Detroit Lions Offseason Thread 2023

[1984Echoes]

37 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

Sheila... Dare I say she's moved ahead of Illitch and Gores as the best owner in Detroit? 

So far so good.

A+

[1984Echoes]

2 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

Internally I like Kelvin Shepard. Externally I like Kris Richard. Former defensive coordinator for the Seahawks during the legion of boom era, also a former and current secondary coach. He was hired by Sean Payton to replace Aaron Glenn after Glenn left for Detroit. He doesn't have a direct Campbell link but seems like he could be a good fit especially if the Lions are bringing in some young cornerbacks. 

I'm intrigued.

Based on this, I could live with AG getting a HC opportunity. And getting in Richard. I like the idea...

 

1 hour ago, RandyMarsh said:

I'm sure most people know this but for those that don't, we would atleast receive draft compensation if Glenn leaves since he is a minority. I believe SF got atleast 1 third rounder and possibly more when Mcdaniel left...

I'm even more intrigued. 

I think this is a really good draft to have extra/ early picks.

[Motown Bombers]

3 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

I'm intrigued.

Based on this, I could live with AG getting a HC opportunity. And getting in Richard. I like the idea...

 

I'm even more intrigued. 

I think this is a really good draft to have extra/ early picks.

I feel like Richard was linked before to Campbell and the Lions. I feel like he was a candidate for defensive coordinator or secondary coach. Those Seahawks defenses he coached were pretty good with a pretty dominant secondary. 

I'll be honest. Aaron Glenn is more easily replaced than Ben Johnson. I feel confident the Lions could replace Johnson but the chemistry between your QB and playcaller is probably the most important relationship in football. I feel like if someone offered a 3rd round pick for Glenn I wouldn't hesitate to take it. I would for Ben Johnson. 

[1984Echoes]

1 minute ago, Motown Bombers said:

I feel like Richard was linked before to Campbell and the Lions. I feel like he was a candidate for defensive coordinator or secondary coach. Those Seahawks defenses he coached were pretty good with a pretty dominant secondary. 

I'll be honest. Aaron Glenn is more easily replaced than Ben Johnson. I feel confident the Lions could replace Johnson but the chemistry between your QB and playcaller is probably the most important relationship in football. I feel like if someone offered a 3rd round pick for Glenn I wouldn't hesitate to take it. I would for Ben Johnson. 

I feel exactly the same way.

[MichiganCardinal]

3 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

Might as well start the discussion:

If AG receives and takes an NFL Head Coaching job, who does Campbell replace him with?

Which internal candidate?

Which external candidate?

I think Glenn would take Duce Staley with him to be his OC.

Internally, I think you look at Kelvin Sheppard and Todd Wash, but I think Campbell clearly has a better grasp on the defense than me, because I thought Aubrey Pleasant was doing a good job until they fired him and the defense magically got immensely better.

Externally, there are actually quite a few good defensive coordinators out there and available after not working out as a head coach or their head coach getting canned. Brian Flores, Mike Zimmer, Vic Fangio, and Evero Ejira are all possibilities if they don't get head gigs.

[MichiganCardinal]

22 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

I feel like Richard was linked before to Campbell and the Lions. I feel like he was a candidate for defensive coordinator or secondary coach. Those Seahawks defenses he coached were pretty good with a pretty dominant secondary. 

I'll be honest. Aaron Glenn is more easily replaced than Ben Johnson. I feel confident the Lions could replace Johnson but the chemistry between your QB and playcaller is probably the most important relationship in football. I feel like if someone offered a 3rd round pick for Glenn I wouldn't hesitate to take it. I would for Ben Johnson. 

This is interesting. I felt opposite, but you bring up good points.

My thoughts being that while we know the defensive success (or lack thereof depending on the game) is tied pretty directly to Glenn, we don't know whether the offense is more tied to Ben Johnson or Dan Campbell. With an offensive-minded HC, you would think the Defensive Coordinator is the second most important role on the coaching staff.

At the same time, while I like Aaron Glenn, I am not sure he's top ten in the NFL in terms of defensive coordinators. I do think some of the great NFL defensive coordinators (like Fangio and Ejira) could probably come in and improve the defense from day one. Not that I'm advocating for firing Glenn or anything, the grass is definitely not always greener and he's done a pretty good job with the (lack of) talent he's been given. Just thinking out loud...... I'd prefer to lose neither.

[Motown Bombers]

1 hour ago, MichiganCardinal said:

This is interesting. I felt opposite, but you bring up good points.

