5-year $50M deal for a player that has been unproven is concerning.

GRADE: C (with B upside)

Chase Daniel, QB (Chicago Bears)

Lions fans know Chase Daniel as the backup that defeated them on Thanksgiving Day back in 2018. Daniel is a career backup, spending time on the Saints, Chiefs, Eagles, and Bears throughout his 10-year career. He’s been proven to be competent, which has not been the case for backup QB’s in Detroit for the last few years.

THE GOOD: Stafford going down last year derailed the season. Chase Daniel will be able to come in, per anything to happen to Stafford, and bring the Lions success.

THE BAD: There is not really anything bad about this deal. I’m interested to see what the Lions do in this year’s draft and see if they invest a late pick in a developmental QB to sit behind both Stafford and Daniel.

GRADE: A

Danny Shelton, DT (New England Patriots)

I understand that the casual fan hearing the Lions signing another former Patriot is annoying, but I’d rather look at the player. Shelton is a solid run-stuffer on the interior of the defensive line. Shelton will be replacing Snacks, who had a similar role. I’m sure the Lions were looking to purse Chris Jones (franchise tagged by KC) and DJ Reader (signed to CIN), but luckily were able to grab a solid DT in Shelton.

THE GOOD: Value. Shelton signed to a 2-year $8M deal with Detroit, which is significantly less than that of Snacks’ former contract. This allowed Detroit to grab another piece for the defensive line.

THE BAD: Shelton is not the premier run-stuff player that Snacks was. Also, Shelton has been used more as a rotational piece than a solidified starter. This will be another case, like Vaitai’s, to see what kind of player he really is being a starter.

GRADE: B-

Nick Williams, DT (Chicago Bears)

Mentioned above, Shelton signing his deal allowed for Nick Williams signing with Detroit. Williams is a 29-year old vet, with experience on numerous teams. Last year, Williams was able to get to the QB 6 times, which is great for an interior lineman. A pass-rushing interior lineman is much needed on Patricia’s defense, which Williams is able to do.

THE GOOD: The Lions needed to improve their defensive line personnel. Further, they needed players that have the ability to rush the QB, which Williams showed he was able to do last season.

THE BAD: Williams broke out in his fifth season with the Bears. It is unknown why he wasn’t able to get his career going earlier with Kansas City or Miami, but maybe the Lions found a diamond in the rough.

GRADE: C+

 

 

 

 

The Trials and Tribulations of Michigan Sports

Last October I address my thoughts on Michigan sports as a whole, and I feel like I should revisit and explain my updated stance on our local teams.

Detroit Lions

Every year, I have hope. I pray to the supernatural that just maybe the Lions will make a run for it all. All I think now is the 30 for 30 that will come out about how the Lions are cursed without even being cursed. You had great terrible teams come out of the muck, the Cubs won a World Series, the Red Sox turned it around, the damn Browns are now Super Bowl contenders. Where are the Lions? No where, that’s where. The Lions did the right things this off-season, but I hate saying how great we drafted without seeing any of these guys actually play on Sunday. We have an aging QB, absolutely no receiving depth, have no idea who is playing our other guard position, no opposite corner to Slay, and praying to the heavens that Tavai works out to be a great linebacker and Tracy Walker being a great safety. Our defensive line looks great, but other than that, the only thing I can look forward to is the memes on r/NFL to another possible failed 1st round tightend. It’s a shame, but I can’t look away. This team hypes me up only to break my heart.

Detroit Pistons

Can anyone explain to me what is going on here. Again, people are telling me it’s a great draft but come on. No way of knowing, at all, until the season starts. And I can’t help but recall that the Pistons were about to trade for Mike Conley, what a joke. Let’s put all of our cap space towards 3 players, who other than Blake Griffen, are not worth the check. I feel bad for Blake if I’m being honest. I don’t see how the Pistons will make a legitimate run in the East, and considering all of the stars are moving to the West, what a disaster. This team is a disaster.

