Judge for Yourselves, Part II: Secondary

[Rollingthndr]

That's the Lions fluff piece on him. Where is the actual work experience? He completes his undergrad work and goes to work as an Environmental Advisor? LOL. If he was the Head Groundskeeper that would make sense.

Then he worked at a law firm. But he wasn't an attorney, he didn't go to law school for another couple years. That job must have been high level right? I'm seeing BSL all over that. Make coffee and send faxes cause he wasn't qualified for anything else.

Then he interns for the summer at the White House in some form of personnel dept. Then he returns to school for his MBA and JD. After that the dumbass Lions hire him as the team president? Are you fucking kidding me? He had no practical business experience other than from a textbook.

If you want to see three perfect examples of why the Ford family have been idiots as owners look no further than the Lewand hiring, the Millen hiring, and the Mayhew hiring and subsequent promotion. It should come as no surprise to anyone that we have stunk for the last 15 years when the bozos in charge are staggeringly unqualified for the positions they hold.

Classic case of it's not what you know, it's who you know. Same clowns get into higher up positions by their daddy's and grand daddy's word of mouth. Can you get my son a job here or there? No problem, we will put him in so and so position that we made up out of thin air.

 

[Microwahevo]

we will put him in so and so position that we made up out of thin air.

But his initial position wasn't created out of thin air. The entire NFL had this position created bc of the new salary cap. Now as to whether he got this position bc of his family, well I can't confirm or deny.

 

[Rollingthndr]

I was watching some of his tape and even saw some still frames of him. He really does not know how to catch a football. I know someone mentioned we don't have the skill to play the level these guys do, but I definitely can catch a ball better than half these kids. Their fundamentals are for shit. Ebron is a freakish athlete who has a ton of upside if someone can get him to change his technique. Otherwise, you are correct. He will be nothing but Jared Cook clone. A big game now and then, but mostly a disappointment.

I'm really hoping he can learn from Calvin or something and wish him the best. For me I just didn't see anything special. Felt he was an 18-30 type of guy all along. When the brass said he was the second best offensive player in the draft, I was shocked.

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

He was hired in 1997 as a "capologist" which is a position the NFL created for all teams since the implementation of the salary cap.

And the Lions have been in cap hell during his entire tenure and continue to be today. He is doing a fantastic job. 17 years of accomplishing nothing at all that provided a positive for this team.

Only the Lions would hire their cap specialist as a dude who hung around a college team and brought forth an MBA and JD. Wouldn't a mathematician, actuary, or statistician make more sense for that role? Curious as to how many other teams hired basically a college fucking intern when those roles began. Probably impossible to research but I won't go far out on a limb to guess ZERO. It should come as no surprise at all our cap situation has forever been shit with him controlling it.

“I think that at least provided a degree of credibility for me with the coaches and personnel people here

This was my favorite. It's the guys own words that very much read as if he knows people see him as unqualified for the job but at least him having been the team manager at the college level gives him at least some credibility for the job. Last I knew there wasnt a salary cap at the college level so he had ZERO experience with that. Nor did he have any practical business experience in the public sector.

Can you connect any dots whatsoever from his background to being qualified to negotiatie multi-million $ contracts or anything even close to cap mgmt? This is the Lions organization in a nutshell right there. Same with Millen (a player and a broadcaster) hired and given complete autonomy. After complete destruction of the team for a decade he finally got shitcanned and they gave us his apprentice. That apprentice was equally as unqualified. He was hired because he was buddies with the first unqualified jackass.

Does anyone recall that the NFL offered to help WCF in the search for a new GM when they finally got rid of Millen? It was well reported. In my 44 years I had never heard of the NFL itself offering to help a team with their operations. What a huge clue that should be the league itself didn't think the Lions ownership knew what the hell they were doing and they were right.

 

[Thruthefog]

I'm really hoping he can learn from Calvin or something and wish him the best. For me I just didn't see anything special. Felt he was an 18-30 type of guy all along. When the brass said he was the second best offensive player in the draft, I was shocked.

I'm waiting to see if he starts the first preseason game before I pass judgement.

 

[jdwills126]

The defense in general lacks playmakers. Suh shows up 1/2 the time and honestly Nick Fairley has been a disappointment from what we expected from him.

The DBs have lacked a true #1 shutdown corner for years. Houston at best was a good #2 when he wasn't injured. Stats are manipulated to say what the person wants them to say. I do not see a quality CB on the entire roster and thats using the eye test. Good QBs pick Detroit apart.

