Especially one that’s only 20 and hasn’t played a snap at the position in almost 2 years. He also pancaked several 49er defenders in the run game tonight. I can’t wait for pff to give him a grade of 58 for no apparent reason this week.
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It’ll be interesting to see what happens with decker. The dream scenario would be for Nelson to make an unheard of improvement to become an above average right tackle and trade decker for another 1st round pick. Preferably to the jaguars.
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Nelson really struggled IMO. Ford is a tough assignment though
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That’s why I’m saying miracle improvement. It won’t happen though. Although Nelson is a pretty good athlete. So you never really know. We’ll see the next several weeks.
If Sewell keeps balling then put Decker at RT.
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As much as people appreciate the difference between playing right vs left in terms of technique…I hope everyone appreciates that Micah Parsons is doing something harder than that. He’s still learning a new position. Not the same position with a different orientation…but an actual new position.
He put Vander Esch on the bench for the most part. VE will be gone after the season if Parsons keep progressing. During the broadcast they said the Cowboys didn’t pick up his 5th year option.
Decker isn’t shifting to RT when he comes back unless he demands to it. Don’t see that happening either. Decker will be the LT when he’s healthy.
People in the know are still insisting they’re moving him back to RT for Decker, and Meinke even says it will be for the long term.
Not a fan of that at all. That would be classic Lions to screw this up for the kid.
A classic Lions move would be to draft a guy in the top 10 to replace one of the only good players we’ve got.
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And that’s been the problem from the beginning. Don’t draft a guy who is a natural LT when you’ve got a stud LT already. It makes no sense. Learning RT is a completely different ballgame. I love Sewell already but the thought process that went into it was a bit shortsighted unless Holmes plans on moving on from Decker, which would be absurd.
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If a team will cough up a 1st for an $18m/yr guy like Decker giving you 3 next year, it’s an easy call for me.
Sewell is 20 and has unlimited upside at LT. A draft dream come true for any other team, apparently. Let’s hope the Lions realize Decker’s happiness doesn’t really matter in the big scheme of things. Either he happily moves over to RT or he sits. This isn’t a volunteer program. It’s business.
Really, if current trends hold up and Sewell keeps getting better, I am actively shopping Decker. I try and develop Nelson at RT (he did hold up pretty well vs. Mack, after all). If not you use the Rams pick (say 30ish) or your 2nd rounder (say 36ish) to pick up a natural RT for your bookend tackles. You may even be able to identify a 3rd or 4th round kid. No need to use a top 10 pick on another tackle.
What you may end up doing is flipping Decker for a prospect like Kyle Hamilton. That wouldn’t suck.
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Way, way too much dead cap money for trading Decker.
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Decker isn’t going anywhere in a trade this year short of getting back 2 1sts or a first and a starting RT. As a starting point. Just to emphasize the fact he isn’t going anywhere.
The Lions will not trade him unless it’s a stupid return. They knew who and what they were drafting in Sewell. This isn’t some shock.
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Are you saying its not such a great “business decision?” 
The Lions need to keep stacking high picks and converting on those like they did with Sewell, assuming Sunday was not a mirage with him.
Free agents won’t come to Detroit without a big overpay. It has to be done via the draft in Detroit. That requires a lot of magic beans, as they are called around here.
I see your point and it’s valid, but I’m looking to add as many high picks as I can for the rebuild. Dead cap be damned. Things will improve over then next few years as Big V and Goff, Flowers et al come off the books. In the meantime keep stacking cheap young talent and let them grow up together.
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I already brought up the fact that this trade can NOT happen in 2021 because the Lions can’t absorb the DEAD CAP HIT. The NFL would not approve the trade… because the Lions are only about $7 million under the cap entering the season, and this trade would put them over the cap. Goff already restructured his deal to create cap space, so there are literally ZERO other players the Lions would consider restructuring to facilitate that trade.
Also… Decker is NOT an $18 million/yr guy!
His contract is listed as a 4yr, $60 million deal… for $15 million AAV.
A left-tackle controversy is not something I had on my 2021 Lions Bingo Card.
On one hand, this is a new problem, and therefore technically not SOL. But in another way – a more accurate way – innovating new problems that no one else has seen before is the most SOL thing imaginable.
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His cap hit goes up to $18.9M next year. Then he goes to $17.9M and $17.6M the following years. But its over $14M in dead cap to get rid of him. I’m still baffled by the “business” logic in paying $14M to not have the player on a team short on talent…who also have $49M in dead cap money coming off the books next year.
So you want to save money for free agents that won’t come to Detroit unless they are overpaid? Brilliant!!!
Just heard on 97.1 that Jon said he would move Decker to Left guard to keep in on on the left side and move jackson back to right guard where he played until Dahl went down with injure and get rid of Vaitai after year.
If it’s impossible to work a trade then it’s impossible. Which is too bad because now it appears the Lions have added to their needs in terms of a #1 CB. Looks like Okudah is not long for the skids.
If the Lions move Sewell back to RT that would be a travesty IMO.