I think if you’re going to try and select a franchise starter, then yes, you have to have a different approach. Quite frankly, I don’t want to see either Boyle or Blough back. Their contracts are over, goodbye.
Neither would I favor bringing in an expensive clipboard holder, Ala Chase Daniel, that’s going to just eat up cap space. As far as the knowledge in the QB room, if Mark Brunell can’t point out what needs pointing out, he doesn’t need to be there.
That’s why, in this particular instance, I’m advocating this particular approach to finding one or two to make the team and one for the practice squad. If Goff is going to be the starter, no concern there. Let him do his thing and give him the full support he needs for the most successful season possible. As for the guys you bring in, tell them point blank that whether they make it or not is on their shoulders. Tell them that they will have limited opportunities to show their abilities and it’s up to them to make the most of it.
If you can sign five, put them all in a pressure cooker, and come out with one, serviceable backup that can get you 2-2 over a four game stretch if called upon, over a four year rookie contract, that’s a win. That’s a huge win. It’s a win for the salary cap, which translates to the ability to acquire better talent at lots of other positions. All for people that, you hope, never have to take the field.
To the point, I’m not advocating taking anyone high using this approach. A couple 7th rounders, a couple UDFA’s, sign someone from the CFL to round things out. Mix them together and see if you can get some cream to rise. Take the savings and make a run at that safety from the Bengals.
Presently, the roster is bereft of talent at key positions on defense and at WR with several question marks due to serious injuries. While I suppose one could be wildly optimistic about the 2022 draft and/or free agency, the reality is that the Lions aren’t likely to be in a position to burn a bunch of 2023 draft picks to move up to take either Bryce Young or CJ Stroud.
Possible, sure, anything is possible. Likely, call me skeptical.
I can do it. Hell, I’ve done it before, been doing it for decades so I’m pretty sure I’ll survive if it happens again. I can do it again. It really won’t bother me one way or the other. Looking at all the decades of shitty Lion football I’ve watched, one or two more seasons isn’t that big of deal.
There are a few reasons it won’t bother me if they suck again next year.
First off, I’m not on the team. While I’m always hoping for them to have a good season, my life won’t change one iota if they lose every game or if they win a Super Bowl. Nothing changes. I still can’t work. I’ll still have Muscular Dystrophy. I’ll still have a ruptured disc in my back. I’ll still have hernias. I’ll still have arthritis. I’ll still be on disability living in poverty. I’ll still be chewing on pain meds just to get out of bed. I’ll still live alone. (That part I like. No… I LOVE that part.)But my life could be worse and I know it. It won’t change because of my favorite sports team’s success or failure.
My expectations are low. Lower than low, actually. I have pretty much ZERO expectations for next year. I’m looking at it as a necessary evil, if you will. One more year to evaluate players. Evaluate coaches. Evaluate salary cap issues. Evaluate front office. Get rid of those that don’t fit, don’t make plays, create problems, cost too much, perform too little.
I say ‘one more year’, but it’s actually a reoccurring thing. Evaluations happen not only every season, but during the season. All season long. As they should. For everyone. Players and coaches.
OK. I will say that I DO except the Lions to improve next year. Some. Not much, but some. Maybe they’ll win 4 or 5 games. Maybe 6. Not bettin on it, but I could see them winning a few games in 2022. Still a top ten draft pick, but that’s about it. An improvement, but a minimal improvement.
Another reason is that I know it’s for the greater good. Sometimes, losing is winning. Or can set your team up to win. You suck for couple years and that can set up the opportunity to acquire some top football players. History’s full of teams that were able to rebound after a good draft or two. The Lions just don’t happen to be one of those teams. ‘Rebounding’ has a tone of previous success, which the Lions don’t have. It’s more like a team has several-or a bunch of-good seasons, then has a couple bad seasons, has a couple good drafts/free agent off seasons and returns to being competitive.
So yeah, I can take another year (or two) of shitty Lions football. Just don’t go making a habit out of it.
There’s another reason I can take it. I haven’t, for many years now, looked to my local sports team(s) to feel good about myself. Many people do it. They count on their sports team for success. Their team loses and it makes THEM a loser. (In their mind) Their team wins and they feel like a winner and all’s good with the world. I haven’t done that since my early’20’s. I still pull for them to be successful, I just don’t get emotions involved.
When was the last time an NFL draft was void of a starting caliber QB?
A second question:
When was a draft thought to be a good QB draft and it turn out not to be? For example last years draft was supposedly a strong one and it really hasn’t turned out to be so far.
I look at this draft class and none of the QB’s excite me either. But I am reminded that often the best QB isn’t the guy whom many of us think it would be.
Mac Jones has been the best QB in last years draft so far. A pocket passer who didn’t excite many on this board. I liked the kid but most here thought he wouldn’t translate to the NFL.
The year before most fans weren’t very high on Herbert. I know I wasn’t. I definitely got that one wrong.