My biggest problem with the secondary is the fact Mayhew is supposed to have some great insight and can find the diamond in the rough when it comes to CBs. And yet we have Green, Greenwood, and Bentley all struggling to show they belong. As of today the best career projection for any of the 3 is nickel back.

I do not know if Dennard will make the impact a lot of fans think he will so I can't say I would have spent a #1 on him to fix the DB position. But I wish Detroit would have drafted a CB much sooner than Lawson was taken. Slay and Mathias does not make me feel like the secondary's problems are answered.

 

[themuzzer]

The defense in general lacks playmakers. Suh shows up 1/2 the time and honestly Nick Fairley has been a disappointment from what we expected from him.

The DBs have lacked a true #1 shutdown corner for years. Houston at best was a good #2 when he wasn't injured. Stats are manipulated to say what the person wants them to say. I do not see a quality CB on the entire roster and thats using the eye test. Good QBs pick Detroit apart.

My biggest problem with the secondary is the fact Mayhew is supposed to have some great insight and can find the diamond in the rough when it comes to CBs. And yet we have Green, Greenwood, and Bentley all struggling to show they belong. As of today the best career projection for any of the 3 is nickel back.

I do not know if Dennard will make the impact a lot of fans think he will so I can't say I would have spent a #1 on him to fix the DB position. But I wish Detroit would have drafted a CB much sooner than Lawson was taken. Slay and Mathias does not make me feel like the secondary's problems are answered.

 

[Quackerjacked]

The defense in general lacks playmakers. Suh shows up 1/2 the time and honestly Nick Fairley has been a disappointment from what we expected from him.

The DBs have lacked a true #1 shutdown corner for years. Houston at best was a good #2 when he wasn't injured. Stats are manipulated to say what the person wants them to say. I do not see a quality CB on the entire roster and thats using the eye test. Good QBs pick Detroit apart.

My biggest problem with the secondary is the fact Mayhew is supposed to have some great insight and can find the diamond in the rough when it comes to CBs. And yet we have Green, Greenwood, and Bentley all struggling to show they belong. As of today the best career projection for any of the 3 is nickel back.

I do not know if Dennard will make the impact a lot of fans think he will so I can't say I would have spent a #1 on him to fix the DB position. But I wish Detroit would have drafted a CB much sooner than Lawson was taken. Slay and Mathias does not make me feel like the secondary's problems are answered.

Judging from your second sentence, this post was sarcastic right?

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

The DBs have lacked a true #1 shutdown corner for years.

Detroit has lacked any type of #1 CB for years. There are only a select few shutdown corners in the game (Sherman, Peterson, Revis).

I'd be ecstatic if we just had a CB on the roster other teams wanted. Darius Slay is the closest we come. I guess you could argue Dallas wanted Greenwood, but he lasted all of two weeks before being shipped back.

I know I shouldn't get my hopes up, but I really think Slay is going to be a quality CB. Whether he turns into a legit #1 CB remains to be seen, but he has the skill set and isn't overwhelmed by the speed of the game, as he played in the SEC. He seems to really have a good head on his shoulders too.

 

[broncosmitty]

I'm waiting to see if he starts the first preseason game before I pass judgement.

I just L'd out L.

 

[themuzzer]

The off season has been real quite....This is good news........I don't want to hear about DUI's, Pizza boxes, pot under the floor boards of the cars etc......Right now it's smooth......Either the Lions' players are behaving or not getting caught......Nevertheless, No news this time of year is good news.


Another Positive post by Muzz...It's sad to say that our players stay out of trouble and thats positive but true.

It should be understood you don't do those things.......So Again, congrats to Detroit for not messing up thus far in the offseason.

 

[themuzzer]

That's either a reflection of the new coaching staff or guys not getting caught.....We shall see....I want to believe it's the new coaching staff and things are changing.....

Prove me wrong Mayhew...Lewland...and any Ford still in control of the business.

 

[tpaulus_2]

Got a giggle from that reference

Still wonder who was FaxBoyBobbie on CBS? Sure is hard to troll here. It was easy to fuck with people over there.

I wonder who that could have been...?

 

[tpaulus_2]

Judging from your second sentence, this post was sarcastic right?

Nope, Suh is just that good that he can lead all DTs in QB pressures (by a pretty substantial margin iirc) while only playing half-assed.