Detroit Tigers

Check this out, the Tigers have a chance to not even get to 50 wins this year. Losing 100 games is sad, but losing 110 games, that’s another joke. A joke that we may be laughing about. I don’t give a shit about a rebuild, you should be able to win more than 50 games. The Tigers have won less than I’d say 6 series this season. I don’t even bother paying attention anymore because I’m better off watching a little league game. If tickets were free, I’d still probably not go.

Detroit Red Wings

Yay, Steve Yzerman is back. Maybe we can show up to play a game other than in the last month when we’re locked in on a top 3 pick. Who’s brain told them, you know what, instead of us giving ourselves a better chance next season with a higher rated prospect, lets win some games to completely destroy that. But hey, young team, Stevie Y, I’ll have to check with the hockey experts to find out how I should feel.

Michigan Wolverines

Yes, I’m aware that the baseball team is in the World Series. I’m talking about the football team running away from the College Football Playoff as fast as they could. Getting absolutely embarrassed by the Buckeyes, only to get even more embarrassed by the Gators. Jim Harbaugh finally passed the offense down to his offensive coordinator, so hopefully we can actually throw the ball more than 15 times a game. Oh, and the entire defense left so let’s see how that’s going to treat us. Maybe another 10 win season with some shitty bowl game will suffice. It’s unfortunate that fans are okay with that. Still baffles me.

Michigan State Spartans

I’m clearly a Wolverine fan but I hope that the Spartans can score more than 10 points a game. I wish that the Michigan vs State game would be more special than what it is now. Granted, the weather has caused the games to be a shit show that last few years, but can you imagine Lewerke throwing for 300 yards with that great defense behind him? State would be easily a top 10 team in the nation, but whoever is running that offense over there is either blind or incompetent because numbers don’t lie.

All in all, I feel like this is an accurate overview of our local teams. Not much to be excited for other than to be pissed off that we suck at the end of each season.

Who is Will Harris?

The Detroit Lions moved up from their pick in the third round at 88 to Minnesota’s 81st to grab Boston College’s safety Will Harris. I’m familiar with Harris, only because I bet on Boston College three times last fall. Though we need help at corner and edge, an inbox safety like Will Harris will be an incredible asset to the Lions secondary and special teams unit. The Lions were in the running for former New York Giant Landon Collins, but the deal fell through. With the loss of Glover Quin, the Lions needed some added depth and a possible solution if Tracy Walker doesn’t work out, although I’m certain he will be a solid starter.

Will Harris played four years at Boston College. In 47 total games, he accumulated 225 tackles, 7.5 of those being for loss, and 1 career sack. He also had 5 interceptions, 7 passes defended, 6 fumble recoveries, and a touchdown. I watched film on Will Harris against Florida State and NC State. My takeaways from what I saw was that Harris can be an effective hybrid safety/linebacker, best playing on or near the line of scrimmage. He has okay pass coverage skills, but nothing to be blown away with. The best thing about Harris is when he pressures the QB, he delivers a blow. This may or may not be a problem with the changing NFL rules to protect QB’s. The main problem I have with Harris is his open field tackling is iffy, and he is more of a hitter than a form tackler. Not a bad thing, but something to consider.

Overall, not a bad pick at 81. I think he will be a special teams star for us, before developing into a positive strong safety. I think we can see Harris be used similarly to how the Chargers use Derwin James. I’m happy about this pick.

TJ Hockenson is not Eric Ebron, it’s okay

Look, I know you’re upset. Hear me out, we did not draft another Eric Ebron. TJ Hockenson is a dynamic TE. He is the “Y” TE that we need, which Ebron was an “F” TE. For reference, a Y TE is on the line next to tackles, while a F TE lines up in the slot and can line up in the backfield. Ebron was being used in Detroit as a Y, when he wasn’t much of a blocker. Since he has moved to Indy, look at what he has done since having more of an F role, it’s crazy when you use your players correctly, huh? Well now that we have Jesse James that could be an efficient F TE, Hockenson will be a great addition to our line and being a security blanket for Stafford. Now let me tell you about TJ himself.

