While I clearly did not love how the description of Chicago and Minny draft went. I do agree that the other 3 teams in the NFC North need to be front and center to any discussion of the Lions. You win your Division and you get a home game in the Playoffs. It all starts in the Division and moves outward.
So I would enjoy some discussion on each team, where they were pre and post draft. While all teams got better (who doesn’t) where do we see the overall grading of each team.
Lions - love the draft, the Lions took the greatest weakness from last season and worked to make it a strength without weakening any other area of the team from last season. That is not going to be easy moving forward as the salary cap starts to become an issue (nice problem to have…multiple All Pro Players). I think the Lions are clearly the class of the North right now. And that is mostly due to the fact that the improved the roster overall. If they brought back the same team with the same weaknesses I would be very worried about both GB and Chicago.
GB - They pounded the Oline and Defense this draft. I think they regressed a bit at RB. I am not a huge fan of Jacobs. But we will see how it goes. In general they bolstered their team with 11 picks. I am not sure they got much by addition. They have a rookie penciled in at Tackle which can be dangerous. But with Love coming back after a very solid 1st year and that young WR crew I think they will be better on offense regardless of the physical additions. Improvement thought experience we will call it.
Chicago - A super exciting draft for them. Talk about getting fancy shiny objects. I have to agree that assuming the defense does not regress they should be at least as good as they were last year. If CW finds the kind of magic that Stroud found last season they could be a serious problem. I am doubtful that happens. But it is possible. If Chicago can get a solid offensive effort out of that side of the ball this next season they could for sure be a WC team. I am hoping CW turns out to be Kyler Murray clone and it just implodes.
Minny - I have zero concerns about them next season. They maybe had some poor to averages drafts and let the roster age a bit. So they are needing to build it back up overall. They had a nice haul. For JJs sake hope the closest he comes to getting snaps is in some blowout. Of the 6 QBs drafted in the 1st round, he in my mind was by far the least prepared to take snaps in the NFL. That is not to say he will not develop into a J Love. But I think Minny will not be a problem for the nest 2 years. Maybe by year 3 if they keep the staff in place and draft well they could be a something.
In looking at the overall Division it is interesting. I have been clearly under valuing Chicago. But after looking a bit deeper they have a nice roster. I still think they should have taken a Tackle in the 1st instead of a WR.
As far a gaining ground on themselves.
It feels like Chicago and Detroit improved their teams the most from last season. GB kind of held serve. And Minny if clearly worse. Now the question will be how everyone plays.
The North is always a grind. Chicago gave us two very tough games and took one last year. They have more weapons now, although young. GB took us to task on Turkey day and opened some eyes. They look like they got grimier on defense with Bullard and Cooper penciled in as new starters. I also think Lloyd and Jacobs could be a pretty good tandem at RB.
Outside the division, I feel like the Eagles might have vaulted past the Cowboys this offseason and might be a threat this year with what they’ve done (and who they’ve hired at DC)
Maybe he figured it out, maybe he’ll regress to the mean of what he’s been up to this point. I’m obviously hoping for the latter, but I wouldn’t bet a meaningful amount of money either way.
I have zero confidence in calab performing as a qb this season. He is all show boat and that back yard qb play will get him killed in the nfl.
Maybe he learns… dont think he will. Also name the last qb Chicago developed.
JJ comes in as the most pro ready of the qbs drafted. He played under center, from a huddle and has stud weapons around him.
Gb scares me period.
Lions got alot better on defense and the secondary in particular with first 3 picks being cbs (inc trade)
It sure seemed like there was head coach malfunction in Philadelphia at the end of the season. They quit, gave up, whatever and Nick Sirianni seemed powerless to rally the troops. What really happened at the end of last season and will there be a lingering stench that impacts their 2024?
Green Bay is still the team to worry about. Love was playing much better by mid season.
I’m not dogging the rookie QB’s in Chitcago and Mini, but, they’re rookies.
I’m excited about our improved Dline and CB room.
We’re going to be a tuff out.
He’ll have to learn how to settle for the designed play and resort to dancing only when that is in fact the last resort. He could turn into early Russell Wilson if the coaches tolerate that. He’ll probably learn like Anthony Richardson that NFL defenders are different from college: bigger, faster, more agile, and hit harder…when he’s sitting on the bench with injuries. It is possible we’ll see the Second Coming of Patrick Mahomes too… He won’t be sitting out the first year like Patrick though. I won’t be praying that he gets injured…yeah, right.
I think all Division games could potentially be tough & we should prep for that.
Things to pray for
Kwesi gets contract extension
Love flops & packers fall into a 3 decade turmoil
CW turns into T-Biscuit 2.0
Defensive line is as good as I think they are…fingers crossed for RDE
Lions got more handsome, more talented, more depth, & better on both DL & in the defensive backfield.
our defense will be rank 8 or so…offense top 3…that sounds like a superbowl contender to me. Talent wise, we are young player development away from hitting critical mass which will happen mid-late season. New sheriff in town, boys
Yep. it’s all about pressure and I really don’t know if we did enough to address QB pressure to help out hutch. time will tell but pressure helps coverage, but I will say good coverage in the first 2 seconds of the play helps pressure.
I don’t live my life worrying Mouse. Injuries could happen at any time to any team… it’s a violent sport. Losing Goff would be far worse than losing Hutch or St. Brown though.
For sure that will suck.
But the Lions are now focused on execution. So they can win games without their big dogs. Can they win Divisions or playoff games. That gets dicey. As you move along you need your best.
I am less worried about losing St. Brown than I am of Ragnow or Hutch or really any Dlineman. We do not have a good replacement for Ragnow?
I feel like the focus on the UDFA Centers means the team is trying hard to fill this gap. They really need a pure Center who could play G verses a Guard that can play Center. And maybe GG is really a Center but the fall off appeared to be pretty big last season.
I reallly like Odunze as a player but don’t like the pick due to them giving Allen a big deal. If you pick a WR with a top ten pick then he should be getting 75% of the snaps year one but hard to see that being the case. I’m sure he will be a really good player there but they had other needs.
Just strikes me as a bit of a luxury pick in the short term - would be far more worried if they had taken one of the top offensive or defensive linemen - someone like Byron Murphy as a 3 tech would have had me worried
Goff would be a bigger loss, my point is you have no one behind them guys, The Bears already gave us a good game and winning one. It’s great you live your life without worrying what man. I’m not really worried about this team but I’m not pretending that we’re a automatic Lock. Some of you have one great season and now everything is the greatest. Things change fast in pro sports this team still needs to put in the work. If Williams hits the ground running Chicago will be alot tuffer then you and others think.
