MichiganCardinal

I can see it now. The Lions go on a miraculous run to the NFC Championship Game. With a big lead at the half, Goff slips and falls in the locker room at halftime. Nate Sudfeld comes in and immediately throws four interceptions, before Dan Campbell single handedly concusses him with a clipboard… who’s that coming into the game?? 53-year-old Mark Brunell. *cue The Longest Yard Burt Reynolds tossing aside the hat and putting on the helmet, “I’m going in”

Reminds me of the first Monday Night game I went to, season opener against the Jets under Patricia’s regime. While I was in the longest line of all time for security, Sam Darnold’s first career pass was intercepted and returned for a pick six. Best play of the season, as we proceeded to get the snot kicked out of us. Feels like we lost by like 40. Stafford threw 3 or 4 picks in that game and then the backup - Matt Cassel maybe? - came in and threw another. Kind of summed up the Matt Patricia regime in a way. Terrible from start to finish, and insulting at the same time.

I think this is a very possible explanation for the weight gain. He’s a 21yo who’s coasted to this point, and he’s watching his every mistake get scrutinized by tens of millions on a daily basis. Has to be really hard. If it was just the weight gain and poor Pro Day workout, that would be one thing and I don’t think I would hold it against him. The lead-up to that though - between the report and the racing and the response - is what crosses him off in my mind. He’s just not the kind of guy I want to bet my regime on, and the guys who are are the kinds of guys you take at #6 overall. I wouldn’t put it past Seattle to take him, maybe even above Anderson. Pete Carroll doesn’t have a regime to be concerned about at this point in his career, and he’s taken “character concerns” before. If he thinks the reports are just reports and that he can get Georgia Jalen Carter, he’ll take him without a second thought. That’s not the Lions situation though.

The lynchpin in discussions for #3 surrounds the Colts. If the Raiders are in talks with the Cardinals, the Colts will certainly be given an opportunity to match…. I’m not sure Indy wants to be left with either taking the choice of either taking the 4th QB off of the board or waiting and hoping to get Hooker, McKee, or whoever else in the 2nd round. If another team is involved though, like the Lions, Seahawks, Falcons, or whoever, the Colts might be willing to let it roll and hope that team takes Anderson instead of QB#3. But the Colts will still likely have the opportunity to match, and that’s what would drive the price up.

I think you adjust the defense as needed for the talent you have. If Anderson is the pick, I would expect to see a lot of 5-1-5, blitz first / ask questions later nickel defensive looks. It highlights the strength of the defense (edge rushers) and hides the relative weakness (linebackers). On 3rd and longs, there can be occasions where they don't even put a coverage linebacker on the field, rush six, and surrender that short pass to the corner and safeties. DL: Paschal / McNeill / Cominsky (Buggs, R.Okwara) EDGE: Hutch / Anderson (Houston, C.Harris, J.Okwara) LB: Anzalone (Rodrigo, Rookie) DB: Sutton / Okudah / Gardner-Johnson / Walker / Joseph (Moseley, W.Harris, Rookie)

I'm younger than most of the group (have not been on this Earth for a playoff win). Started as a fan in the early to mid 2000s, but there wasn't much memorable then... The Shaun Rogers interception return against the Broncos in... 2006? 2007? stands out, where he clearly about took a player's head off with a face mask that didn't get called. 2008 and beyond were the more clear memories though... Orlovsky running out of the back of the end zone, drafting Stafford and then Suh, Stafford's rookie game against the Browns. One of my clearest memories of a Lions game though, from high school, was the Calvin Johnson "process of the catch" game. I remember that midway through the 4th quarter I was all excited, and my dad stood up, announced that we were going to lose, and went to the front yard to mow the lawn... He catches that pass with 20 seconds left, and I run to the front door jumping up and down, all excited to tell my dad that we had won and proven him wrong. Sliced my hand open on the frame of the door while my dad doesn't miss a beat, just kept on mowing and said "I doubt it". We couldn't afford tickets as a kid, so I didn't really start attending games until I had graduated high school... In 2015, I went to three football games... Trouble with the Snap, Rodgers Hail Mary, and Michigan getting their ass handed to them by Ohio State.

I’m only talking about rationale and sane average fans, not Bears fans.

I don’t agree on Dallas. They’re in purgatory and the Lions are better. Philly maybe. I should have at least mentioned. But they’re getting worse not better this off-season, at least so far. If they draft well, they can probably be in a position to possibly return.

