If not Golladay.... who? Really who?

The War Room Detroit Lions — The Den
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I like playing off-season GM simulator as much as anyone, but in the real world we should sign Kenny Golladay period!

Allen Robinson isn’t coming here than Golladay would stay for, not a chance. Neither is Juju, nor would I prefer him. I’ve had enough of his dancing and nonsense. I doubt Chris a Godwin comes available, but if he does, he ain’t coming here cheap either.

So by letting a top 12-14 WR walk, we guarantee the worst WR corps in league history…

Then what? Sign Corey Davis for 15M per year? That’s what Landry and Watkins got 3 years ago. Wouldn’t they feel just like letting a homegrown Glasgow walk, and paying a lesser player almost exactly the same money Glasgow got?

Or pigeon hole ourselves into drafting his replacement at #7 in Chase or Smith?

Doesn’t letting Golladay go, and signing Corey David then drafting D Smith feel a bit like letting Slay go, then signing Trufant and drafting okudah?

I would be content drafting D Smith, Chase or even waddle, but as a dynamic complimentary piece in what would be a well rounded offense.

What we did at CB last year was not cheaper, not better than Slay and AO…

Golladay
Godwin
A Rob
Juju
Leonard Williams
S Barrett
M Williams
J Simmons
T Williams
A Jones
Dak
A Harris
JJ Watt
H Henry
M Jones

That’s about it for top free agents… not even enough for each team to sign “1”

We aren’t going to win wars with Wiggins, Shelton, Ammendola, or Harmon contracts.

Guys like Mike Ford, Sanu etc are just as good and 80% cheaper. More guys like Golladay and Ford and less deals like Trufant and Ammendola. Each pair costs the same

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I think you nailed it. If not Golladay…who?

I have made no bones about wanting Josh Reynolds to be a part of our offseason plans. I want someone here who is familiar with Goff and how he see’s the field, and can put up 400 - 800 yards a year. I think that is his production expectation level. Whether we bring back Golladay or not, I want Reynolds.

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We need 4 WR’s to fill out those lost. 3 starters and a back up.

If you let Golladay go then you must go out and get a FA WR and in order to get him your going to have to be the highest bidder. It makes far more sense to keep Golladay.

I think we lock Golladay up on a 4 year deal.

I also have brought up Reynolds many times. He’s starting to emerge in the big play role for the Rams. He could be the deep threat we need and would be a WR Goff Is familiar with. He won’t bring high end money and should be doable under the cap.

If not Reynolds I like JuJu.

So if you land Reynolds and resign Golladay you can now look to round 2-3 for another WR. Your not obligated to grab one early.

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Thanks for the support guys, I was feeling like I was on crazy pills. Big Natty has been hitting the nail on the head. We really need to have a strength first, then we can try and find balance.

By letting our best offensive player go, and not having much defense at all, what exactly are we?

It would be the equivalent of a boxer with bad footwork, no defense, no knockout power… hoping to win by focusing on a weak jab???

I literally have no clue if Okudah will be a stud, or even a solid player. What I do know is that I loved AO coming out, and wanted him in round 2. We somehow got him in 5. He has more picks, the same pff rating and has allowed a similar catch to target rate. I think we owe it to both players who are size, speed, pedigree players (3 and 4 star recruits) to see what happens under Glenn. I still really like Walker.

If the team (who has more info than us by far) feels J Okwara and A Bryant are both fully healthy, and Flowers is back at full strength, then we have 3 recent investments at edge. If Julian truly is the more polished and athletic brother… well his bro just had 10 sacks…!

Shelton and Penisini are solid options at NT. I’d leave that alone.

Collins is a cover LB and frankly I’d love to sign J Davis and deploy him properly, and I think we will.

At one 5 tech we have Hand, Cornell and Strong.

Do you all think it’s weird how many guys just went on IR last year? Covid has caused some players to fully opt out of college and pro. Any chance half our “injured” players could have played if we were in a playoff run?

My point is other than wanting a Marvin Wilson or D Dixon early in round 2, I really don’t know what we even have in D.

Sign J Davis, get an elite safety like Marcus Williams, a cheap vet corner. Draft a 5 tech DE in round 2

Round 1- WR- or Sewell
Round 2- Dixon/Wilson/5 tech
Round 3- RG/RT or WR depending on rd 1
Round 3- RB- hammer to compliment Swift

We have Kerryon cheap. We have Swift cheap. Draft a 4 year contract hammer RB cheap in round 3. We’d be spending 4/5M total at RB.

Golladay/Smith(rookie)/Cephus/Allison/UFA- 15M after Golladay long term deal

QB- Goff/Blough/4th round rookie of value running QB- 28M combined

OL- Decker/Jackson/Ragnow/Big V/Crosby- 30M total

Hock/Bryant/UFA- 5M total

We’d be young, talented, and not overlay expensive while being signed for mostly 3 plus years a guy.

Add Marcus Williams, re-sign J Davis, and draft a guy like D Dixon to add to D… between those additions, scheme change, better coaching, better culture and being healthy, that might get us to a #23-25 D. With a really nice young offense, I’d take that.

