No.
“The best ability is availability.” --Jim Schwartz
6 Likes
I don’t think Davenport brings anything more than a 2nd day draftee brings at a fraction of the price.
If we are going to spend on a FA, I’d rather it be someone that is a true difference maker. Other than that I’d go the draft route.
3 Likes
Absolutely not. It was a gamble last year and it failed. No way would I bring him back. Unfortunately, he’s just made of paper mache’
1 Like
I’d do it again. He can be a big time player if he’s healthy and he won’t cost much. I wouldn’t plan for him to be the main guy opposite Hutch but if he’s the number 3 or 4 guy then it’s all upside.
3 Likes
If it’s not for 10 million, and something closer to 4ish, definitely.
Agree let someone else pay him and take the risk.
Id prefer not to sign DJ Chark, Emmanuel Moseley, or Marcus Davenport anymore.
I’d much rather prefer Evan Brown, NT, Jourdan Lewis NB, and Fuller CB
Just solid veteran role players.
If we are gonna make a splash, go for the DPOY edge trade if possible
Otherwise play the comp pick, cap space game in free agency
4 Likes
Unfortunately, he’s never healthy. That money can be put to better use.
2 Likes
Very well put.
I’ve definitely wasted more keystrokes that anyone else in here saying different versions of just that sentiment sir.
We currently have-
Hutch, McNeill, Joseph, Campbell, Branch, Arnold on defense… and Goff, Ra, Laporta, Jamo, Decker, Ragnow, Glasgow, Sewell, Gibby, and Monty as foundational pieces on offense.
By foundational pieces we talking reliable in ability, production and culture, and under team control for at least 2 years. That’s 16 including two RBs- so really 15 starters!!!
That is STAGGERINGLY good work by Holmes in short order-
Then you have Anzalone, Reader, Robertson, Z Smith and Leaf as starters in the final year of their deals… that’s another 4 starters from offense or D, and one ST starter.
Out of that entire list I think most would agree that… GG, Robertson, Lead, Reader, and maybe Z Smith aren’t ideal 700 plus snap starters, and most won’t be back after 25’.
So starting CB, DT, WR, and OG are absolutely necessary in 2025 and DE, LB, NB, NT, and S are necessary in 26’
The one place we are pretty weak is young depth. Guys like Hooker, Manu, Vaki, Sorsdal, Green, Paschal, BroMart, Wingo, Rake, etc haven’t proven we could ever count on them. I’m well aware that a few mid to late round misses is absolutely acceptable, expected, and bound to happen…
—- this above topic is where other posters and I don’t seem to connect. I’m not upset or disappointed by where we are, or how we got here… I LOVE IT, AND IM GRATEFUL FOR IT… doesn’t change the wise open opportunity to fix it though?
2 Likes
Davenport is a reliable backup, he’s not good enough to start over Smith, and he’s not a part of the future. I guess if he wanted to accept a 3 year 5.5M deal with 2M guaranteed I’d consider… but he won’t
2 Likes
It would be a vet min contract at this point. Even if he’s only available for six games, then for $1 million I think that’s a good price given the level he can hit when he is on the field.
If the choice is 17 games of O’Connor or 6 games of Davenport for the same cost I’m going for the Davenport option.
2 Likes
Trying to parse this and I’m not sure what you mean by “ever count on them”.
Wingo looked good, he’ll be a player when he gets healthy. Injuries happen, in the NFL like no other sport.
Rake? Well, CB is one of the toughest jobs to get down in the NFL as a rook. He too was injured. He will probably be fine and take the next step in his trajectory next year. Or, he could become another Moseley, but to say “ever” about him is not fair at all to the kid.
Manu? Last word is he’s taken a big step forward. Can he be counted on for depth in '25? Remains to be seen. But ever? Hmmm.
Vaki is who he is. Right now that’s RB4 in a loaded room. Wouldn’t say he couldn’t ever be counted on.
Hooker is a special case. Can he take a step forward as a backup in '25? Maybe. Certainly would not say he could never ever.
Paschal just needs to stay healthy. He can be counted on if he is.
