Detroit Lions: 2025

[Motown Bombers]

James Houston has 4.5 sacks and 17 pressures on just 90 pass rush snaps. Just saying...

[MichiganCardinal]

8 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

James Houston has 4.5 sacks and 17 pressures on just 90 pass rush snaps. Just saying...

Ehhhh I don’t really fault the Lions for that one. He’s only got 90 pass rush snaps because you might as well have 10 players on the field if they run it at him. A team like Dallas can afford to have a player who only contributes 5-10 snaps per game. But he won’t be on the field if Detroit can gain five yards between 1st and 2nd down.

[Motown Bombers]

1 minute ago, MichiganCardinal said:

Ehhhh I don’t really fault the Lions for that one. He’s only got 90 pass rush snaps because you might as well have 10 players on the field if they run it at him. A team like Dallas can afford to have a player who only contributes 5-10 snaps per game. But he won’t be on the field if Detroit can gain five yards between 1st and 2nd down.

The Lions defense has struggled on 3rd and long. I still think there is room for a pass rushing specialist like Houston. 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

I think Marcus Davenport was supposed to be their new pass rushing specialist. But like many of the players Brad seems to like, he's often injured and rarely on the field. Brad has overdone it a bit taking risks on injury prone guys that he can get for cheaper or better draft value. Availability is a skill as much as talent is. At some point, guys like Davenport, Fraizer, Levi, Pashcal, have to be able to play consistently, otherwise, what was the point of wasting a draft pick, money, and a roster spot on them? 

[Motown Bombers]

Frazier never missed a game over three seasons at LSU. He wasn’t some injury risk pick. Levi was a risk when Holmes brought him back but he also signed Lopez and drafted Williams. Paschal played 11 or more games his final three seasons at Kentucky. I’m trying to figure out who all these injury risk players Holmes acquired? It seems like he took one shot on Jameson Williams, which worked out by the way, and suddenly has a reputation. 

[4hzglory]

12 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

Frazier never missed a game over three seasons at LSU. He wasn’t some injury risk pick. Levi was a risk when Holmes brought him back but he also signed Lopez and drafted Williams. Paschal played 11 or more games his final three seasons at Kentucky. I’m trying to figure out who all these injury risk players Holmes acquired? It seems like he took one shot on Jameson Williams, which worked out by the way, and suddenly has a reputation. 

I can see Davenport and Mosley as FA signings being major injury risks, and of his draft picks,  Williams and Hooker.  Like you said, it isn't as much of a trend as his reputation is.  Now, we have been hit with numerous injuries to players who didn't have an injury history.

[MichiganCardinal]

10 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

Frazier never missed a game over three seasons at LSU. He wasn’t some injury risk pick. Levi was a risk when Holmes brought him back but he also signed Lopez and drafted Williams. Paschal played 11 or more games his final three seasons at Kentucky. I’m trying to figure out who all these injury risk players Holmes acquired? It seems like he took one shot on Jameson Williams, which worked out by the way, and suddenly has a reputation. 

Levi's back issues were a known thing from his days at Washington, although he missed no games and no one predicted they would be such a huge problem in the NFL. Paschal had his melanoma diagnosis at Kentucky. Again fair to point out that it didn't cost him any games over three years, but that was also something the Lions knew of and selected him anyway.

I do think Holmes tends to overlook the injury histories of players when he sees their talent outweigh the risk. And that's great when it works out (see: Levi in 2024, Jamo). But for as many guys as it's worked out for, it feels like twice as many never actually see the field (see: Levi in 2025, Davenport, Moseley, Rakestraw).

[Motown Bombers]

1 minute ago, 4hzglory said:

I can see Davenport and Mosley as FA signings being major injury risks, and of his draft picks,  Williams and Hooker.  Like you said, it isn't as much of a trend as his reputation is.  Now, we have been hit with numerous injuries to players who didn't have an injury history.

He signed Moseley after signing Sutton to be CB1 and also signed CJGJ and drafted Branch. Moseley was a low risk signing and wasn’t signed to be the answer. Davenport was similar. 

[MichiganCardinal]

10 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

He signed Moseley after signing Sutton to be CB1 and also signed CJGJ and drafted Branch. Moseley was a low risk signing and wasn’t signed to be the answer. Davenport was similar. 

Moseley I'll accept as a boom-bust kind of free agent acquisition who wasn't meant to play a significant role, but he was then re-signed to the team for the following year. He was meant to see the field. I imagine it's hard to coach a team when you have a spot, even a role spot, earmarked for a player who then never makes it onto the field and who you can't rely on being out there.

Davenport I'll push back on though. He was signed to be the edge across from Hutch last year, and then re-signed for the same role this year. And he's played in what, five games total? And was totally absent on Thanksgiving. His absence has caused guys like Muhammed, Lacy, and Wheat to be forced into playing time, despite not being very high quality NFL players. Muhammed has been riding the NFL practice squad rotation for six teams, while Lacy and Wheat were picked up off of waivers after being released elsewhere just this year. And other times they're forcing a square peg into a round hole playing Alim at DE.

Fans are usually wrong, myself included, but it's hard to deny this team would be better with a real pass-rushing threat (who is consistently on the field) across from Hutchinson. It feels like that's been the case ever since they drafted him. Maybe that can be Hassanein, when he gets healthy again. Frustrating.

Edited Tuesday at 03:11 PM by MichiganCardinal

[MichiganCardinal]

To be abundantly clear, I'm not one of these fair-weather knee-jerk fans calling for firings. That's some of the dumbest nonsense on the internet today, and there is a lot of dumb nonsense on the internet.