With money coming free in 2022, and 2 first rounders in consecutive years, I’d say making the D top 8-12 is possible with good drafts.

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Trade a 3rd rounder for Michael Gallup. He’s 3.5 years younger than Golladay, Dallas can’t keep him, he’s a stud.

For the record I’m suggesting we do this whether we keep Golladay or not.

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He would just be for one year unless you can sign him. Next years 3 not this years an a sign an trade extend really

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\i don’t see many DL as you call them 5 tech guys we have them lets just say big DE’s on each side of NT .

What makes you think we will draft better than what we have who are young.
Cornell, Jashon 6-3 290
Joel Heath 6’ 06" 303
Strong Jr., Kevin 6-4 285
Hand, Da’Shawn 6-3 297
Robert McCray DE 6-1 273
Plus Flowers, Trey at 6’ 02" 266

I just don’t see DT early as major need now if they like one i am ok with it but i see what we have young players an there will be some vets released who may work better for a year while young improve.

I am for adding at least two LBs early an two WRs an that;s with no trade downs I would like FA to be a Safety Marcus Williams or John Johnson an i would bring back J Davis
I would rather pay JuJu the big contract than KG reason he is few years younger
They want to build through draft an I agree but a couple of right price with cap money short for many teams might work like a S an WR.
JuJu 5 years, $80,727,930 $16,145,586 24 years old
KG 5 years, $85,006,560 $17,001,312 27 years old

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I’m going to go with what Pat Kirwan said. If the Steelers let JuJu walk that means there is something wrong with JuJu so I’d steer clear.

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How’s his hip doing?

It’s all up to KG. He was reportedly offered a fair contract ($85 million?) and he turned them down.

So what’s the real question? Of course they want to resign him.

The real question is how much do you overpay for a diva WR with a creaky hip, when vets everywhere are getting cut. Is kg holding firm at $22 mil per season?

You should be directing your rhetoric towards KG, not the Lions.

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Which is what I would try to do, since he’s 3.5 years younger than KG and almost certainly cheaper.

But if we can’t, we might just get that 3rd round pick back as a comp pick when he signs somewhere else. At the worst a 4th. It’s just a very low risk/high reward move.

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Absent a long-term deal, the Lions really can’t afford to keep KG:

https://lionstalk.com/t/7-potential-cap-causalities-for-detroit-lions/9148/74

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Sign Reynolds to a fair contract $$ wise and draft DeVante Smith. Add in Swift and Hock and we have some promising young weapons for Goff to work with. Cephus and Allison would round out the #3 and #4 jobs, and draft another WR in the mid rounds to compete with them.

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I’m a Corey Davis fan. He’s younger and I think he’ll be cheaper than Golladay. No significant injury (that I’m aware of anyhow?).

I like Golladay and am ok with any scenario that plays out with him.

The Lions need several WR’s…not just 1. So, if they can sign 2 different decent WR’s for the price of 1 Golladay + draft a young gun I’m all about that over just signing Golladay. Easier said than done though.

To answer the question though - If not Golladay than who?

Corey Davis is 26 and will likely command around $10m/year
Willie Snead is 29 and will likely command around around $6.5m/year
Sammie Watkins is 28 and will likely command around $10m/year
Keelan Cole is 27 and will likely command around $5m/year
Nelson Agholar is 28 and will likely command around $8.5m/year
Marvin Hall is 28 and will likely require under $1m/year
Kendrick Bourne is 26…not sure how much he’ll be looking for. $4-5m/year?
Curtis Samuel is 25 and will likely require around $13m/year

I do like Golladay, but I don’t think the cupboard is bare in terms of available FA’s and draftable guys.

So, to me, it’s a comparison. What’s better? Something like…

Davis + Snead
Samuel + Cole
Watkins + Bourne

Or any of those combos + a guy in the draft

vs

Golladay + a guy in the draft?

As much as I love Golladay, I like any of the options listed above just as much since the Lions need a few guys to fill in the empty roster spots. They could also roll with Golladay this year on the tag and let him walk next year and fill the holes via the draft over 2 seasons rather than 1.

Edit - Tyrell Williams just became available as well. He’d make a great addition to the WR group imo if he’s healthy.

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14

I just wouldn’t draft a WR in the 1st. You don’t build a team with WR’s. Those are shiny toys you can add later on.

Besides, the more I watch Goff play, the more I am looking at the smaller/quicker WR’s that can get open quickly off the line and with his combination of accuracy and touch turn a short pass into a big gain.

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15

That sounds like Jaylen Waddle. lol

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I just saw the Tyrell Williams news…

Question is…is he healthy?

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I wouldn’t worry about the torn labrum. Are there any other ailments we should be aware of?

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They’re hard up against the cap. Something has to give.

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Never heard of these guys before but thought this was interesting in theory:

https://sportsinjurypredictor.com/player/corey-davis/7758

https://sportsinjurypredictor.com/player/kenny-golladay/9529

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I’m okay with that line of thinking. But it would make me wonder why JuJu was the something that had to give.