Judge For Yourselves

[Dr. Evil-er]

I'm not saying he's proven to be a top-notch GM, but he's assembled more talent than a lot of teams in the league have over the same span...

Our earned draft position and the Williams trade have allowed for him to have twelve top 50 draft picks during his tenure. He inherited CJ as well.

Since I don't know how to evaluate the talent he has assembled by much more than the win/loss record (because that is the only factual representation you can use) your assertion that he has done better than a lot of teams is an opinion. I can respect that but the facts say differently.

 

[gandydancer]

The most interesting part of this thread is that I very specifically ask posters in what area do they think Mayhew has been an above average GM. Not one person has offered an area thus far.

Xanders being hired is a plus. I do believe he has been behind two good drafts and UDFA signings. I still give credit to the guy that hired him. Albeit anyone in front office. That is where I have no faith. Ford's, Lewand and Mayhew. So someone gets credit. We just don't know who?

Waddle and Fauria very good. Now with Lucas a UDFA is battling with Waddle and if he beats him out, is a plus in my eyes. I trusted Waddle so someone better is awesome. Do I think Fauria gets 7TD's? NO... Still will be vital in red zone.

Fuck Meow, you are really making me think.

I did like the signings of Quinn and Bush. Then Tate this year. The other signings seem to be plugins. He may be Millen Jr. in some eyes. He fucking inherited a shit hole roster. Which has been completely revamped and turned over. This roster is getting younger and the late round kids are sticking around. Which many harp on. Now it is happening and he gets no credit for doing some things we harp on.
Younger and also are starting to see competition for playing time. Competition breeds success. We may see the best C play ever from Dom this year.

Stafford and Suh have fucked us. Millen put him there for a #1 and #2 pick. Any GM would look bad with those two contracts. The fact they both have played at or above all-pro?? level bodes well. Ask Raider fans how many times they drafted early and still had elite and almost elite talent four years later? ( Never) So Mayhew did do right. To say they are no brainer picks, again read Raider comment.

I actaully applaud the hirings. Sexy picks don't mean wins. I feel he may be the calm demeanor they need. I love the OC/DC hires. People hate the unknown. All the good ones were at one point. Gunther and Linehan were the knowns. They sucked!!

Okay Meow... that is all I can muster up.

 

[themuzzer]

Our earned draft position and the Williams trade have allowed for him to have twelve top 50 draft picks during his tenure. He inherited CJ as well.
.

Our earned draft position...... Tell it like it is

 

[gandydancer]

Hell yes, the writer has some bias. But he states an undeniable truth: The Lions have a ridiculous amount of cap money tied up in two DTs, two TEs, and one now-departed cornerback. Sorry, but a lot of the blame for that falls on Mayhew.

Like it is a bad thing to have good players at same position. However same money would of been paid to anyone we picked at ten. There are 3 contracts that hurt the Lions and Fairley and Pettigrew are not one of them.

The problem there though is that it's not really all that true. We have a ridiculous amount of cap money tied up in one DT, and that's about it. Fairley doesn't have all that big of a cap number, nothing near the outrageous number Suh has. Neither TE has a high cap number. Houston is gone, so his cap number just shrank quite a bit, we're still on the hook for something like $5 million of his deal, but spread out over this year and next, that's not too bad.

Don't let writers like this guy fool you with generalizations- look at the actual numbers...

Fairley is not the Key. Now you pay damn near on draft slot or something. A 13th pick was going to cost regardless. Like I said, some guys want CB's so fucking bad they still would be hammering Mayhew for taking back to back CB at 2 and 13... still be paying them guys big money also...he sucks to the point where he can't win.

 

[gandydancer]

The realist know he shouldn't have a job, and the optimist find ways to pretend it's improving with every move.

I do not claim the realist title and feel he should of been fired. Bitch at Ford family. It is not every move that is good. However if your "realist ass" thinks every move is bad you are the fool Muzzer.

It just sucks not being able to say you liked certain things done right. Otherwise you are not the poor old miserable Muzzer anymore.

 

[gandydancer]

I think the issue with the whole average/above average GM thing is what/who is above average? I can think of Ted Thompson, the Seahawks GM (Schnieder?), and the 49ers GM (whomever that is) as being the really good GMs right now. Other than that, who is "average?" What is average?

Mayhew has been really good with finding talent via trades, taking other team's miss-fit parts and swapping late-round picks to turn them into starters for us. He's also done decent with UDFAs and has been at least average in the draft.

I'm not saying he's proven to be a top-notch GM, but he's assembled more talent than a lot of teams in the league have over the same span...

You say Mike Thomas and I take your man card away fucker...

 

[themuzzer]

I do not claim the realist title and feel he should of been fired. Bitch at Ford family. It is not every move that is good. However if your "realist ass" thinks every move is bad you are the fool Muzzer.

It just sucks not being able to say you liked certain things done right. Otherwise you are not the poor old miserable Muzzer anymore.

That was not directed at you, but thanks for the tirade. But make no mistake about it gandy, I'm still the poor old miserable muzzer and I kinda like it that way.

 

[broncosmitty]

This roster is getting younger

Yes, it is. It almost had to. The Lions were the oldest team in the NFL last year. Which is why I'll give Mayhew no credit for making it younger. Since he turned over an awful roster in five years and somehow came up with a shittyass old team, with "new" players.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I do agree with what he said about the blown WR picks and the drafting of TE's. I also agree that BPA does not work.