At 6’5, 251lbs, Hockenson played TE for the Iowa Hawkeyes and was drafted by your Lions with the 8th pick of the NFL Draft. Lots of players were available here, so it would be pretty hard to fuck this up. TE is a need for the Lions, as is a CB, an EDGE, an OG, and a LB. All of these positions had players available, but having a player like Hockenson fall into your lap, it’s hard to pass on him. In 2018, Hockenson, a redshirt sophomore, played in 13 games, had 49 receptions for 760 yards and 6 touchdowns. These numbers don’t really jump off the screen at you but don’t forget that Noah Fant was drafted by the Denver Broncos 20th overall and was Hockenson’s teammate who also played TE. Fant had 39 receptions for 519 yards and 7 touchdowns. You throw half those balls to Hockenson and that’s when you’ll see how elite this kid actually is on paper. He plays at a high-level, comes from a school that has put out NFL TE talent, most notably George Kittle and Dallas Clark, and busts his ass.

Player comparisons aren’t that favorable for people, but Hockenson’s player comparison is to Kelce/Gronkowski. That’s one hell of a comparison, huh? Hockenson’s scouting report resembles Travis Kelce’s. “Good but not great athlete, big frame, physical blocker, and has the ability to stretch the field. Lacks explosive speed.” Hock will lineup next to the bigboys and block for our backs. Hell, two TE sets with James and Hock will be a deadly combination. My point is, put your pitchforks down, this is actually a decent pick for the Lions. It’s one of those that isn’t too flashy, but you’ll be glad to have him for the next 5 years. With that said, hopefully I convinced you. I will be doing more of these on each player the Lion’s draft, and then maybe some film room on each player. Thank you for your time, keep sippin that kool-aid.

Don’s Top 45 Players in 2019 NFL Draft

Shoutout to The Draft Network for the easy to use tool. Here is my FINAL Big Board before the NFL Draft. My Big Board is based on who I think is the best players in the draft, not necessarily when they will be drafted. Last year I picked Derwin James to be the best player in the draft, which I was basically correct about, kind of. This year I will be going with Brian Burns. I have him mocked to the Lions, so I pray they don’t mess this up. Here it is:

2019 NFL Mock Draft: Detroit Lions ALL SEVEN ROUNDS

The countdown begins ladies and gentlemen. The draft is almost a week away, so I’m obliged to release my mock draft for our Detroit Lions. Expect a full first round mock within the next week. Without further-ado, lets go.

Round 1/Pick 8: Brian Burns, EDGE, Florida State

Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports

At 6’5 231lbs, what he lacks in weight, he makes up in speed. There is nothing bad I can say about the kid. He has long arms, incredible bend, explosiveness off the line, and will chase a ball carrier down the field. Brian Burns will be a top 3 player out of this draft, and he will be wearing Honolulu Blue. 

Round 2/Pick 43: Greedy Williams, CB, LSU

 Brett Duke, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune

Jesus lord, if Greedy falls, my God may he land in our hands. This is quite the drop, but it is because of the major factor that I continued to bring up a few months ago, he is not a tackler. Lots of GM’s will fall off the wagon because of this, but not Bob Quin. No sir. We want our corners to cover and Greedy Williams will cover a receiver at an elite level. My backup pick here would be Christ Lindstrom, Guard, Boston College. One of the two should fall into our hands. But starting off with Burns and Williams would be a deadly combination to add to our defense. 

Round 3/Pick 88: JJ Arcega-Whiteside, WR, Stanford

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

JJ Arcega-Whiteside stands at 6’3 225lbs. Big man, huh? Whiteside has a basketball background, which shows when he competes for one on one balls. He is a blessing to watch, shows incredible ball control. Not the fastest guy in the world, but he will be a reliable target to Mr. Stafford for the years to come. 

