The way I see it is Quin is not a bad GM. He has made some good and some bad deals. I think most GM’s have made some bad deals along the way.
Patricia is not a bad coach. I think he has passion and puts a lot of effort in, he just needs to realize he needs to tweak the defensive scheme and get some play makers.
I think continuity is huge when trying to develop a culture. If the Lions hit the reset button they will be starting over again.
I say give these guys another year to show what they can do. If it is painfully obvious after the 3rd year of Patricia then they need to reevaluate.
There are some very good players on this team. The Lions just need to adjust the schemes to take advantage of the players they have. A good coach puts their players in the best possible position to win. They do not try to force their scheme onto players that do not fit it.
We all know defense is the problem. When I look at the roster, I see a lot of good players. Unfortunately, there are way too many injured players on this team. The DL has Snacks, A ‘Shawn, Daniels, Hand, Okwara, and Flowers – all good players. The LB are JD, Kennard, Taviai, and Jones – all pretty good players. CB are Slay, Colman, Melvin, Oruwariye – not bad group. Safety Walker, Harris, Wilson – young need a little more experience. I think if the Lions add some play makers to this group and change up the scheme, they could be pretty good. They have to get away from the bend don’t break 3-man rush. A good defense mixes up their formations blitz some downs, rush 3 on some downs 4-man rush on other downs, etc.
The offense looks pretty good. The OL has some decent players however an upgrade to a few spots would not hurt. The QB situation is in pretty good shape other than injuries. The TE position is solid may want to trade or cut Jesse James and pickup a lower cost blocking TE. The WR are doing much better than I thought they would. We could stand to add a deep threat that can take the top off of the defense and is a threat to score every time they touch the ball. The biggest issue is RB, I like KJ but he is only a complimentary RB, I like BO but he is a short yardage guy that can break one now and then. McKissic is a good 3rd down back but he should not run the ball. I think the Lions have been missing a fire plug type RB that is built strong and runs hard. Someone with a little wiggle and some burst. I do not think these types of players come up in FA very often and if they do, they have some mileage on them. I believe the only way to address this is through the draft and the Lions will have to pay up for this type of player. This year’s draft has some nice RB, however I would not spend more than a 2nd round pick as there are far more valuable players available in round 1. I think the Lions need to get a play maker on defense with their 1st round pick and take an RB with the 2nd round pick. Looking at who should be available in the 2nd round at RB that could be a difference maker I would suggest JK Dobbins 5-10 216lbs. Thick, quick, good burst, and durable. Dobbins, KJ, Bo, and McKissic would make a nice backfield. Oh yeah one more thing get rid of the damn FB it is not 1940 and this is a waste of a roster spot. Get a durable TE or OL to play short yardage when you need a blocker in the backfield. Bundle the late round picks that we always miss on and trade up for a 2-4 round pick that has a chance to make the 53-man roster. Use the time in the later rounds to line up the best UDFA to come to the Lions. That’s my take I know you all will not agree but that’s the great thing about having an opinion and not needing to try and make everyone else a believer. GO LIONS!