Maybe I wrote this article when I was drinking the other day

Instead of making a play for cornerback Darqueze Dennard who would have fit the new defensive scheme perfectly, Mayhew instead chose to draft the “best player available” and selected Ebron. Oh, and did I mention, he signed Brandon Pettigrew to an extension in the offseason. Pettigrew, by the way, happens to be the last tight end drafted that highly in the NFL until, you guessed it, Ebron."

I'm really starting to think I may have authored this article. I did get drunk the other day. Since I rarely drink anymore -- it is quite possible I decided to ramble on about one of my favorite topics -- Mayhew's infatuation with drafting offensive skill players

 

[tpaulus_2]

You say Mike Thomas and I take your man card away fucker...

 

[tpaulus_2]

Maybe I wrote this article when I was drinking the other day



I'm really starting to think I may have authored this article. I did get drunk the other day. Since I rarely drink anymore -- it is quite possible I decided to ramble on about one of my favorite topics -- Mayhew's infatuation with drafting offensive skill players

I think you must mean Mayhew's perceived infatuation with drafting offensive skill players? I say perceived because the numbers don't back that statement up, Mayhew hasn't really drafted offensive skill players any more or any less than other positions... in fact I think that we took a lineman in the 1st round in 4 of the last five drafts.

 

[themuzzer]

Before this gets out of hand, I admit, I sent the E-mail.

I also sent the Watergate tapes and the Lerner E-mails......If your not up too speed you have no business talking Lions football.

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

Before this gets out of hand, I admit, I sent the E-mail.

Uhmm, no you didn't.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I think you must mean Mayhew's perceived infatuation with drafting offensive skill players?

Jahvid Best, Mikel LeShoure, Ryan Broyles, Titus Young, Brandon Pettigrew, Eric Ebron and Stafford. That is 4 1st round picks and 3 second round picks. That doesn't even include spending valuable cap space to fix his drafting mistakes by signing Reggie Bush and now Golden Tate.

I'd say it is a pretty healthy infatuation.

 

[Quackerjacked]

Suh Ansah Fairley Reiff Slay Delmas was Bentley a second or third? So the is six or seven. Seems pretty even. I'll see your Bush and raise you a Quinn. Don't forget trades for Williams Wade and Houston. I'll see your Tate and raise you a Tulloch.

I don't mind hate on Mayhew. I do hate when it's done using completely biased and incomplete information as reasoning for it.

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

Drafting, trades, free agency, developmental player contribution, salary cap, team character, and advising ownership of what is best for the team.

Those are the areas I would say are the leading indicators of a GM's success or failure.

Mayhew has been horrible at drafting. I'm sorry but Stafford really was an easy pick. We had a LT that hadnt missed a game in a decade so J. Smith wasnt really a serious option, and when is the last LB that went #1, and I cant even remember who the other possibility was that year. We had Orlovsky starting for crying out loud, Stafford wasnt a tough call. It was Suh or McCoy the next year. Well McCoy is also a Pro Bowler so he wouldnt go wrong either way. To this point Fairley has been a disappointment. Reiff has been average. In the second and third round (where you are supposed to find quality starters as well) he has been nothing short of awful. Only when Xanders comes into the picture do our drafts improve. No way is he in the top half in this category.

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

, trades, free agency, developmental player contribution, salary cap, team character, and advising ownership of what is best for the team.

Those are the areas I would say are the leading indicators of a GM's success or failure.

Trades = a nice job on the Sims and Houston trades. I will even give him credit for that QB he picked up off waivers and immediately traded for a 7th rounder. Those were all well done. Mike Thomas was god awful and we gave up more there than we did to get Sims and Houston. The move ups he did in the draft were horrible. Best, Young, and Whitehead combined have contributed basically nothing. No way can I put him in the top half here. I wouldnt put him near the bottom and I think he would be close to the middle pack but no way in the top half.

 

[Quackerjacked]

I would say he's done well with first rounders. Only one is not a viable starter entering this year. That one is Best, and I actually liked the pick. He had concussion issues, but he was a mercurial runner with the ability to be a game changing talent. The second round had has been less impressive with only two looking at starting this season (one for the dolphins). The third actually hasn't been awful. Two of them were pro bowl level last year.

I think there is an unreal expectation from our drafts. Most guys drafted even on the first round don't end up being long term starters. Yes in the early to mid ribs you're looking for starters, but they usually aren't. We act like every second and third round pick should be a starter our the gm sucks. That would mean every gm sucks. I think the biggest knocks on Mayhew really should be missing on second rounders and hiring Jim Schwartz. Yes there is cap trouble, but he is not the money guy.

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

free agency, developmental player contribution, salary cap, team character, and advising ownership of what is best for the team.

Those are the areas I would say are the leading indicators of a GM's success or failure.

Free agency = His highest rated area IMO. I liked what he did with Bush, Quinn, and Jones last year. Easily his best year. Thrown in Tulloch. Mathis should never have been on the field but he worked out well. CJ Mosley could be considered OK. While he may have been cash strapped to bring in players I blame him for being there. In the FA area I am willing to put him in the top half

 

[Howie115]

Neither TE has a high cap number.

Well, I just saw Ebron will count about $2.2 mill toward the cap this year. Pettigrew signed for an average of $4 mill a season. That signing came after his receptions dropped from 83 to 59 to 41 over the last three seasons. Inexplicable to me. Not sure how much of Brandon's salary is against the cap this year. But when the team has less than $1 million in cap space prior to the Houston move, I DO look at the TE position as part of the problem.