Round 4/Pick 111: Ross Pierschbacher, IOL, Alabama

Photo from: RollTide.com

Look at this MAN. He is a MAN. Good lord. Look at Tua in the background with his clean jersey, beautiful isn’t it? Part of the reason for his cleanliness is Pierschbacher. Absolute unit, standing at an honest 6’3 304lbs. Animal. This is what I want to see on our line. Somebody who is big and their name I can’t pronounce. Analysis on our man here is that he’s too upright, but I will live with that. He is an Alabama bred offensive lineman, and he will do wonders filling in the hole that was left at our guard position because of the retiring of TJ Lang. 

Round 5/ Pick 146: TJ Edwards, LB, Wisconsin

Tom Mead/InsideThePylon

I had to debate myself between TJ Edwards, Khalil Hodge, and Terrill Hanks here. I would not be upset with any of the three. I go with TJ based on the fact that he is the big tackler that can disrupt the pass game. He is what Hodge lacks in size, and what Hanks lacks in experience. I don’t expect him to be in the starting rotation day one, but look for him in the future to be an instrumental part of the Lions’ linebacker core. 

Round 6/Pick 184: Foster Moreau, TE, LSU

Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Moreau is graded oddly. Some reports express his blocking ability as being his best attribute, others say his receiving ability is his better. I’m torn. Regardless, I think that it’s a good thing to say both. The LSU offense was not that all productive, but Moreau shows promise as being a TE2 coming out of the gate. I’m not certain that he will fall this late, but would be ecstatic if he did. 

Round 6/Pick 204: Karan Higdon, RB, Michigan

Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Little hometown fandom here but don’t get it twisted, Karan Higdon can be that late round player that turns into a productive NFL player. Not the biggest back in the draft, nor the fastest. What Karan is best at his utilizing his blocks and having excellent vision at the line of scrimmage. Early in his career, I think Higdon will be best as a 3rd down back, before transitioning to an early down back. 

Round 7/Pick 224: Demarcus Christmas, IDL, Florida State

Glenn Beil-USA TODAY Sports

Demarcus Christmas fills the need for an extra rotational defensive lineman. The dude is massive. He isn’t your disruptive every down lineman, but he will be the perfect role player that every team needs. Putting him behind Snacks would be an extreme fortune, as he can develop into a potential every down player. As of today, he will be a great 7th round pick up. 

Round 7/Pick 229: Gardner Minshew, QB, Washington State

Washington State sports information

Minshew has developed under one of the greatest minds the sport has to offer being Coach Leach. I don’t suspect him to be our Tom Brady, but having him in our QB room providing the knowledge he learned at Washington State will be a massive help for our stale offense. Also helps to have a young gun in case anything tragic happens. Who knows, maybe Minshaw is the next Brady. I’m okay with that. 

Dilemma in Detroit (Inner Monologue vol.3)

Inner Monologue is how I express my thoughts on a range of issues and topics. Specifically, these pieces will be less analytical and more broad. This is a platform for me to give my two cents on things that are a point of controversy. I will offend, I might be wrong, but I will be honest. My opinions are my own, but I am open to discussion. Enjoy.

What the hell do you want? This Lions organization is nothing better than a losing organization. “We need a coach, we need a quarterback, we need a running game, we need an offensive line, we need a defense, we need this, we need that”. Everyone dreams of being the New England Patriots and guess what, we hired their GM, we hired their coach, we brought in some of their players. This is the Patriot way.

The Patriot way is winning. Nothing less. It’s the simple fact that people are pissed about the way Patricia looks. Who cares? Would him going into a press conference with a full tuxedo give him a better gameplan? Would him shaving his beard make his defense tackle? Would him getting the pencil out of his ear help him review film? Would him turning his hat around help his offensive line block? I don’t understand how these things impact his coaching, because they don’t.

The Patriot way is getting rid of declining players. If they were allowed, they would’ve traded Brady over Garoppolo. 2 more years of declining Tom Brady or 7 years to continue the dynasty with Jimmy G? Now the big deal this week is trading Golden Tate. We traded a 30 year old slot receiver, who is on the decline of his career, who will not be resigned, who is taking away from this offense. Yes, Tate is very good at running a 5 yard slant. Big deal. We received a very valuable asset by giving up a future burden.

