Lawrence of Arabia isn’t picking up his phone, so…
Where I think our DL stands. If there’s not a label, they’re not on the 53, but keep in mind McNeil will be on PUP to start the season and one of those guys (Myles Adams) will get a spot.
If you watch some of the highlights, you can see a little bit of the flexibility that McNeil had (lining up in several spots), but you immediately notice a bit of the lateral quickness that McNeil has. I think @StormGuyNovi has this one pegged from the jump.
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Yes and no. Northern Iowa has had 2 OL taken, Spencer Brown with the Bills and Trevor Penning, Saints, taken in the 3rd and first rounds. That said, if they’re not on anyone else’s radar they shouldn’t be on ours except late or UDFA. An example this year would be Carson Vinson, OT out of Alabama A&M. Great numbers but…well, late 6th or 7th sure.
Love the clips. But they confuse me even more.
The first minute, I see him playing mostly 3T. Then, in the last minute and a half, he plays 0 or 1T. Like his versatility. Good get.
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Sounds more like a Levi replacement than a Peko replacement.
You can find Peko replacements off the couch like Tyson Alualu
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You guys have it exactly right. When I watched his highlights, because I had NO idea who this was, the first thing you see is him blasting Josh Allen into a forced fumble. That made me laugh a little bit, because we sure never laid a finger on him all game.
When they mentioned Brad watched the Arizona game and they liked someone from that game, I wanted to see what they saw. In the highlights, you can see the play where he stops Montgomery. The first thing I thought about that play was “It’s Glasgow, not shocking”. Watching it a few times, he is actually beating a combo block from Ragnow and Glasgow. He was lined up at NT against Ragnow, moved across both of their faces, then arm tackles Montgomery in the gap between Glasgow and Decker for a very short gain.
How Lopez moved here is what is most impressive. He shuffled down the defensive line like you want to see a DE do. That’s the agility and mobility you are talking about. In his other clips, you can see him doing the same thing. He seems to have a good knack for either getting quick penetration with swim moves, or being able to shuffle down the line and make plays, despite being lined up in different positions.
I think what is getting lost here is I am not saying Lopez is not here to take McNeil’s job. He isn’t going to allow the Lions to move on from McNeil as a cheaper replacement. In no way am I suggesting that. I don’t think people realize McNeil is gone for most of next season. One of my biggest concerns for the offseason was, how do they offset not having McNeil? Those kinds of players with that size and that agility, are extremely hard to find. McNeil is a freak athlete, and that’s why he got and deserved the big extension. Roy Lopez isn’t here to take McNeil’s job, but he is here as a very poor man’s McNeil, who has the same size, and a good amount of lateral agility that he can at least play the role. We are still going to notice McNeil’s loss, but the Lions literally had no one who could even try to fill the spot.
As for Levi, Levi shed some weight so he is more of a gap penetrating DT only at this point. 280lbs is pretty light to be a run stopper, and I don’t think Levi was necessarily great at being a pressure DT anyways. I think he is a good player, but I think he is a very replaceable player and that a draft pick will take his spot. Wingo had a chance to be the Levi replacement, but just like McNeil, he is gone for most of the year as well.
I still would like a vet DE like DeMarcus Lawrence, and a draft pick to come in to really fix the pass rush and get Hutch help. I am desperately hoping the Lions aren’t planning to roll with Hutch on one side, playing every single down and then using a combo of Davenport and Paschal. That IS how they started 2024, which terrifies me. It was a bad plan then and it is now. Get Hutch help!
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I like it a lot. Reader only plays about 50% of snaps so we need someone to rotate with him, and this guy has only missed 5 games in four years.
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I forgot Wingo had availability concerns. You want so bad to put last year behind us, but it’s not… it’s going to linger into 2025 no matter how much we want to get over it. Hearing Dan Miller say “one and done for the #1 seed” was painful in the Inside the Den episode put out yesterday. As many good vibes as the new coaches bring, there’s still a stench to our exit and lingering recovery to 2024’s hexed season.
We’re essentially backing up McNeil and Wingo with Lopez and Adams. To be honest, I think they both have a chance at hanging onto a spot long-term.
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Yeah, it’s part of what was so horrible about how 2024 ended. Generally when you lose guys, its because its a 4 or 5 week injury that just happened at the wrong time. Like Carlton Davis and his jaw. Done for the playoffs, but hey he will be back and ready for the beginning of the season. It’s a bit like new season, you hit the reset and everyone starts back 100%. Well, unfortunately with the timing for McNeil, Wingo and Rodrigo, their torn ACL’s will keep them out for at least the first 2 months. Rodrigo and Wingo both got hurt on Thanksgiving, then McNeil got hurt the next week against Buffalo.
Considering that for most players its about 8-9 months of recovery time for a torn ACL, that puts us getting those 3 guys back around the beginning of October. I wouldn’t be shocked if it doesnt happen a bit closer to November, but we will see. A more optimistic way to think about it, it will be like adding a star DT, a solid depth LB and a depth DT at the 2025 trade deadline.
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Im still waiting to see when exactly McNeil is due back vs the constant “missing most of next season” posts.
They could be correct, just not certain it’s the fact that many are describing it as.
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I think that even if you lean toward an optimistic position on them, you still have to expect them to be on PUP up until a certain point of camp or the season’s start. And if you’re right there at the beginning of the season, you may as well begin the season moving them from PUP to IR just for the numbers and for their own ramp-up in practice.
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Wingo should be back start of training camp. It was a torn meniscus not an ACL. Which is 5-6 months recovery.
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I agree.
Every injury and recovery is different.
Both Alim & Wingo are young, healthy, motivated athletes with the best doctors and rehab available.
Both will undoubtedly start camp on PUP but not certain to start the season on IR/PUP.
Dan & Brad have shown a willingness to place returning players on the 53 to start the season if they feel they will play in the 1st 5 weeks.
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Agree with you both. I think the Mcneil missing time is just assumed as worst case scenario when we talk about it.
Of course we would love to have him back full strength full go week 1 and have Lopez/Reader rotate.
Lopez looks like a Levi replacement to me… expect him to sign elsewhere my original projection was SF.
4th round bean plesae
I agree Jman. McNeil replacement,
Reader, Lopez and Myles Adams are the top 3 DTs right now.
McNeil and Wingo recovering.
To me add a DT in rd. 2 and that would be excellent without overspending at the DT position group. Lopez is gonna play a lot here early.
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DT rich draft it seems, could get a stud late 1 if we go that route.
Not sure we do though…especially with Paschal rotating inside.
I think we go Edge heavy Day 1 and 2.
DT1-3
McNeil, Reader, Lopez
Rotational
Wingo, (Paschal), Cominsky ?
Pet Project
Bro Mart
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Roy Ovalsun
And if Manu is Decker’s long-term replacement?
Will it have been worth two 3rds and 5th for connecting on a home-run at a premier position?
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ROY G BIV
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Sorsdal was a 5th rounder so not a big deal. Trading up for Bromart though was pretty rough. Now his career isn’t over but he has shown jack squat heading into year 3.
No GM is perfect. Holmes has been the best drafter in the nfl over the past 4 seasons so he’s allowed a couple swing and misses.
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