The year before there were a lot of fans who liked Haskins over Murray. I wasn’t one of them but there were a lot of Haskins fans.
The year before Allen the 3rd QB taken has been the best one in that class. I know we debated that class hard.
My point is that a QB goes high in every draft and almost every draft has at least one good QB in it.
Think of this. In the last 6 drafts a QB went 1OA 5 times. The one time it didn’t Trubisky went 2OA and Mahomes 10th and Watson 12th.
I suspect there will be a QB that goes high in this draft and there will be a QB who turns out being a good QB from this draft. The questions are who will they be?
My belief is, again, you don’t force the pick. Scout the player, like the player, or don’t like the player. Don’t get caught up in NEED. Don’t oversell because you need one. Don’t fool yourself because you need one.
None of these guys are giving me the warm fuzzies that about four of them were last year were. Its just hard to get excited about them. Pickett IMO has the best resume and best year. I like Ridder but I’d have liked to see a little more domination throwing the ball.
A lot of these guys’ highlights are them running the ball. Not throwing. Running. That is not hopeful to me.
One nice thing so far is that Malik Willis and Kenny Pickett have accepted Sr Bowl invites. This should be good for Willis esp.
The suffering Browns fans went through in 2016 and 2017, going 1-31 during that span, laid the groundwork for subsequent drafts which acquired the talent comprising a playoff team in 2020 and a contender in 2021.
You are right of course, but QBs are soo much more tempting. You hate to see it, but it happens every year. Just as a team will inevitably fall in love inexplicably with a QB bypassing clearly better college players. Like Trubisky over Watson or Wilson over Fields (or Jones).
With QB I think the best way to approach it is like this: throw your evaluations out the window and just use the numbers: there’s a 9/10 chance the QB you draft will be a disappointment. If we’re talking about doing it with our 1b pick, that number is even higher, like 9.4 out of 10. THEN you throw in your evaluations on top of that (mine are predominantly meh), and come to your conclusion. Which is why this year I wouldn’t touch a QB.
Talking heads are way over rated!
No top QB’s in the 22 draft?
Which one of these media hyped QB’s from the loaded 21 draft would you trade for our 1OA right now?
In the order they were drafted:
But I’d like to add that it’s likely do to Covid and most of these guys not having an established resume.
Corral intrigues me and it wouldn’t shock me if Houston took him if we passed.
Kenny Pickett was a nobody prior to this year and now the kid has throw. for 4000 yards and 40 TD’s. That’s not easy to do and he will likely go higher than people think.
Strong has an NFL arm and NFL size. He also put up an amazing season throwing for almost 4200 yards and 36 TDs.
Howell was a fan favorite to start the year but was too inconsistent to seal the deal as the top QB. But he has the potential to be a good NFL QB.
My points are that there’s QB talent in this draft and I can promise you one of these guys will raise his draft status after the combine and senior bowl enough to go in the top 3 spots.
Also that there will likely be a good NFL QB that comes from this class.
Ohi yeah, me too. He can make a name for himself. I think Cinci can make a game out of it too. People are dismissing them. Alabama can embarrass anybody though. so who knows. Last year, Cinci very nearly beat Georgia in the bowl game. UGA had to make a comeback to pull it out.
My top two guys are PIckett and Ridder because, to me, they are the most accomplished and have hte sort of tools to be good.
I like Pickett, don’t get me wrong, and if I had to pick one QB who would have a successful NFL career in this class Pickett is my guy, I just don’t think he possesses top end upside. I think he settles in as a top 8-15 QB. I mentioned in a different thread yesterday that his upside is a faster Kirk cousins, IMO.
What is it exactly about Pickett that makes you think he doesn’t have a ceiling like the others? You mentioned his tiny hands, but this is not an issue because when you look at them really close you can see his unique advantage that makes up for it::
Arm check
athleticism check
height check
experience check
These are all good tacos toppings for dragons. I don’t see why his ceiling is any lower than some of these other guys. Curious to hear your thoughts.
Pickett really turned it on this year when he hadn’t been all that special prior. Of course, that’s an argument made alot, including against Joe Burrow most recently.
Again, prior to this year’s 2 fumbles, he had a lot of fumbles. Has he figured it out, or did he get exceptionally lucky? That’s for scouts to figure out, as well as projecting that against NFL pressure.
His offensive coordinator, Mark Whipple, is extremely talented. NFL caliber. So, the product of the system question is there. Just like every Ted Ledford product until some guy named Aaron Rodgers…
There’s a lot to like about Pickett, there’s plenty of warning flags that need to be scouted thoroughly. He will get drafted, it will likely be in the first two rounds, it only takes one team to fall in love with him and have the right amount of desperation.
Is he Drew Brees, getting no respect? Is he David Carr, getting overhyped in a lacking class? The draft is a crap shoot and we’ll find out when the rubber meets the road, but I have no doubt that he will be starting for someone under center next year.
