2014 Lions Top 10 Questions

[inkfreq]

His cap hit is like 5.3 million this year, but that doesn't mean we cut him next year just because his cap hit is lower.

And why should anyone care what we give up in picks? If you stay at #10 you are probably taking either Barr (a lot of people think he's not a fit for a 4-3), Gilbert (I've already explained why he wouldn't get playing time), or Lewan (which we don't need at all).

Why not package some picks and move up if you think Watkins is the guy? Would you rather have an elite prospect, or a good one and a second rounder?

Don't get me wrong, I am not a big fan of trading up either. But if Mayhew thinks Watkins is the guy he needs, go get him. I'd rather roll the dice and shit the bed than do nothing.... and still shit the bed.

 

[mhughes0021]

Disagree completely. I could put together this same list for any team in the NFL, and it would be pretty close to the same length, depending on how wordy I like to get.

Every team in football has a minimum of 10 questions headed into next season. Some very pressing, some not so pressing.

This list for example... is it really critical that Mikel Leshoure do anything at all next season? He could be cut before the beginning of the year, and none of us would miss him. But if he steps up under the new coaches, it could be damned nice.

Or Ryan Broyles. I doubt he does anything to help. If he's healthy though, our need for a WR is greatly reduced. If not, we have a need for one. But are we really sure Jeremy Ross couldn't be that receiver? Or Kris Durham?

Just questions man, based on where we stand right now. But every team has them.

I disagree. sure every team has 10 questions. But these include 10 questions about our starting qb, both corners, 1st round dt, starting kicker, staring s, starting rt, starting starting starting starting starting etc etc etc, Then, the 2 questions you put that didn't have to do with starters are in regards to two rd 2 injury plagued wastes....nice job mayhew!

not to mention you didn't even get into the REAL problems of this team:

We have 2 brand new spanking new coordinators that never ran an offense or defense before at the nfl level. That's a complete a unknown and a major question if you ask me.

We have zero depth so as soon as a couple of those guys you mentioned gets a boo boo....we have the likes of carey and durham back on the field. YAYYY!

 

[Mitchrapp]

Houston is here, for better or worse, for a few more years. Slay was just drafted.

Why would the Lions feel they must have a corner this year or next?

Because everyone says it takes 3 years..and if you wait for 3 years then people say he'd be useless for awhile.

I don't really get it but you have to take one eventually. Don't you?

 

[mhughes0021]

Because everyone says it takes 3 years..and if you wait for 3 years then people say he'd be useless for awhile.

I don't really get it but you have to take one eventually. Don't you?

I don't know what ur talking about. we haven't started a high round draft pick at corner since Bryant westbrook and terry fair....and look how good weve been! Most talent in the NFL.... draft is overated....duh....

 

[Mitchrapp]

I don't know what ur talking about. we haven't started a high round draft pick at corner since Bryant westbrook and terry fair....and look how good weve been! Most talent in the NFL.... draft is overated....duh....

For a moment I thought you were serious, I had to double take to make sure you weren't LKP/Slick..

 

[michiganalex]

His cap hit is like 5.3 million this year, but that doesn't mean we cut him next year just because his cap hit is lower.

And why should anyone care what we give up in picks? If you stay at #10 you are probably taking either Barr (a lot of people think he's not a fit for a 4-3), Gilbert (I've already explained why he wouldn't get playing time), or Lewan (which we don't need at all).

Why not package some picks and move up if you think Watkins is the guy? Would you rather have an elite prospect, or a good one and a second rounder?

Don't get me wrong, I am not a big fan of trading up either. But if Mayhew thinks Watkins is the guy he needs, go get him. I'd rather roll the dice and shit the bed than do nothing.... and still shit the bed.

ink- that's what i've been saying about houston. i thought u were referring to somethign else about houston.

 

[tomdalton22]

To be clear though, I think they are already working on a trade scenario. I think Watkins is absolutely the pick.

We went into the off-season with a few needs. CB and S were immediate needs.

We had a few desires as well. LB, C, and WR. Those were not, contrary to popular belief, needs. We wanted upgrades, but we had warm bodies under contract to fill the position.

We handled a desire right off the bat with Golden Tate. We filled a need with James Ihedigbo.

We have filled the CB need with Cassius Vaughn and resigning Rasheen Mathis.

Round 1 we're not looking at C, and we don't have room for another CB on the roster. Safety could still be a position we want to upgrade, but I don't think so. Austin seems to expect Ihedigbo to be a leader, and it's hard to to that from the bench.

So the logical place to look is WR, since that's the place we really needed more than one. The infatuation with Watkins is obvious. They've done everything but get him a hummer from Glover's GF.

With few needs, and many desires, you can afford to move around a bit, especially if you leverage future picks.

I see them moving up and taking Watkins. We're going to get fleeced in the deal, and we should be for how obvious we've made the scenario, but the Lions will outbid anyone right now to get their guy.

If CB and safety were immediate needs they certainly didn't address the CB need. All they did is sign more bandaids. Effectively, they have exactly what they had last year except they replaced Delmas (hopefully an upgrade there)

If you call Safety a need then WR was also a need since they lost Nate. They filled that need with Tate.

You missed the biggest need on this team and that is quality depth. By giving up the farm to move up to take a luxury pick in Watkins the team is not addressing their biggest need.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

I disagree. sure every team has 10 questions. But these include 10 questions about our starting qb, both corners, 1st round dt, starting kicker, staring s, starting rt, starting starting starting starting starting etc etc etc, Then, the 2 questions you put that didn't have to do with starters are in regards to two rd 2 injury plagued wastes....nice job mayhew!

not to mention you didn't even get into the REAL problems of this team:

We have 2 brand new spanking new coordinators that never ran an offense or defense before at the nfl level. That's a complete a unknown and a major question if you ask me.

