Jason_R

Yeah the back end of the defense will not be great but the DL is now stocked with physical freaks. The Lions are finally strong in the trenches as they say.

Holmes seems to believe that LB has low positional value. Teams rarely line up in a pure 4-3 anymore, where you need your old school Mike/Sam/Will alignment. He also clearly allocates top picks to physical and athletic freaks. Yes, you can get your Amon Ra slot receiver in the middle rounds, but you cannot get a game breaker like Jameson Williams there. And you cannot get someone strong and athletic like Paschal late either. Holmes’s past two drafts are the first time I can recall that the Lions have had an identifiable strategy for player acquisition. Before it was always just a crap shoot. Now it seems clear that Holmes seeks positional value, rare physical attributes, athleticism, and character.

Before the draft I didn't think the Lions should be in the market for deep value picks because we can't afford to miss. But Holmes won the trade decisively and spoiled the honeymoon for the new regime in Minnesota. In three years when they are circling the drain, their fan base will still be complaining about getting fleeced by Holmes. Getting the most explosive WR in the draft is the cherry on top.

In all the thousand mock drafts that got done, I’d like to see if there was one that had the Lions trading up for Williams at 12.

Let's hope they don't have to play Georgia.

And it was so early in the morning. This poor truck driver probably had no chance to see him let alone avoid him. He will have that image flash through his mind for the rest of his life. Seriously, if you break down on a busy road, you are almost certainly safest in your car, belted in. Call AAA, call highway patrol, call 911, but don’t get out of your car until you have someone there to assist you.

Sure but let some other team pay him.

Neither he nor his wife thought to call AAA? Shame.

“Pay me more, use me less.” And Detroit is supposed to trade for him why?

Honestly the teams still may not even know. Jacksonville may not know what it wants to do with #1. There may be guys on their staff beating the table for four different players and three different trade options. And every team behind them will be left scrambling to decide based on what Jacksonville does.

Yes. Excellent point. Also, Holmes has been part of two staffs that traded for Goff. Whether that was right or wrong, whether fans think he should be replaced or not, Holmes is not likely to roll the dice on a QB in what he calls “player acquisition” phase.

Campbell says it all here. They believe Goff is good enough now. Super Bowl? They’re not going this year. Or next. But for now, Goff is good enough for them to compete. Then if you see your guy in a year or two you go get him.

Even Tyreek Hill is bigger, while also being faster.

Huh. That’s a lot of off-season drama for the Bucs.

We think Mike Florio should take him.

They’re not drafting Willis. Mark Brunell having a swooning fit over a swing pass? Smacks of a smokescreen. Brad Holmes has now been involved in two trades for Jared Goff. He believes in Jared Goff. (Whether or not he should is another question.) Atlanta is now in the market for a QB. Mariota is a stopgap. Also in the market: Carolina, maybe Houston, Seattle, and Pittsburgh. Rhule is positioned to do something reckless. Who knows what Houston will do; maybe they’ll pick Willis just because he went to Liberty. Does Pete Carroll think Willis has the physical skills to emulate Russell Wilson? Would Mike Tomlin (who was at Willis’s pro day today) jump at the chance to replace his franchise QB… and coach a black QB? Anyway, Willis is the only guy that anyone would go and get. Lots of teams are in a position to go and get him. And nobody is afraid JAX will take him.

The Lions are not in a position to be spending 3rd round picks on prospects with injury red flags. Maybe after three more Brad Holmes drafts they will have the talent base where they can play the boom/bust game. But it makes zero sense now, even if the player is a Michigan man.

This is not obvious at all. Instead, it is obvious they did not spend $70 million on a safety. They did not spend $70 million on an edge rusher. They did not issue a major contract because it is obvious they are not one piece away. It is obvious that FA is not done. They can still sign players that will fill holes or upgrade positions. But it is obvious they do not want to set the market. It is also obvious that they can plug in 2-3 new starters next season from the draft. Maybe even 4.

You hope a guy like this plays his way into a mega deal.

Welcome back Tom! Feels like you never left.

Someone is going to spend a lot of draft capital for him and a lot of money on him. They’ll probably even hire someone — a dude — to give him a massage every day. But he is not a luxury, or a PR challenge, that this franchise is remotely in the market for.

What’s the over/under on the number of minutes that Holmes and Campbell spent contemplating trading for Watson? I have it at about three minutes.

That decision might be worth half a billion dollars to Watson.

Yes, maybe Willis will go #2 to a team like Washington. Maybe they forgot about RGIII and they will once again trade a big load of draft picks to get RGIII part 2.

Well, the Jags tagged their LT so it might be Thibs at 2.