 

[gandydancer]

I'm waiting to see if he starts the first preseason game before I pass judgement.

Ohhh nooo is Ebron falling in the Warford convo? Big Lar sure sucked...

 

[tpaulus_2]

For what it's worth there's zero reason at this time to think that Slay can't become a legit #1 CB. He's basically a physical clone of Justin Gilbert, a top ten pick and the first CB off the board this year, and Slay played almost exclusively press man in the SEC. Our new system fits his skills to a tee, and he's got the skill-set to be as good as any CB in the league.

We also know, unless we've been living in a bomb shelter for the last year, that every coach and DB in the league says that CBs almost never (basically never- name one, I can't think of any that jump to mind) jump right in as a rookie and play well. Yet Slay is already being discussed as a potential bust because he didn't play all that well last season, as a rookie.

I think he's being completely overlooked right now by many of the posters lamenting the state of CBs. I think he's our defacto #1 CB right now, but that it's a title he won't let go of for a long time. We finally spend a high pick on a CB (he was taken just outside the first round, after all), and he's already the forgotten man for not making an impact as a rookie.

 

[themuzzer]

For what it's worth there's zero reason at this time to think that Slay can't become a legit #1 CB. He's basically a physical clone of Justin Gilbert, a top ten pick and the first CB off the board this year, and Slay played almost exclusively press man in the SEC. Our new system fits his skills to a tee, and he's got the skill-set to be as good as any CB in the league.

We also know, unless we've been living in a bomb shelter for the last year, that every coach and DB in the league says that CBs almost never (basically never- name one, I can't think of any that jump to mind) jump right in as a rookie and play well. Yet Slay is already being discussed as a potential bust because he didn't play all that well last season, as a rookie.

I think he's being completely overlooked right now by many of the posters lamenting the state of CBs. I think he's our defacto #1 CB right now, but that it's a title he won't let go of for a long time. We finally spend a high pick on a CB (he was taken just outside the first round, after all), and he's already the forgotten man for not making an impact as a rookie.

With all that said, he might just as well be nothing more then a #2 CB.....Glass half empty guy here, not that that had to be said. I don't have anything bad to say about Slay, but nothing good either.....So I guess by last years play it would be speculation on anyones part to say one way or the other.

 

[Naughtymax]

I just L'd out L.

If 'L' now means the same thing as that show "The Real L Word', you carpet-licked out box-munch?

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I think he's being completely overlooked right now by many of the posters lamenting the state of CBs. I think he's our defacto #1 CB right now, but that it's a title he won't let go of for a long time. We finally spend a high pick on a CB (he was taken just outside the first round, after all), and he's already the forgotten man for not making an impact as a rookie.

He has to be our #1 right now. Mathis was good in zone coverage for us last year, but not too many CB's at 33/34 are holding down #1 roles in defenses where you are asked to play man.

Also -- I don't see hardly anyone on here speaking harshly about Slay -- he was thrown to the wolves last year and he had his ups and downs, as most CB's do as rookies. IF he plays like last year though -- Detroit is in some serious trouble at the CB position, unless Cassius Vaughn (i think that is his name) plays like #1 CB in his spot. I just don't see any of the three we drafted in 2012 being reliable starting CB's and with Mathis (I stated why I don't see him being our #1)

That leaves Slay as the key to the success of the Lions secondary this year. If he struggles -- the Lions are in some trouble

 

[LPinSLC]

For what it's worth there's zero reason at this time to think that Slay can't become a legit #1 CB. He's basically a physical clone of Justin Gilbert, a top ten pick and the first CB off the board this year, and Slay played almost exclusively press man in the SEC. Our new system fits his skills to a tee, and he's got the skill-set to be as good as any CB in the league.

We also know, unless we've been living in a bomb shelter for the last year, that every coach and DB in the league says that CBs almost never (basically never- name one, I can't think of any that jump to mind) jump right in as a rookie and play well. Yet Slay is already being discussed as a potential bust because he didn't play all that well last season, as a rookie.

I think he's being completely overlooked right now by many of the posters lamenting the state of CBs. I think he's our defacto #1 CB right now, but that it's a title he won't let go of for a long time. We finally spend a high pick on a CB (he was taken just outside the first round, after all), and he's already the forgotten man for not making an impact as a rookie.

Patrick Peterson? There are some but it surely isn't the norm.