We have zero depth so as soon as a couple of those guys you mentioned gets a boo boo....we have the likes of carey and durham back on the field. YAYYY!

You could make an extremely similar list for every other team except Seattle. Starters included. Fuck.....SF's list would include their QB, head coach, bat shit crazy DE, safety, WR, ILB, OLB....ect.... And that team was one underthrown pass from the Super Bowl last year.

It happens.

Regardless of if you want to believe it or now, this team has playoff talent. No LKP, not Super Bowl talent, but talent enough to win a playoff game. No matter how much you whine like a little girl about Mayhew.....he took a minor league team to the playoffs in 3 years. That's something a top level GM would have trouble doing. Now he needs to get them to a more consistent level. He hasn't been perfect, but he's been pretty good.

That said. This team is pretty thin at some areas. I would use this draft to shore up depth, cheap depth. He needs to have another good draft. Like hitting on 4 of the first 5 picks good. Trading multiple picks for Watkins would be a bad move IMO.

 

[boogerlovejoy]

the defense had pieces but scheme was an issue.

This.

The defensive scheme we ran last year was TERRIBLE. I think this defense will be much better this year with a new look scheme even if we don't add anyone to it. Hopefully Austin is true to his word and is more aggressive with blitz packages.

In todays NFL good defenses force the issue and make the offense adjust to them. Last year we just stood around waiting to see what the offense did and then tried to react.

Stupid fuckin Gunther.

 

[michiganalex]

you wanna fuck gunther????? sick

 

[inkfreq]

For a moment I thought you were serious, I had to double take to make sure you weren't LKP/Slick..

Yes, at some point you have to pull the trigger and draft young CBs. Also, at some point, you have to let those young CBs develop.

We've drafted an entire secondary worth of young CBs the last few years. You don't do that and then keep doing it, pushing those guys further back.

It's pretty much why most teams prefer to sign veteran backups, and draft young guys when they need to rebuild the secondary. The vets can play, the young guys can learn, and there is a smooth transition, although it often means elite QBs hand you your ass on a plate every Sunday for a while.

At this point we need to let the young guys grow, not stunt them further with yet another early pick who will be expected to start immediately. In two years, we can look at drafting a young stud early, and letting him learn from our vets like Green and Slay while Houston walks away.

The draft is never about this year, it's about managing this season and future seasons.

 

[michiganalex]

i agree a bit with u ink. thats y i changed my mock. now going after Barr with the #10 pick

 

[Mitchrapp]

Yes, at some point you have to pull the trigger and draft young CBs. Also, at some point, you have to let those young CBs develop.

We've drafted an entire secondary worth of young CBs the last few years. You don't do that and then keep doing it, pushing those guys further back.

It's pretty much why most teams prefer to sign veteran backups, and draft young guys when they need to rebuild the secondary. The vets can play, the young guys can learn, and there is a smooth transition, although it often means elite QBs hand you your ass on a plate every Sunday for a while.

At this point we need to let the young guys grow, not stunt them further with yet another early pick who will be expected to start immediately. In two years, we can look at drafting a young stud early, and letting him learn from our vets like Green and Slay while Houston walks away.

The draft is never about this year, it's about managing this season and future seasons.

I get that. But of the guys we did draft, I see Slay as potential starter, Bentley in the Nickel with Green as depth.

Another potential starter would be nice, he can be depth for the first year or two.

 

[inkfreq]

I get that. But of the guys we did draft, I see Slay as potential starter, Bentley in the Nickel with Green as depth.

Another potential starter would be nice, he can be depth for the first year or two.

Unless they cut Cassius Vaughn, which I highly doubt, I am not seeing room on the roster for another CB.

Houston/Slay will start. Mathis/Vaughn are the backups. Bentley in the nickel. Green is depth.

Six is a normal for a lot of teams to carry, and if for some reason we elect to keep a seventh, we have Greenwood.

So unless we cut Vaughn, our CB roster is more than full at the moment.

As for the guys we actually drafted, I agree with your assessment completely. Thats where I see them falling in too.

 

[mhughes0021]

Unless they cut Cassius Vaughn, which I highly doubt, I am not seeing room on the roster for another CB.

Houston/Slay will start. Mathis/Vaughn are the backups. Bentley in the nickel. Green is depth.

Six is a normal for a lot of teams to carry, and if for some reason we elect to keep a seventh, we have Greenwood.

So unless we cut Vaughn, our CB roster is more than full at the moment.

As for the guys we actually drafted, I agree with your assessment completely. Thats where I see them falling in too.

rd 2 and later corners become worthless more often that not. The Richard shermans of the world happen once a century. Weve been piling crap onop of crap for years at the cb position. Slay is the only one on the roster with a future and that's just being hopefull,,,,hes still in the developmental phase coming off a shaky rookie campaign.

 

[michiganalex]

doesn't a lot of it depend on the system they are in? i mean, lets say, Detroit drafted Revis year ago. would he still be the great player with us that he started to be in NY?

 

[mhughes0021]

doesn't a lot of it depend on the system they are in? i mean, lets say, Detroit drafted Revis year ago. would he still be the great player with us that he started to be in NY?

he wasn't a "system" cb. He wasn't called "revis island" for nothing. They put him on an island all the time 1 v 1 and he was very successful. That doesn't have much to do with the system youre in....more to do with skill and technique.