I think the Lions are going to surprise a lot of people next season, when really it should be seen coming like a freight train. Perusing an Eagles board (where they were none too pleased about the loss of CJGJ), there was quite a bit of dismissiveness about the Lions. I think while the diehard Lions fans can see something really special, and different, brewing, I don’t think the average NFL fan has that same realization yet… which will make their tears all the more sweeter.

I don’t think it’s even character concerns that would impact the locker room necessarily, but rather that he’s very vocal on social media and sometimes puts his foot in his mouth…. Which, as long it’s not tracking onto the field or into the locker room, who cares.

I really can’t believe they signed CGJ for so cheap. There was legitimate talk at the beginning of the off-season of the Eagles franchise tagging him for $14.5MM.

I think it’s a totality of the circumstances that lead to the excitement for me. The Lions are trending sky high at the perfect time. Short of an unexpected run by somebody, it’s them and the 49ers at the top of the NFC

The more success the Lions have in free agency, the more I’m in favor of trading up for a top player on their board. Two weeks ago, five picks in three rounds really needed to fill at least four holes. Now though, it seems more of a luxury. If you like Stroud/Young, I bet one will be there at #3. If you like Anderson, he’ll definitely be there.

And to think just a week ago we were worried that Holmes was a type not to make any external free agent signings.

Queue the Dave Wasserman “I’ve seen enough” tweet naming the Lions NFC North Champs.

This squad is really setup for something special, even before the draft. If you add one or two instant playmakers in the draft like we are setup to do, I really believe there is no ceiling to where this team can go. The NFC simply lacks elite team-wide talent, and the NFC North is absolutely for the taking. I'm going to be heartbroken if some nonsense like a fluke Goff injury in week one takes the winds out of our sails. I'm not saying break the bank or anything, but I sure hope they have a better plan than Nate Sudfeld.

My guess is that Chark has a one-year “prove it again” offer on the table from the Lions with an expiration set sometime before the draft, but that he really wants a longer contract (i.e., he thinks he already proved it). If he ends up taking a one-year deal I would bet it is in Detroit because his best shot at one year of success is with Ben Johnson and Jared Goff. But if someone else offers him a two or three year deal, maybe even for a little less money AAV, he’ll take it… just my hunch. I also wonder if part of his in-person meeting with the Panthers was a physical work-up on that ankle. It seems like it’s never really fully healed.

Drank the Kool-Aid yesterday and upgraded my season tickets. Row 7 lower bowl. How many days until training camp? FWIW, if anyone was ever interested in season tickets I think it’s an investment that’s well worth it. The tickets can usually re-sell at prices double (or more) what you pay, and the pre-sale opportunities for concerts (like Taylor Swift) can make you huge amounts of money if you have the capital and the lack of ethics to re-sell them.

Agreed. I think there can be such a thing as "too many cooks" when it comes to paying them, but not if you have them on rookie deals. If they re-signed Chark on a one-year deal and then went into the draft and picked up Jahmyr Gibbs and Cedric Tillman (for instance), Ben Johnson would probably have a real fun time trying to fit all those playmakers on the field, but that's a good thing for everyone except fantasy football owners. A later round target that could be the next ASB-like steal and take the role of X is Andrei Iosivas out of Princeton. He's flying under the radar a bit on account of being in the Ivy League, but he's 6'3" / 205 and ran a 4.43. His Twitter profile pic is an anime character too so it also seems he can fill the locker room void left by Jamaal.

If I had to guess, he really wants a multi-year deal but isn’t finding any takers.

I think if Richardson or Hooker were in the cards, there would have been a veteran addition. Not to say they don’t have their eyes set on Young or Stroud (maybe Levis - blech), but it might be a later round pick they want to develop.

Teddy Bridgewater is the only remaining competent veteran QB on the market. I think it’s a real possibility they draft one. Not saying it’s at 6 or 3, but Goff is the only QB under contract right now.

This is what mitigates it in my mind. It’s not like this is a mega deal. For a starter, it’s actually a very reasonable deal. Doesn’t mean it was warranted, or that I think he should be a starter, but it’s like a C or C- in my mind, not an F. I don’t think he will be dreadful like 21, I just don’t think he will be good either. If he’s dreadfully bad, like ‘the linebacker position is clearly costing us games’ bad, Anzalone’s cost isn’t prohibitive to trading for a linebacker mid-season. Which is something I think they would do if it came down to it.

I admitted that pages ago!! 😂

I trust Holmes' valuation of talent far more than I do a new Cardinals GM.