Matthew Stafford Deserves Better: Hidden Figures

Matthew Stafford deserves better, and I’m here to do my part.  

The longtime Detroit signal-caller has been labeled many things over the course of his 11-year career. Polarizing. Overrated. And don’t forget two of my personal favorites: “Not a leader” and “Stat Padford”. These are all bogus criticisms of varying degrees, each worthy of their own full-length debunking. Depending on how long it takes for COVID-19 to give us our live sports back, I might make defending Stafford a regular column. Some people are just unwilling to separate the highlight-reel throws and gaudy numbers from the stigma that comes with being the face of arguably the most futile franchise in American professional sports history. Read more “Matthew Stafford Deserves Better: Hidden Figures” →

Detroit Lions 2020 Draft Recap & Review

For your Detroit Lions, the 2020 NFL Draft started with a bang and ended with a whimper. They came out of the gates predictable by landing Jeff Okudah, which was largely expected, but what happened after that was anything but. Let’s review the 2020 draft by going down the line and meeting the new Lions. Read more “Detroit Lions 2020 Draft Recap & Review” →

NFL Draft: Detroit Lions Round 2 Wish List

The rapid-fire nature of the NFL Draft has made it difficult for me to write out my 3000-word essays, so I’m getting straight to the point here. Let’s find out who’s on my Round 2 wish list. 

Need the skinny on Jeff Okudah, plus some mindless ranting about tired sports writing tropes? Click here. 

Just as I suspected, there is a boatload of first-round talent still floating around out there. Pro Football Focus gave 27 players “true first-round grades” heading into the draft, and more than a few of them are still available for the Lions at No. 35. Hell, there’s a chance a couple may still be around at No. 67, the Lions’ third-round selection. Here are the top eight players remaining on PFF’s big board…

Many of those names would play nicely in Detroit, but let’s rearrange some of those names and add a new one after considering team need and the industry-wide Consensus Big Board, courtesy of The Athletic.

A.J. Epenesa: EDGE – Iowa

Consensus Big Board Rank = 23

Need: High – The Lions had an abysmal pass-rush last year, and it needs to change STAT. Epenesa’s pro comp is Trey Flowers. You can always use more of those guys, particularly when you don’t need to pay them $90 million dollars. This is a double-whammy best player available/need combo. He wasn’t supposed to be here, yet here he is. Make the call, Bob.

Josh Jones: LT – Houston

Consensus Big Board Rank = 29

Need: Med/High – This pick comes with one caveat: Can he be shifted to right tackle after playing on the left side at Houston? If so, he can bump new Lions RT Halapoulivaati Vaitai inside to right guard (versatility is his calling card) to form a nice OL foundation, and the Lions will officially have things shored up post-Glasgow/Wagner. Worst-case, you have your Taylor Decker replacement in 2021.

Denzel Mims: WR – Baylor

Consensus Big Board Rank: 33

Need: Low (2020) / High (2021) – The Lions are solid at WR in 2020 with the Golladay/Jones/Amendola trio. Beyond this season, not so much. This makes Mims, whose knock is that he has explosive tools but simply needs more polish, a great fit for the Lions. By the time they need him, he should be ready. This is the type of luxury pick I would have loved if the Lions had picked up an extra 2nd via trade. 

Trap picks: Any of the top running backs

Man, are there a lot of shiny new toys at running back still out there. Only one went off the board in round 1, and you can argue that the top-3 are still available. J.K. Dobbins, Jonathan Taylor, and D’Andre Swift are household names, and all possess stud-like qualities. But with each passing year, running backs lose draft value since it is by far the easiest position to cobble together. The Chiefs just won the Super Bowl with 9 running backs named Williams, none of which you have ever heard of.

There are a few moves that would make me break out the pitchfork, and taking a RB in Round 2 is one of them. Don’t do it.

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Detroit Lions Day 1 Recap: Okudah Matata

The Detroit Lions went predictable on Day 1 of the NFL Draft. They went safe. Went obvious. Passed on the potentially generational arm of Tua. Opted against the freakish athleticism and versatility of Isaiah Simmons. They drafted a cornerback a month after running a Pro Bowler of the same position out of town. These are the criticisms you will hear in the coming days from the vocal crowd who is up in arms over the Lions selection of Jeff Okudah (CB – Ohio State) at No. 3 overall. But do you know what else they may have done?

Taken the best player available. Only time will tell. Read more “Detroit Lions Day 1 Recap: Okudah Matata” →

Lions Round 1: Best-Case, Worst-Case, Most Likely

If there’s one thing that quarantine life has taught us, it’s that everyone has an opinion on what the Detroit Lions are going to do in round 1 of the 2020 NFL Draft. Be sure to bring your floaties if you venture out into the overcrowded waters of draft prediction content, or you risk drowning in a sea of mock drafts and rumors from all manner of bogus “sources”. One thing that observing human behavior has taught me is that reasonable doubt is a trait that’s in short supply. Draft prognosticators think they have all the answers when there is very little evidence to support that claim. 

Read more “Lions Round 1: Best-Case, Worst-Case, Most Likely” →

NFL Draft Do’s and Don’ts: Detroit Lions Edition

Virtual draft 2020 is right around the corner, and it’s a big one for the Detroit Lions. Mandates…or…ultimatums….or…some vague pressure of undefinable quantity has been placed on General Manager Bob Quinn and Head Coach Matt Patricia to compete for the playoffs next season or hit the bricks. They can’t afford to botch this one, so allow me to offer this definitive guide of NFL Draft do’s and don’ts, specifically tailored to the Detroit Lions. Read more “NFL Draft Do’s and Don’ts: Detroit Lions Edition” →

My 1991 Detroit Lions History Lesson

School is out, but that didn’t stop me from assigning myself some homework to keep the old synapses firing. My topic: the 1991 Detroit Lions, owners of the only playoff victory in the modern era of the franchise. Read more “My 1991 Detroit Lions History Lesson” →

Best and Worst of Detroit Lions Free Agency 2020

The 2020 free agency frenzy has died down, and the Detroit Lions…did some things. Read more “Best and Worst of Detroit Lions Free Agency 2020” →

Detroit Lions Free Agency: Slay No More

NFL free agency stops for no one. Even an unprecedented global pandemic isn’t powerful enough to stop talking heads and dorks in their undies with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust on their fingers (not me) from arguing about cap hits, compensatory picks, dead money, and most importantly…PFF grades! Read more “Detroit Lions Free Agency: Slay No More” →