I think think the longer range scope of this rebuild, and commitment to getting it right…it has me wondering:
if we would be more open to take a player that got injured, if they were confident it would heal? (Provided he is high ceiling and was projected to go much higher if not for injury)
Also, because I perceive our coaches to be so good at developing young talent, are we more willing to take higher ceiling dudes that are projects? Would they gamble on their ability to coach someone up to their potential, even though it may not pay immediate returns?
Can we trade back and get better long term gains with these tactics?
Would love to hear your thoughts on either or both of these concepts.
I’m always very cautious when it comes to drafting dudes with injury histories. If it’s one freak accident vs several minor injuries it might be a bit different. But, if the body is already breaking down in college, I don’t think that translates very well to playing against bigger, stronger and faster dudes in a longer
season. If your going to draft a guy with a history of injuries, make sure to bring him in for a predraft workout to let the team doctors check him out thoroughly.
When it comes to drafting dudes with higher ceilings rather than floors, it’s possible. But, I think it all comes down to work ethic and passion for football. Coach Campbell, and AG want dudes that can’t get enough of football. Sewell and St. Brown are perfect examples of that. We want dudes that love the game, and have a desire to be great. And when you are trying to change our losing culture, we need mentally tough dudes that love football to change the culture.
Almost all these prospects have talent, it’s a matter of finding the ones that will do anything to have success and not just collect the NFL paychecks. That’s why I want Hutchinson at #2 because I think he’s a perfect match for the Lions when it comes to work ethic, grit, and desire to be great to help change the culture.
I think we should always be willing to take a guy who’s hurt for the right value. I loved Jeffery Simmons a few years ago and was really hoping his injury would drop him to the 2nd round so we could nab him. Instread he only dropped like ten picks and the Titans are better because of it.
As for ceiling vs. floor, I think that’s a discussion with every pick a team makes no matter who is in charge. Personally I like rolling the dice on traits at high value positions, but then I don’t mind taking risks. No risk it, no biscuit. It’s the only reason I would be OK with Willis. I personally don’t think he’ll every be more than a journeyman backup, but at the right value he’s the exact sort of guy you should roll the dice on. Maybe you strike gold like the Bills did, but I wouldn’t count on it.
Now I’m a little more risk-averse when it comes to off-the-field stuff, mostly because we’re not in a good position to really get to the truth of it. It’s all hearsay for us. It made me nervous about Parsons, Foster and DeAndre Baker. One was a big whiff but the other two weren’t. I also thought we had enough info on the aforementioned Simmons that it wasn’t a concern of mine at all.
Honestly injuries like an ACL don’t really concern me. It is 2022, an ACL is a long rehab, but the majority of players come back just as strong and even better because of all the rehab they have to do. The more concerning injuries are when players have a lot of them. Maybe they only missed 5 games in their career, but it seemed every week they were dealing with injuries and missing practice time. Those guys I would shy away from. If we were in position to win a Superbowl, I would want someone that could provide more instant gratification as sometimes Superbowl windows close quickly. We are not there yet so if we take someone that may not contributre right away, but is a much better talent, I’m good with that.
Exactly. Like a chronic shoulder or back injury for example. That aint getting better in the pros playing vs bigger, stronger, faster dudes.
When it comes to ACL’s, they are pretty good at coming back from them these days, especially if still young. Modern medicine and surgery techniques have saved so many careers.
Completely agree. This is what I feel, and I’m sure they would/do too. Wondering about the “freak accident,” like the Alabama WR.
Completely agree w/this too!
Agree w/all of this. It’s got me curious about Willis. Love his energy. I haven’t seen where he “can’t get enough football,” but he does have a Barry Sanders energy about him, with absolute faith, absolute commitment to his words. It makes me believe in his ability to EMBODY, not just intellectualize.
Interesting to think about. I’m with you on Hutch @2, and for the exact same reasons.
I’m the same, man. I think they’re good at developing “the base” too. Trenches will eventually look good. I’m all about getting someone who can rip a game wide open.
He’s the prime example of a High risk/reward pick.
Completely agree. Every pick from now until Dan retires should be culture building/reinforcing pick, IMO.
I’m starting to think Thibs is that high risk/high reward guy. There isn’t a player with a higher ceiling. But that work ethic… I can see why some would question it.
Lots of good takes in this thread, just to piggyback on some of what others have said, I’d prefer they stay away from players with concussion and brain injury history. I still wake up with nightmares about Jahvid Best.
I’m going to be doing something that I hate about other people and I usually demonstrate it in the context of relationships.
Everyone knows a person male or female who has been burned in a relationship or multiple of them so they have criteria now. I’ll never date another redhead or I’ll never date a guy with a tattoo or I’m never gonna go out with somebody who is in a band… Et cetera you know the idea.
They are basically convicting someone else and essentially an entire group of people for a crime someone else committed.
And I am absolutely going to do that with taking draft picks that have ?s. This club has done absolutely everything wrong in the draft over and over again and I just literally emotionally can’t take another regime that is going to be doing stupid shit like taking guys who are volleyball players or are fat or slow or hurt or stupid or narcissistic or have sat out a year or whatever.
I want guys who can play that have shown they can play and are healthy.That doesn’t seem like a lot to ask for but after all of the gigantic clown show drafts we’ve had it seems pretty crazy.
We aren’t even spurned lovers at this point, we are abused spouses in a 50 year marriage that have given up at this point. At this point we are riding out the marriage hoping that our abusive lover dies first and leaves us all his money so we can spend our final years in florida playing shuffleboard and bridge, in peace.
You just know the will leaves all the cash to the animal shelter, right? That’s where we are…we know we are getting royally screwed and we are here anyways because sunk cost fallacy
If Goff would sign a 6 yr extension starting at $18 m a year and finishing at $25 m a yr $130 million 100m guaranteed would you agree to the contract ?