I’ve shared this data before, but since Dan has given this quote to Meinke, I figured it was worth highlighting again:
“The best way to build a consistent winner is, man, you get draft capital and you draft players and those players are your core. And when those players get good, in four years, we sign those guys back. And then they are your core, because they’re your own.”
The data:
Below are the # of draft picks for each NFC that just completed their 4th+ season with that team.
| Team |
Starters |
Total |
| Saints |
10 |
16 |
| Rams |
9 |
10 |
| Packers |
8 |
9 |
| Seahawks |
8 |
10 |
| Eagles |
7 |
9 |
| Falcons |
7 |
9 |
| Vikes |
7 |
7 |
| Bucs |
6 |
7 |
| Cardinals |
6 |
6 |
| Cowboys |
6 |
12 |
| WFT |
5 |
8 |
| Bears |
4 |
8 |
| Giants |
4 |
4 |
| Niners |
3 |
8 |
| Panthers |
3 |
7 |
| Lions |
2 |
8 |
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I’m actually excited for you guys with Brad Holmes. Snead is our GM so I don’t know too much of who has input on what but the Rams have drafted pretty well considering we have not had many 1st round picks in a while. We have done well in the 3rd - 6th rounds. Cooper Kupp, John Johnson, Jordan Fuller, etc.
I also wonder who you are going to bring in as FAs. Snead also loves to trade away picks for a proven player (Brandin Cooks, Jalen Ramsey, Stafford, etc.). I wonder if Brad will too.
Very interesting @LineBusy! It makes sense on many levels: contracts, culture and cohesion.
Do you have the AFC? My guess would be Ravens (1), Steelers (2).
I didn’t put the whole AFC together, but I bet you’re right. I expected KC to be up there as well.
Steelers have 10 starters of their 13 total. No surprise.
Ravens have 5 starters of their 9 total. 
KC has 6 starters of their 7 total.
Using them as a benchmark, it’s shocking to see how effective New Orleans and LA has been.
Yeah, I am, too. When you look at the time period, we’re talking about a period that spans multiple coaches, which suggests either the players or the schemes are flexible enough to endure. Notice where Detroit is, too. Dead stinking last. That’s a shared failure of both Quinn and Mayhew.
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Really good stuff @LineBusy…appreciate the effort.
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We’ve had so much information input over the last few weeks that it’s been hard to keep up with it all. But there was one detail that the franchise changed and it could have a SIGNIFICANT impact on our current and future roster structure. Disner is taking over more operational duties leaving Brad Holmes to focus on player scouting and development. We’ve never had this structure before in our front office. I think devoting more time to a specific task can only improve the outcome. Question is can Brad Holmes use this time effectively?
LINK
Wood confirmed reports that Disner, a returning executive, would have additional tasks concerning football operations and administrational responsibilities. Disner is known for his work managing the salary cap over his two years in Detroit, which could come in handy with an uncertain offseason ahead. The NFL’s salary cap could fall to about $180 million after the pandemic-altered season, leaving the team with far less wiggle room than expected.
This move lets Holmes focus on his strengths heading into his first offseason running the show – scouting the draft and identifying fits for the roster. It’s worth noting this structure is similar to the one used in Los Angeles, where Holmes just finished eight seasons leading the Rams’ college scouting department.
Wood said these moves grant Holmes and the team’s next coach more time to “focus on player acquisition, development and building a great team and roster for the Detroit Lions.”
“Brad and our new head coach will be collaborating on the 53-man roster,” Wood said. “They’re each going to have input. As we’ve talked about, we want a culture where everybody is working together. I think that will work fine once we have our new head coach in place. Mike (Disner) will be doing all the things he has been doing, just picking up some of the in-house football administration stuff so Brad can focus on finding players