Now here we get to agreement. I don’t think we can count on Bromart or Green ever. Would love to be wrong but those guys really haven’t shown they belong yet. I might say we won’t ever see it. Would love to be wrong.
1 Like
No. Fool me once.
1 Like
We’ve got a good mix of the young core foundational pieces, veterans, and developmental guys.
Of these 9
Hooker, Manu, Vaki, Sorsdal, Green, Paschal, BroMart, Wingo, Rake
If half pan out we are gravy baby.
Hooker, Manu, Vaki, Wingo, Rake.
I have faith for those 5.
I think Sorsdal could be a swing depth OL soon.
I think Bromart looks like a bad pick. Wasted 3 darts.
I think Green was solid but Injury could cut his career short.
I think Paschal is just a body.
AQM looked better. Houston flashed more and he’s cut. Levi/Wingo DTs played the run just as well as him.
Barnes
Iffy
Levi
Those are the fringe type guys we will/could lose going forward as it’s going to be difficult to pay them starter money but free agency they could get paid like that.
Replace them with solid vets
Evan Brown
Jourdan Lewis
Kendall Fuller
NT
And get the comp picks in 2026
Plus the cap savings now.
Smart money IMO
We will lose young talents like them, Jonah etc…
But we get to draft well again and veterans wanna be here now
2026 we could be loaded
1,2,3,3, 4,4,4,5,5,6,7,7
5 extra picks from AG and fringe guys lost to UFA
2 Likes
@CuriousHusker this allows us to finally be THAT team where we can ship 2026 draft picks for better picks in 2027.
For instance NE got a 5th and future 3rd for a late 3
We have a 5 and future 4 (2nd pick in round) for Barnes mid 4th
Lions have traded future 3rds for 4th for guys like Deshawn Hand, Manu etc
We traded future 4 for Tahir Whitehead round 5
Future 4 and 5 for Vaki
Would love to do something like that and get more picks in that loaded 2027 draft.
Good way to start stockpiling darts to keep the roster flowing with all these big contracts we are handing out
I’m ought to order a Lions Jersey with Trade Back on the name plate. What number should it be?
Can’t go wrong with
Trade Back
1
This staff develops players. Barnes, Iffy, Levi, Jamo were all in the same position after one year and developed into starting caliber players. It’s way too soon to write any of these guys off.
1 Like
Hmm…I think he defines UNreliable. He’s always hurt. How is that reliable?
This is an easy yes.
I’m more willing to sign Davenport this year than I was last year.
Last year Davenport was an injury prone player signed for $6.5M and counted on to start at DE opposite Hutch.
This year Davenport is an injury prone player that has shown in practice and in games that he is a perfect fit for this defense across from Hutch.
But he will not be counted on to start and will have a non-guaranteed contract maybe slightly more than the vet minimum.
Davenport will cost the same as AQ Muhammad or Kyle Peko with a much bigger upside.
If he gets hurt or isn’t effective he is cut without hurting at all.
But if he stays healthy and performs like he was at the beginning of last season you have Hutch, Za, Davenport, Paschal, and a high end rookie and the Edge position has production and tremendous depth.
1 Like
I appreciate the way you’ve approached this reply. It’s caused me to re-read my post, and consider that maybe my posts don’t always read the way I intend them too?
I’m not suggesting they won’t ever be good, or even solid depth one day. I’m saying right now I don’t feel okay as Rake being our CB2-3 next year for a SB run. I don’t feel great about Vaki being our RB3 or Manu our swing OT in 2025, and I’m not sure how anyone else could either.
Even Bro Mart and Wingo at DT…. One has be inactive 90% of his potential snaps for 2 years and the other is coming off a late season ACL and has a 51 rating on 177 snaps with no sacks and 5 pressures.
I’m a Wingo fan mind you. Vaki and Rake too, and intrigued as can be by Manu’s potential.
I just think we need guys like BJ Hill, SDJ, K Fuller, Hobbs, Dodson, etc around to take snaps until we KNOW those guys are viable is all.
Having unproven mid round to late round rookies behind guys ready and able to eat 500 plus snaps? Great!!! Guys like Moseley, Davenport, Chark etc in addition place for a year or two of development is dicey.
2 Likes