My thoughts being that while we know the defensive success (or lack thereof depending on the game) is tied pretty directly to Glenn, we don't know whether the offense is more tied to Ben Johnson or Dan Campbell. With an offensive-minded HC, you would think the Defensive Coordinator is the second most important role on the coaching staff.

At the same time, while I like Aaron Glenn, I am not sure he's top ten in the NFL in terms of defensive coordinators. I do think some of the great NFL defensive coordinators (like Fangio and Ejira) could probably come in and improve the defense from day one. Not that I'm advocating for firing Glenn or anything, the grass is definitely not always greener and he's done a pretty good job with the (lack of) talent he's been given. Just thinking out loud...... I'd prefer to lose neither.

I guess I feel in general that defensive coordinators are less important than offensive coordinators. I also feel Dan Campbell is a good recruiter and can recruit a good defensive coordinator. Even if Campbell was more involved in the offense, there is something good going on between Campbell, Johnson and Goff. 

I also think it's not going to be long before teams come for their position coaches to elevate as coordinators. 

[buddha]

3 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

Dare I say she's moved ahead of Illitch and Gores as the best owner in Detroit? 

that's quite the low bar to clear.

but yes, i think sheila has so far proven to be a good owner.  i like her.  my only gripe is she didnt fire quintricia immediately, but thats understandable from a first time owner.

[RandyMarsh]

13 minutes ago, buddha said:

that's quite the low bar to clear.

but yes, i think sheila has so far proven to be a good owner.  i like her.  my only gripe is she didnt fire quintricia immediately, but thats understandable from a first time owner.

Also not only was she a first time owner but we were also right in the middle of the pandemic, when she took over we weren't really even sure if or what the 2020 season might look like so she may have not wanted to throw a brand new regime into that unknown and instead just play it out with what we have and start fresh the following season.

Edited January 19, 2023 by RandyMarsh

[Motown Bombers]

12 minutes ago, buddha said:

that's quite the low bar to clear.

but yes, i think sheila has so far proven to be a good owner.  i like her.  my only gripe is she didnt fire quintricia immediately, but thats understandable from a first time owner.

Sheila didn't take over ownership until June. By then training camp was getting ready to start. I think you have to roll with Patricia and Quinn and see. I don't know how much say she had prior, but if you let Quinn do the draft in 2020 you have to let him start the season. 

[MichiganCardinal]

5 minutes ago, buddha said:

that's quite the low bar to clear.

but yes, i think sheila has so far proven to be a good owner.  i like her.  my only gripe is she didnt fire quintricia immediately, but thats understandable from a first time owner.

Obviously hindsight is 20/20, but I can recall it was not a consensus among fans that they needed to go after 2019. That team started 3-3-1 and then was ravaged by injury. They lost eight games by one score as well. As bad as they were, they weren't Nathanial Hackett or Urban Meyer where you had no choice but to abandon ship.

I was wrong (obviously), but I was among those who thought they should be brought back on an extraordinarily short leash for 2020.

I like Sheila a lot. I think she cares about the team and about winning more than relationships, and more than either of her parents ever did. I hope she gets the chance to stand in front of Lions fans again at Ford Field next season and gets a much warmer ovation than she received next to Calvin.

[Hongbit]

Sheila’s most underrated move was removing Ford as her last name and going with Hamp.    

[Motown Bombers]

Stafford missed the final 8 games of 2019 in which they went 0-8 so there was a built in excuse. 

[Motown Bombers]

13 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

Obviously hindsight is 20/20, but I can recall it was not a consensus among fans that they needed to go after 2019. That team started 3-3-1 and then was ravaged by injury. They lost eight games by one score as well. As bad as they were, they weren't Nathanial Hackett or Urban Meyer where you had no choice but to abandon ship.

I was wrong (obviously), but I was among those who thought they should be brought back on an extraordinarily short leash for 2020.

I like Sheila a lot. I think she cares about the team and about winning more than relationships, and more than either of her parents ever did. I hope she gets the chance to stand in front of Lions fans again at Ford Field next season and gets a much warmer ovation than she received next to Calvin.

The thing with Calvin Johnson is she has tried to get him his money and he refuses to work with the team. Sheila can't just write him a check. I really hope Calvin Johnson goes away. He quit. He isn't entitled to that money. The Lions already paid him $113 million. I could care less if he is involved with the team. I don't watch the draft wishing Calvin Johnson was there to announce a draft pick. Maybe when St Brown quits at age 30 they handle it different. 

