great piece. Risdon makes a lot of good points.
Lots of good points, but I don’t entirely agree w/it.
If they get RB position right, who cares how? Our RB stable looks better than it has since Barry. Let’s say Swift is what I think he is. While I don’t trust KJ & Bo’s health. What if KJ and Swift stay healthy? How does Quinn look then.
I mean, and I’m sorry if this is defending BQ, cause I’m fed up with him too…
But he didn’t know he’d be able to snatch up Adrian Peterson 2 days before the season started. I don’t mind the quantity approach at RB if you’re not sure you have a star. Sure you gotta cut some 5th round picks. Meh.
The point is that you can get what any Lions RB has given for the past how many years by getting retreads like A.P. By spending no higher than a 5th round pick.
The Lions suck because the 1st and 2nd round picks that should be the framework of the team under Quinn are a combination of bad players, odd overreaches at less vital positions, and a couple of decent players.
This is a shit article. This board has talked about this topic many times before. Many top RBs are taken in early rounds. Matt Stafford needs a RB threat on the field every play. Swift isn’t the 3rd RB…he has been injured and is being brought along slowly in a weird off-season due to Covid.
Quinn was right to cut the two RBs he cut as they were not the next great running back available. Kerryon Johnson rightfully was called out last week for a HUGE block and he ran a great pick play that led to a TD V. the Cards. Swift is one catch away from being the talk of the town if we win that Bears game.
Peterson was a welcome addition to a stable that featured injured Bo Scarbrough and an injured Swift.
There are question marks about Kerryon Johnson and Quinn used a pick on a guy who was seen as a value pick in rd. 2 (Swift). I have no issue with that at all.
This same “fan” argument (you can get a starter there later so don’t invest that high of a draft pick there) has been made on this board about QB, RB, WR, OT and so on. And Quinn has found solid football players in rd. 3 getting Golladay (a pick this board hated) and safety Tracy Walker (a pick this board hated).
We just need to calm down and see what we have in these young RBs before we proclaim them bad picks and that Quinn hasn’t learned his lesson at RB.
Agree, this is a little bit of revisionist history. The Lions drafted Swift, when Kerryon and Scarborough were the only 2 decent RB’s on the roster. I don’t consider Johnson a decent RB. Kerryon is constantly hurt, and Scarborogh hasn’t been healthy either. We are one small injury away from no RB. Remember back when Mayhew refused to sign/draft another RB because Best was coming back? How did that work out?
RB’s are something you can never have enough of. I think the writer is overstating how good Scarborough was for the Lions. He didn’t play badly, but the Lions want a top 10 running game. You don’t get that with guys like Scarborough and Ty Johnson. You can with guys like Peterson, Swift and Kerryon Johnson.
Quinn has MANY missteps to his resume. The RB stable game is not one of them, in my eyes.
Feeling are not facts but man I feel Bo is going to be a good rb for us; not great nor (but it would be nice!) the next Priste Holmes
Washington running back situation is a mess and for them to cut AP is telling imo.
The running game will be predicated on the oline and not the backs. Can these guys consistently run block is the question?
Personally I don’t really love Risdon’s take. I rarely do to be honest. I wasn’t a big KJ fan. I was all about Rashaad Penny (whoops) who apparently BQ loved. I liked Swift but preferred Taylor and Dobbins.
But until we block like an elite running team we’re going to need some juice at the position so I get the need to spend high round draft capital.
The Mostert and AD analogies are silly. We don’t have San Francisco’s coaching or run blocking scheme and Peterson is 35 y/o. It’s silly to act as though either would be sure fire. Plus Mostert wasn’t exactly available. We’d have to find the Mostert type first.
If Washington were a model organization that made a ton of the right moves, it would be more telling.
GB cutting Daniels (coming off of an injury) could be seen as a warning sign that we could have watched out for.
An organization like The Football Team cutting a guy who put up 900 yards last year, I’m not so sure is as telling.
Bevell makes the OL a ton better than they actually are. He’ll get Swift in the open field, and with the return of Golliday, we will be less predictable, with the run and screen games more open.
I have very little faith in the D, but I have faith in the Offense’s ability to move that damn football.
But his 4.9 YPC average so far this year is not telling?