Another big decision coming is Okudah’s 5th year team option. We gotta make that decision this offseason before he plays year 4. And his injury history might make that a difficult decision. The projected 5th year option for Okudah is $11,323,000.
Let’s say you pick it up and then he gets hurt again in year 4, you’re on the hook for 11 mill the next year. Tough call to me.
I can see the Lions picking up that option but I don’t see the Lions going big in free agency for anyone at this point.
Many here wanted the Lions gto go big at WR but instead Brad gets an injured guy at a discount. High priced fre agent options don’t often work out. If they did the Lions would have won more playoffs games these past 30+ years.
I would argue they rarely work out. Especially for the Lions, haha
Okudah has made his option a no brainer, IMO.
I tend to agree, he’s been great this year, but there is risk involved. Let’s just hope he finishes this season strong and healthy.
This remains a classic thread and I think accurate. The Lions face a 2014/2015 moment right now. We are starting to put together a good ball club. Key decisions are necessary. We HAVE to find a way to keep this club intact while adding critical talent/competition through the draft. Here is how I see our free agents and the order we have to re-sign them:
I am also extending Jonah Jackson NOW. I am sending a message to the team about him.
I am not worried about Evan Brown as much. We have Tommy Kraemer coming back and he is 25 in April. We will need a depth center but I am not spending big $ for that. We also have Vaitai and until we cut Vaitai I see the starting hole as filled until it isn’t. If we cut Vaitai things become interesting.
I am not worried about Alex Anzalone as much BUT…I am concerned with LBer. How do we get better there and not worse? Alex is 29 in April and I think we see his ceiling AND his floor.
I am not worried about kicker as Badgley will re-sign for min. and we can make him earn his spot or he gets beat out.
Give me those five guys and an answer at LBer and I am happy. My LBer answer is FA Devin Bush from the Steelers. The Steelers may lock him down (they declined his 2023 option) and his career has been up and down but he is starting to play good ball and Bush may be interested in leaving Pittsburgh to return to MI where he played college ball. Bush recently said this (and it looks like he is gone from the Steelers):
"Bush tweeted during the wild card playoff round that he’s thinking of playing for a former NFL player who’s now a head coach. "
Bush leaving Pitt.?
Keep this group together and add talent through the draft, esp. to the secondary and DL and the Lions could be poised to be serious winners for the first time in a long time.
Do you know a Lions scout or something?
I’d be fine with bringing in Devin Bush if he pinky swore with Brad and promised to quit sucking at football.
Yes. 3 scouts actually. 2 for other nfl teams. Last year I push back when I said I had heard Malik Willis was graded as a 3rd round pick.
Interesting. Where is the line of what they can share and what they can’t? Or does that depend on time of year?
It’s more generalized……the closer to the draft it becomes less and less. The Malik talk was he is a 3rd in a group txt in November before the draft. It’s more about philosophies and pointing to different players as an example that would fit.
Miller was from a buddy of mine in the media. That was more direct and to the point. That was also found on twitter and shared bc people thought 6 trips to Florida meant ar15 was coming to Detroit and he tweeted thst they also liked Torrance and miller a lot……
Devin’s career has been crazy. Very good for a rookie then serious injury year two. Year three bad as he recovered (a lot like Okudah in 2022).
In year four (2022) Devin had great games and then bad games. Much like Anzalone except Devin is roughly four years younger than Alex.
Once Devin starts to trust himself again I think he will return to form and to me this is a gamble worth taking. Much like Chark in 2022.
I saw that note about the 6 trips to Gainesville by early Novemeber or so. Personally I don’t think you do that to see a solid, now 24 year old mid to late round off ball LBer prospect. You do that to do a deep dive on the QB formerly known as AR15. Though as @Mr.Peabody brought up the scouts might just really like a Gainesville titty bar or something.
OR…they might really also like DT Gervon Dexter Jr. (PFF ranks Gervon at #62 OA) and also that LBer (Ventrell Miller) who PFF has as their #191 ranked player. PFF is just one source of course.
In the draft the top of the board is a BIG decision. Go DT (Catret/Bresee) andthe DL is set. Go CB and we can have viable CB depth, ESP. if we combine our 1st rd. pick on Brian Branch.
Look at a draft like this IF we love Gervon for example:
We can add talent to the DL, remake the secondary and then grab offensive talent later (like at RB or C/G) and meanwhile folks think we love that QB maybe helping to create a trade down opportunity.
Doubtful. That frequency of looks strongly indicates that they were evaluating a QB.
Given AR’s up and down season that many looks may have been justified. Also keep in mind that those trips were before Goff had his late season ascension.
I don’t think we go QB high but if we do he makes the kost sense IMO. Sit him one or two years and have him learn. Bolster our short yardage game in the meanwhile with him as a Taysom Hill type.
Again, that’s not my prediction but out of the QB scenarios that’s the most likely IMO.
I think the Gators played alot of interesting teams with alot of possible prospects. So going to Florida games was a good use of time to evaluate those players against a control group (Florida Gators). I am not sold on the idea that it was all about a QB. However, I do think it would be odd if we spent that much time at Gators games and don’t take a single Gator this year. Or at least seriously consider it.
That could be. I just don’t buy that frequency of visits for a good but not great off ball LBer.
Look at the Gators roster and the opponents they played. It is a treasure trove of NFL prospects.
Agree… and… they might also be choosing to send scouts a team that gives them a good look at many players… from top SEC teams….
while feigning interest in a QB to throw up a smokescreen.
I actually don’t love Florida’s roster. Dan Mullen was good schematically on offense but was a meh recruiter. I think Napier will change that over time. You are right about opponents though.
There could be a human element at work. Like some scout’s parents live in the Villages and is ill and he was able to do a lot of his work nearby. Just pulled that out of my ass of course. Point being that the frequency of visits could of course mean a bunch of things.