Alim is the one that I think may price himself out of a re-upping.
Most top of the market deals are really 3 years or have an out after 3.
Branch and Sam will still be on their rookie deals by then
Alim is great, but if we could upgrade with Chris Jones or Madibuike, I donāt think we can pass that opportunity up.
Alim is a 3rd round pick, I offer him an extension thatās good money but not top of the market.
As much as I hate the Pack they always paid their own 1st, took the injury risk on themselves but they usually their guys below market because the signed early.
I am a HUGE advocate of signing our own guys back first. Send that message of reward to the locker room.
BUTā¦if we are dreaming about free agents the #1 on ALL our lists should be Bears FA CB Jaylon Johnson. Take talent from the Bears and add that 25 year old player to our roster. I expect the Bears to use their ample free agent dollars on locking him down. In fact they might tag him which would be silly but whatever.
This Lions team will not turn a corner with free agents. BUTā¦one high priced guy MIGHT be in the cards like Sutton was in the cards last season.
I think DE/rusher can be met with growth by James Houston and the draft. To me CB HAS to get better. Frankly I LOVER Vildor as a #4 CB. Depth. He just turned 26 in December and he will be a value guy. Depth and special teams. Sutton will be better as a #2. We need a #1 CB. Yep, MAYBE the draft can help there. Iād rather get better in the secondary through free agency.
I let Ceedy go. I target dollars at CB. I also use the draft for a CB that can contribute in 2023 meaning 1st or 2nd rd. pick. The Lions window is open NOW and we CANNOT do what we did again with our secondary.
The 20233 Lions were 29th in passing yards allowed. 29th. 10th in comp. % allowed and that is pretty good. 31st in average passing yards allowed. 27th in passing TDs allowed. Bad. Very, very bad.
We talking about the DL and the secondary playing complimentary football. Well, we hurt the DL in a very bad way with the inability to cover. Spend the $ on a CB AND see if we can also draft a guy who can help.
A #1 free agent CB, Sutton, a rooke, Vildor and Gilmor with Branch, Iffy, Kerby and maybe Tracy Walker back at a reduced salary (veteran) with a young guy also playing a role works for my $.
100% agree. I expect to see a much more aggressive approach knowing we have a chance to win now.
Agree with most of this except approach to DE.
This type of thinking on a DE scares me. It was prevalent last year as well. We cannot be counting on guys upfront just to grow into stars. The reality is that Hutch and McNeil are the only two difference makers consistently upfront. If we are simply counting on growth of the others we will enjoy another year of an invisible pass rush that will require the worlds best secondary to cover routes that long and will likely still fail.
Needs to be a balance of draft investments, FA signings and growth. The defense needs studs. Not guys who we are expecting to play above a level that they have ever demonstrated before.
Yep, you are right. Except I am factoring in Hames Houston as someone who will help Hutch in a major way.
Draft picks are limited and we can only add so many players. We have serious needs at CB, DE and OL interior. We also simply have to play BOP and picking that late is tough. We also have Iffy who is a hell of a blitzer as a safety. Iffy impressed me in a big, big way.
We have ZERO guys at CB who can help Sutton. And Cam had a ROUGH 2nd half (my guess is he is injured). We cannot allow WR to get 175+ yards against us game after game.
I grab BPA but I am looking OL, CB and DE but in no order.
The Lions need to secure the core first. If there is $ left overā¦I want a CB as a free agent.
One thing to remember guys is that Goff and ARSB are extensions, not brand new contracts. Meaning - if I understand it correctly - we donāt even have to worry about those extensions until their originals run out. So spend some money this off-season!
Can always back load contracts as well.
My only worrisome thoughts are about frank at center
He is a beast and smart but still only humanā¦
his body will only worsen imho and sometime soon we need to find his replacement
Are there any decent centers out there?
No way does Frank not run it back. Now maybe itās just one more but Iād be shocked if heās not taking at least one more crack at the whole enchilada.
Sneed would be great, but too $$$, I bet.
One of those top 11 defenders has to be signed. 2 would be amazing, or 1 and then a guy diwn in the 20s
Alim has been our best player on defense for the last 2 years and he needs paid. St Brown needs paid on offense. We can wait a bit on Sewell but we pick up his option. Goff is still under contract and we can still use 2 franchise tags if necessary. Alim and Saint should be extended and paid well just to show we do take care of our own. There will still be cap room to do other things but take care of these guys first.
Justin Madubuike
Josh Uche
Steven Nelson
Draft some studs!
Yeah this is a bad out look, the pass rush and good coverage goes hand and hand, the pass rush can help all the DBs trying to just get a #1 helps only 1 spot, and if the pass rush fails and is not there you can have a star CB and he can still struggle with out a pass rush.
To me these 2 go together, we want to get better at CB and the pass rush.
The best CBs in the league canāt stop this with out a pass rush.
With Chris Jones likely gone, i think Chiefs are gonna resign Sneed, or tag him atleast
Madubike is one to look at for sure, Ravens would want him back, one of the few FA pieces where i wouldnt mind throwing some money at, but idk if his stats were due to how good the Ravens D was (#1 in the league), and not just from him in general.
Clowney wouldnt be bad, but considering him just wanting sacks and money, bro is not of the MCDC mentality
Big fish maybe to get is Christian Wilkins, but idk how he would fit on the line tbh
If we have a stud CB#1 we can always help with safetyās on CB#2. We need to tighten up the secondary more than anywhere else. With the league blantly allowing holding in todayās NFL, its going to fall on DBās. Just the facts.