Starting LB's

Ray Lewis and LT? Sorry i like the guy but im not ready to go there yet.

yup. they have been playing him all over the place. Cowboys had injuries at DE so they played him there last game

So clearly they need to keep Parsons at DE and trade DeMarcus Lawrence when he gets healthy. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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Speaking of speedy ‘backers in this scheme, I couldn’t help but wonder how much we’re really getting out of Trey Flowers at this point. He was given a gigantic deal to come play the 5-tech for Patty. But Monday, he was out in space trying his best to fulfill his roll. Problem is, he just isn’t a space and speed guy. He’s a power/trenches guy. This Defense is a ways away I’d say with misfits at a lot of spots.

In the coming draft you could take a QB, Thibodeaux, Stingley, or Hamilton and no one would argue with you.

If you want to run a 3-4 defense, Flowers isn’t naturally out of place because you are spending most of your downs in nickel, dime and short yardage. Flowers even played a little bit standing up with Patricia and was actually effective in spot duty. But I see no reason to stand Flowers up other than a gimmick to mix things up. Whenever I’m watching the first 4 or so games of the season I try to keep the same Patriot mentality of “they are just trying out things and seeing what they have going forward.” This staff is new so I can only hold out hope.

Trey Flowers is an odd bird. As much as you don’t want him standing up he can be highly efffective situationally. Let’s go back to the Peyton Manning/Wes Walker days when they were killing people with slants and crossing routes. You can send Flowers out there to deal with that situation. That’s at the catch point or at the route release point. But only in spot situaitons.

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Sorry, when I look at him all I see is cap space.

I agree Lions didn’t blink when they took $48,185,853 dead cap hit this season cleaning house an i doubt the will blink removing Flowers an Collins if he ends up staying.

Parsons looked a blue chip player in fairness to him and no surprise to see him standing out early. In saying that given it is year zero of this rebuild I have no issue with them taking Sewell over him. Sewell plays a position of value, is 20 years of age, has the potential to be a perennial pro bowler and comes with impeccable football and off field character. Parsons ticked a lot of those boxes but there were also some genuine non footballing concerns about him around the league.

This is well-said. The only thing I’d emphasize is that I don’t agree with saying he was hired as a 5t or that he’s a power/trenches guy (there’s a lot of room for interpretation on the trenches term). I mentioned in another thread that I think he’s at his best lined up wider as a 4-3 type DE. He, like Hand, has traits you like in a 3-4 defender, but as they’re playing you see better fits.

I’d love to see both of them on a Jim Schwartz defense as RDE and LDE. Jim could make hay with them both on the line (for the 2 or 3 healthy snaps Hand can provide). You’d see a lot of interior snaps, too, but snap after snap they’re going to seal the edges and funnel things inward, stopping the run on the way to the QB. You leave Flowers too much in space or too often head-up on a OT, he’s not going to show much worth.

We should not be running a 3-4 base with this personnel

NICKEL BASE, BABY!

Loop Satisfying GIF by xponentialdesign

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If we want to utilize Barnes in space and want a true MLB, Ryan Greenhagen of Fordham is surely one that Spielman will love. 30 tackles against Nebraska. Thirty!

He seems rangy enough for a thumper but I am prone to falling in love with throwback types at that position. Movement testing will be big for him.

A guy like him on day 3, a true coverage WILLl earlier and I’m okay with the LB group. Probably need some veteran leadership as well.

Yep - we really need on of these. He would be the first one for the Detroit Lions. Ever.

i agree, man 100%. You need one of them to hold up decently inside the box, but both of them have to be able to fly around. I think this is the major issue with Jamie Collins. His calling card has always been his athleticism, but you have to add the caveat “athletic for his size” - which is nearly 260. Then add he is nearly 32, so perhaps just a smidge slower than before. And then going sideline to sideline requires immense effort as well. I’m sure at his age, its hard to be motivated on a tear down rebuild. That is not what he thought he was signing up for. And we can debate whether its a legit excuse or not (I am not participating in that, lol), but it is what it is and its time to move on.

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Yup, yup, and yup. Well said, brother. It’s time to move on…with tremendous effort and speed.

Seems we play alot of guys out of position, Flowers or Romeo neither fit as a stand up LB both are better with hand in dirt. Collins didn’t fit well in the middle but was better on the outside. Sewell doesn’t fit well at RT.

Yeah, when we had this debate in the offseason I would not have pegged Trey Flowers for the role they have put him in. I love Flowers, he’s just a football player, and its a testament to him that he can be so versatile. But to me, playing OLB in a 3-4 base standing up is not his game. Especially when they often have him wide in space crashing down. I think you need more speed and fluidity there. He makes up for the lack of some of that with hustle and power rush, but probably not enough to be an regular, effective starter there.

Were getting beat on the edges a lot. Were getting hit with outside zone runs, quick passes, screens passes, misdirections. That was the majority of the Packers offense last week. The Packers offense really didn’t have success pounding us inside. They methodically nipped at the edges of our D, and I thought actually we adjusted well in the 3rd quarter to some of it, but then Erin started being Erin and ripping downfield, scrambling, getting favorable calls etc. But the Pack’s bread and butter were those screens to Jones, especially at the GL.

Yeah this is the NFL. We shouldn’t have guys constantly trying to play out of position. It’s a recipe for disaster.

wanted Parsons that draft.