Detroit Lions: 2025

[MichiganCardinal]

I hate it here I want to go home.

[Motown Bombers]

I wonder if he decides to play next year? I wonder if the Lions are waving the white flag on this season?

[Tigeraholic1]

SOL floating back on to the seen…..

[Mr.TaterSalad]

1 minute ago, Tigeraholic1 said:

SOL floating back on to the seen…..

This is SOL creeping back in for sure. 

[MichiganCardinal]

2 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

I wonder if he decides to play next year? I wonder if the Lions are waving the white flag on this season?

At 7-5, the Lions are not waving the white flag on the season.

[Motown Bombers]

2 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

At 7-5, the Lions are not waving the white flag on the season.

So the Lions brass doesn't read this forum?

[Tigeraholic1]

Grade 3 means a total tear. Something is not adding up. 
 

 

Edited Saturday at 04:21 PM by Tigeraholic1

[Shinzaki]

Frank failed his physical..he ain't coming back this season

[GalagaGuy]

A grade 3 hamstring injury means there's a complete tear of the muscle.  It is just not possible to walk around not knowing you're suffering from one. 

[Sports_Freak]

I was really hoping Ragnow would surprise us and play against Dallas. I guess not, it appears he wont be joining us. Bummer....

[sagnam]

Imagine he noped out after seeing that IOL is not the only issue with this team. It might not even be the biggest issue.

 

I do not believe he has a grade 3 hamstring tear.

[Tigeraholic1]

After listening to Dan’s presser today it may be the end for Kerby this year or possibly his career. I remember microfracture therapy helping Magglio Ordonez but baseball is not nearly as physical of a sport. 
 

 

[Motown Bombers]

Joseph’s injury doesn’t sound too good. 

 

[RedRamage]

I feel like the Lions of 2024 and 2023 were great because of the OL and the DL. I feel like the 2025 Lions are bad (or at least not great) because of the OL and DL. I mean, there's plenty of other things to talks about... ARSB suddenly dropping passing like crazy... our depleted secondary... changes in OC and DC and OC again (kinda). But it feels like our OL can't protect well against good teams and it feels like our DL can't get pressure consistently against good teams.

I don't want to be too much doom and gloom here... we knew the 2025 schedule was going to be tough, and we knew the 2025 Lions were going to have some issues (OC and DC leaving, Ragnow retiring, McNeill being out for the start of the season) and we've still got a winning record.

This isn't the 1990s where we'd be pretty good one year, then crappy the next, then pretty good again, then crappy... And it's probably a testament to what Holmes and Campbell has done in such a short time that we're left unsatisfied by 7-5. I just think that we need to really work on improving the lines going into 2026 if we're going to be that dominate team again.

[Shinzaki]

If Kerby's knee is going to hamper him...they need to look drafting or signing some safety depth as well

[1984Echoes]

4 hours ago, RedRamage said:

I feel like the Lions of 2024 and 2023 were great because of the OL and the DL. I feel like the 2025 Lions are bad (or at least not great) because of the OL and DL. I mean, there's plenty of other things to talks about... ARSB suddenly dropping passing like crazy... our depleted secondary... changes in OC and DC and OC again (kinda). But it feels like our OL can't protect well against good teams and it feels like our DL can't get pressure consistently against good teams.

I don't want to be too much doom and gloom here... we knew the 2025 schedule was going to be tough, and we knew the 2025 Lions were going to have some issues (OC and DC leaving, Ragnow retiring, McNeill being out for the start of the season) and we've still got a winning record.

This isn't the 1990s where we'd be pretty good one year, then crappy the next, then pretty good again, then crappy... And it's probably a testament to what Holmes and Campbell has done in such a short time that we're left unsatisfied by 7-5. I just think that we need to really work on improving the lines going into 2026 if we're going to be that dominate team again.

This.

Solutions...?

Can Ratledge handle Center? He struggled this year because it was new to him. So he either figures it out and we have our Center for 2026... or this needs to be one of our top priorities. Everything O flows from this position right here. If he still is struggling to understand C next year... Has Kinsgsley Eguakon been coached up to where he is an actual viable candidate?

If not... priority FA signing? Top two rounds draft pick?

The guards fall out from there... Frazier and Mahogany need health though... and they need to be at the level needed by the Lions to make our O-Line run correctly...

Maybe not a TOP FA priority... but can we find a decent starting level Guard to provide competition or depth?

Speaking of which... Is Manu going to be ready to properly back up Decker? He has to get good enough to be able to take over ecker's starting spot... which at least makes him a top backup at LT and he just has to wait until Decker hands over the keys...

But until then...

Is that our answer to backup LT? If not, what then...?

Those are a lot of key questions about our O-Line...

 

As for our D-Line... I feel like we have enough DT starters coming back from injury and/or depth that...