Would we be better with Tate this year? Does Tate make this 7 win team to an 8 win team? No, he really doesn’t. Sure, it’s cool seeing him dance into the end zone when we’re down by 30. He was really good the last 3 years, but is he going to get better the next 3 years?

Personally, it’s all or nothing. Super Bowl or high draft pick. This Lions team lost to the 49ers and Jets. It’s sick. Cool, we beat a banged up New England and a banged up Green Bay team, which if you remember, missed 5 field goals that game. This team is not a playoff team. The NFC North is not “wide-open” for us, the Lions simply cannot compete this year. Kerryon Johnson will only get better. Kenny Galloday will get better. Our defense? Hopefully will get better. You can’t compete in this league with an average offense and an average defense. Average gets you 6-8 wins. We have the toughest schedule coming up, and I don’t see how we make it out with 3 wins the next 5 games.

Eat your chicken wings, drink your Bud Light, and just enjoy the growth of the Lions. Understand that the Lions finally know what their doing, and if you wanna complain, next year will be perfect. Give the GM another draft, get Patricia out of his first year, and let’s see how it goes. But complaining about the Tate trade is unacceptable, and complaining about Patricia’s appearance is sorry. Stop complaining and start accepting. Your Lions suck, but it will get better.

Michigan Sports Suck and I’m Mad About It

Maybe suck isn’t the right word. Awful, terrible, sad, horrific, and depressing could all work. You know the old saying of “I’m not mad, just disappointed?” that your parents probably have said to you? Yeah, that no longer applies to Michigan sports teams. I’m pissed. We have no team that can contend. Here’s my rundown specifically:

Lions: How can you lose to Darnold and Dak Prescott, but beat Tom Brady? That makes no damn sense. I’m sure Patricia circled the New England game when he was hired in, and the Lions were phenomenal in that game. What Patricia needs to do is circle every game on the schedule, and maybe we’ll win some ball games. I’m so confused on this Lions team. Run the ball. Rush the quarterback. Tackle Ezekiel Elliot. Just do something meaningful. This Lions team can not win games scoring 21 points. Despicable.

Pistons: Where the hell is our money? Why do we not have a superstar? Why is it a question of whether or not we will contend for a playoff spot in the EAST? For Christ sake, the East is the worst conference this league has ever had and we can’t even get a playoff spot. Our savior Blake Griffin will be making $30M+ the next 70 years. Jon Leur is making $19M the next two years. Reggie Jackson is making $35M the next two years. Are you kidding me? Where is our playmaker? Why can’t they draft quality players? Why isn’t Jimmy Butler in uniform yet? Disgraceful.

Tigers: Nice rebuild. Top 5 pick. Except you won too many games. Also, what happened to our rotation from 4 years ago? Price, Verlander, Scherzer, Porcello, and Sanchez? 4/5 won the Cy Young and we don’t have one of them now. I can honestly say I haven’t watched one of their games this year. Uninterested.

Red Wings: I don’t watch hockey but they didn’t make the playoffs and that’s not good so boo Red Wings. Indifferent.

Wolverines: Here we go. Let’s go ahead and get 5 QB’s, have Speight suck, throw O’Korn out there and suck more, then Peters suck but a little less. Then let’s have McCaffery be our future, with some good freshman coming in, but go out and get Shea Patterson. Then, let’s have Shea only throw to tight ends on out routes for 3 yards each time against Notre Dame to ruin our season. This team has so much talent being wasted. Disgusting.

Spartans: I watched my first Spartans game this weekend in EL. Lewerke is not all that I was expecting him to be. This team is just like the Wolverines, except worse. Expected.

There’s no good in this state. It’s all just junk. I’m sick of it. I wish I could confidently take Michigan -5.5 vs Northwestern but I can’t. I wish I could take the Lions -2.5 vs the Jets but I can’t. I wish I could watch the Tigers but it’s so hard. I wish the Pistons were fun but they’re not. Michigan sports suck.