But I do think it's fair to be critical - or at least frustrated - at a second consecutive season where the Lions should be contending for a Super Bowl, only to see the season start coming off the rails as injuries pile up.

[Motown Bombers]

18 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

Moseley I'll accept as a boom-bust kind of free agent acquisition who wasn't meant to play a significant role, but he was then re-signed to the team for the following year. He was meant to see the field. I imagine it's hard to coach a team when you have a spot, even a role spot, earmarked for a player who then never makes it onto the field and who you can't rely on being out there.

Davenport I'll push back on though. He was signed to be the edge across from Hutch last year, and then re-signed for the same role this year. And he's played in what, five games total? And was totally absent on Thanksgiving. His absence has caused guys like Muhammed, Lacy, and Wheat to be forced into playing time, despite not being very high quality NFL players. Muhammed has been riding the NFL practice squad rotation for six teams, while Lacy and Wheat were picked up off of waivers after being released elsewhere just this year. And other times they're forcing a square peg into a round hole playing Alim at DE.

Fans are usually wrong, myself included, but it's hard to deny this team would be better with a real pass-rushing threat (who is consistently on the field) across from Hutchinson. It feels like that's been the case ever since they drafted him. Maybe that can be Hassanein, when he gets healthy again. Frustrating.

Yes, Moseley was resigned after they traded for Carlton Davis, drafted Arnold and Rakestraw, and signed Robertson. They bring 90 players to camp. Moseley 2.0 was competing for a roster spot like any other undrafted free agent  

They did trade for Za’Darius Smith. The argument is they rely too much on injured players. Keep in mind their top pass rushers are Hutchinson and McNeil. McNeil had been as durable as they come until last year and Hutchinson had a freak leg injury. 

Edited Tuesday at 03:28 PM by Motown Bombers

[Motown Bombers]

The irony here is that they let Carlton Davis go who had an injury history for DJ Reed who had been pretty durable. Davis hasn’t missed a game and Reed has missed most of the season. 

[Motown Bombers]

Speaking of signing injury prone players, weird how no one mentioned Anzalone. 

[RatkoVarda]

there's got to be a way to do a deep dive into this. i assume they have been hit harder by injuries than the average team.

that may or may not be true.

SF seems to be chugging along fine with lots of injuries. Washington has been decimated.

[number20]

Slay's available

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-cornerback-darius-slay-released/

[MichiganCardinal]

Just now, number20 said:

Slay's available

https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-cornerback-darius-slay-released/

So is Laken Tomlinson. Holmes needs to assemble the Lions Draft Pick Dream Team to break this curse once and for all.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

17 hours ago, MichiganCardinal said:

So is Laken Tomlinson. Holmes needs to assemble the Lions Draft Pick Dream Team to break this curse once and for all.

Eric Ebron is a free agent as well and we need a TE (sarcasm) . . . ducks!

Edited 10 hours ago by Mr.TaterSalad

[Motown Bombers]

Cam Sutton is available too. 

[MichiganCardinal]

This is actually pretty remarkable as analytics goes. I know their DNA is shutting down the run, playing sticky coverage, and forcing 3rd and long... but why would any defensive back want to come here when you're just leaving them on an island? This is a roster management problem, not a talent one.

Not to mention, the run defense hasn't been as stout as it needs to be if that's going to be your plan.

 

 

[Mr.TaterSalad]

20 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

This is actually pretty remarkable as analytics goes. I know their DNA is shutting down the run, playing sticky coverage, and forcing 3rd and long... but why would any defensive back want to come here when you're just leaving them on an island? This is a roster management problem, not a talent one.

Not to mention, the run defense hasn't been as stout as it needs to be if that's going to be your plan.

 

 

This was mentioned the other day on The Ticket during the Lions Recap. When you constantly play man coverage and you are expecting your DBs to hold coverage for this long, one on one, it's no wonder they get roasted by a bum like Jameis Winston. It's one reason among others why fans why a legit, second pash rushing option next to Aiden. It didn't have to be the $100 million prize of Trey Hendrickson, but someone, anyone, capable of getting more pressure on the QB. You can say that Alim McNeill should be that guy, and you wouldn't be wrong. But we didn't have McNeill for the first quarter of the season and were in need of someone even when he returned. That to me is a roster construction problem more than just a schematic one.

[KnoxP]

44 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

This is actually pretty remarkable as analytics goes. I know their DNA is shutting down the run, playing sticky coverage, and forcing 3rd and long... but why would any defensive back want to come here when you're just leaving them on an island? This is a roster management problem, not a talent one.

Not to mention, the run defense hasn't been as stout as it needs to be if that's going to be your plan.

 

 

I was very patient with Davenport for a long time, bad luck, talented guy was my thinking.  I was full on wrong. I think so much was dependent on him being BOTH effective and present. Those two words are incompatible in the world of Marcus Davenport. He was a bad decision.

[Shinzaki]

Going to have to get a 2nd edge in the draft..they won't have the cap space to add a good FA.  Going to need OL help too..probably a LT to replace Decker.  Maybe Kayden Proctor in rd 1 and the best edge in rd 2.  After that it's safety, TE and IOL

[MichiganCardinal]

18 minutes ago, Shinzaki said:

Going to have to get a 2nd edge in the draft..they won't have the cap space to add a good FA.  Going to need OL help too..probably a LT to replace Decker.  Maybe Kayden Proctor in rd 1 and the best edge in rd 2.  After that it's safety, TE and IOL

I refuse to post about the draft yet, but ask me again in like 36 hours and that sentiment may have changed.