Our focus really needs to be finding Hutch some help... In other words, 1st round Defensive End.

Doesn't have to be a world beater the 1st year... just has to replace Davenport's lost games (IE: be healthy...) and give something, anything, towards a pass rush opposite Hutch. I feel like all the other DE's on the team can fill in the blanks/ bench/ depth.

IMO.

Top offseason priorities:

1) Resolve Center.

2) Draft 1st round DE

3) Resolve the rest of the O-Line issues

4) Draft secondary depth at FS and CB.

 

PS: I'm not certain Arnold/ Reed/ Amik plus depth locks in the CB position. But I'm uncertain at the moment how to resolve that just yet... FA for depth...?

[Motown Bombers]

I doubt Robertson will be back. He probably played himself into a contract that is too rich for the Lions. There is still hope for Rakestraw, but I wouldn’t be opposed to bringing back Ya-Sin. He played will in limited duty. 

[Hongbit]

I’m not ready to start taking about next season yet.   They are in a bad spot right now but the NFL is weird.   Things can change quickly especially when you have a talented roster.  If they can shore up a few weak links and get a bit healthier,  they will make the playoffs.    This year things are more wide open than ever in the NFC and anyone in the tourney will have a great chance to get to the Super Bowl.

[MichiganCardinal]

38 minutes ago, Hongbit said:

I’m not ready to start taking about next season yet.   They are in a bad spot right now but the NFL is weird.   Things can change quickly especially when you have a talented roster.  If they can shore up a few weak links and get a bit healthier,  they will make the playoffs.    This year things are more wide open than ever in the NFC and anyone in the tourney will have a great chance to get to the Super Bowl.

With how doom and gloom it's been around here (and yes, how mid they have been playing), it's easy to miss that they are only 2 games out of the 1-seed with a tiebreaker in hand over the 1-seed. To be clear, I'm not saying that the Lions are going to be the 1-seed. But it's not as if anybody is lighting the world on fire in the NFC right now. Every time you think there is a clear front runner, they drop a game they shouldn't.

If the defense returns to how they played early in the season and the offense can score 24 points per game, they'll likely beat the Cowboys, Steelers, and Vikings. Rams would likely be a one-possession game, one way or the other. You beat the Bears by 30 last time you saw them. It hasn't been pretty, but they've done enough so far to be on the graphic. From December on, it's just about who is going to get hot.

But to your point about talent, if you asked 14 NFC teams right now whether they'd rather play the Lions or Bears in a must-win game this Sunday, I bet you get 14 "Bears" without much thought. As you said, this team is one of the most talented in the NFL, it's just not clicking right this second.

Feels like they need to open a can of whoop ass against the Cowboys to right the ship.

Edited 9 hours ago by MichiganCardinal

[MichiganCardinal]

What I get for being optimistic

 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

On the Lions Tecap show with Dan Miller on 97.1 today they mentioned how we were dead last in the league in time to pressure and second to last in the league in QB time in the pocket. The numbers tell us what our eyes have known all season, this pass rush sucks and it isn't working. That falls on Brad as much as it does any coach or player IMO. He built his defensive front and right now, it's a liability for this team. 

[GalagaGuy]

Arnold is done for the year.  

 

 

[gehringer_2]

36 minutes ago, GalagaGuy said:

Arnold is done for the year.  

 

 

I has a sad.

Turning out not to be the Lions year on the unjury front again.

[RedRamage]

1 hour ago, Mr.TaterSalad said:

On the Lions Tecap show with Dan Miller on 97.1 today they mentioned how we were dead last in the league in time to pressure and second to last in the league in QB time in the pocket. The numbers tell us what our eyes have known all season, this pass rush sucks and it isn't working. That falls on Brad as much as it does any coach or player IMO. He built his defensive front and right now, it's a liability for this team. 

Two first rounders, one second (or third?) rounder, a high priced FA they're not getting pressure. The talent should be there. 

[MichiganCardinal]

7 minutes ago, RedRamage said:

Two first rounders, one second (or third?) rounder, a high priced FA they're not getting pressure. The talent should be there. 

I understand on an intellectual level Holmes’ philosophy on injured players. “Everyone is injured in the NFL, if you can get an ‘Injury prone’ talent in the 2nd round who would otherwise be a 1st round talent, do it.” Same for free agency but with money. And then just rotate everyone and try to keep them all on the field. I get it. It makes sense.

But you’re now looking at a second season derailed by many of those injury prone guys not being on the field. Levi and Paschal saw a combined zero snaps this season. Davenport has been a complete non-factor over two seasons. I’m not going to Monday Morning QB the NFL Draft, especially not with the hits Holmes has had. But two 2nd round replacements on the defensive line who actually see the field would make a world of difference about now.