The following is a summary from Justin Rogers, DetNews, with my comments if anybody wants to discuss it.
*1. The Lions are getting almost no interior pressure. Missing Hand hurts, but they should further look to address the issue next offseason.
This is perhaps the biggest problem the Lions have on that side of the ball. Daniels was supposed to help too, but obviously didn’t due to foot injuries and whatever he has now. Harrison and Robinson are not penetrators, and I personally think Robinson wants out of Detroit and won’t be back next year. So, IMHO they need help here, priority 1.
*2. The edge pressure isn’t great, but it’s been adequate since Flowers has hit his stride. The team could use another contributor in the rotation. We’ll see if rookie Austin Bryant can be that solution.
Who knows what they have in Bryant, and we ain’t going to really know until he acclimates to the NFL after getting some PT under his belt. Pass rushers are hard to get in FA, and rookies take time to develop, so to me this screams ‘scheme innovations’. The Lions have to get pressure somehow, inside and outside.
*3. The linebacker play remains average. The unit has been effective in run support as of late, but inspire little confidence in coverage.
They need to find better coverage LBs or maybe big Safeties. Part of the problem lies in the lack of a pass rush, which exposes this weakness. I believe a good pass rush alleviates this issue somewhat.`
*4. The cornerback play has been dismal. Rashaan Melvin can’t consistently cover non-vertical routes, Justin Coleman looks far worse when his punch-out is ineffective, and even Darius Slay is playing a level below what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing.
Which is where Oruwariye comes in next year. I don’t know if Ford is an answer, he hasn’t really impressed on defense. Slay has one year left on his contract, who knows if he gets traded. Yet another area where a good pass rush helps alleviates this problem too.
5. Without Tracy Walker, the safeties aren’t good enough. Will Harris needs more seasoning and Tavon Wilson’s contributions are limited to the box.
A good FA Safety would probably be a good idea. No sure another rookie is the answer.