[MichiganCardinal]

3 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

The thing with Calvin Johnson is she has tried to get him his money and he refuses to work with the team. Sheila can't just write him a check. I really hope Calvin Johnson goes away. He quit. He isn't entitled to that money. The Lions already paid him $113 million. I could care less if he is involved with the team. I don't watch the draft wishing Calvin Johnson was there to announce a draft pick. Maybe when St Brown quits at age 30 they handle it different. 

I agree 100%. He is acting like a spoiled toddler who wants to have his cake and eat it too. He had a contract! He quit! I respect him for his contributions while he was here, and for putting his body on the line like all of these athletes do, but the way he is acting like the victim of the whole thing is beyond me.

That all said.... I was just referring to the game last year where Sheila honored Calvin at halftime, and the boos were so loud they about drowned her out. She hasn't made a significant public appearance to that scale since. I was there but I didn't boo, because I thought that wasn't fair to her. She is not her mother or father. If WCF had appeared from the grave at halftime, then it'd be fair to boo.

[Hongbit]

I hope this team gets really good soon so we can stop constantly talking about the past.  It’s such a shitty history and I can’t wait to move beyond it all.  

Edited January 19, 2023 by Hongbit

[MichiganCardinal]

1 minute ago, Hongbit said:

I hope this team gets really good soon so we can stop constantly talking about the past.  It’s such a shitty history and I can’t wait to move beyond it all.  

The Saints went from 1967 to 1987 without a winning season, and it took until 2000 until they had a division championship and a playoff win. Since 2009 though, they've made the playoffs 8 times, won their division 6 times, and won the Super Bowl once. People in their 20s and younger don't even remember how awful they used to be and think of them as a successful franchise. The historical ineptitude for their older fans has turned into "I was a fan all the way back when..." reminiscing more than depression inducing drinking stories. Though I'm sure they'd appreciate another Super Bowl in their lifetimes.

Would be nice to go in that direction.

[Motown Bombers]

More of the Lions past in case you were wondering what Joey Harrington is up to. 

 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Motown Bombers

[Jason_R]

3 hours ago, MichiganCardinal said:

If WCF had appeared from the grave at halftime, then it'd be fair to boo.

Is this a ghost pun?

[RedRamage]

8 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

Dare I say she's moved ahead of Illitch and Gores as the best owner in Detroit? 

My first instinct is to say "too early to say for sure" but honestly... it's like the other current owners are doing anything great... so yeah, at this moment I'd say she's the leader.

[Mr.TaterSalad]

16 hours ago, Hongbit said:

Sheila’s most underrated move was removing Ford as her last name and going with Hamp.    

Until they remove the WCF patch it's going to be real hard to win a playoff game though.

[Motown Bombers]

Rumors are Jalen Ramsey and the Rams may be parting ways. Not sure how that is going to work since he has an enormous contract but if he becomes available he becomes an interesting target. 

[Hongbit]

46 minutes ago, Motown Bombers said:

Rumors are Jalen Ramsey and the Rams may be parting ways. Not sure how that is going to work since he has an enormous contract but if he becomes available he becomes an interesting target. 

I wouldn’t trade either 1st but I’d do it if they would take a 2nd now and maybe something later in 2024 like a 3rd or 4th.  I’m not concerned about the cap hit.  They have the money to cover now and it’s only going to dramatically increase in the coming years.    Good teams don’t let the cap stop them anymore.  It would immediately turn our biggest weakness into a strength.  He also will help Okudah, our draft pick this year, and if they choose to keep a Jacobs, Hughes, or Lucas.   He’s definitely the type of dog they are looking for in the locker room too.  I think I just talked myself into doing it. 

Edited January 20, 2023 by Hongbit

[Hongbit]

A Ramsey trade would also open me up to a luxury pick with one of the 1st’s.  That could be  a QB, Bijan Robinson, or Matthew Meyer.  

They could trade Swift to help off set whatever later round pick they use acquire Ramsey.  If they don’t take Bijan in the 1st, they can add a back later in the draft of FA.  

Edited January 20, 2023 by Hongbit

[Motown Bombers]

I was thinking of the cap implications from the Rams side and not the Lions side. He appears to have an enormous dead cap hit. It looks like they could trade him for minimal cap space. It's looking like the Rams are staring down the barrel of a rebuild so they may not care carrying a lot of dead cap much like the Lions did at the beginning. The Lions could easily restructure his contract and Goff's to create cap space.