Mayhew is about to do something real crazy.

[themuzzer]

I don't mind drafting a wr, but wasting picks to trade up to grab a WR just looks desperate to save a job in a deep wr class.

 

[lionstop1]

What I thought about is the cap situation and that it might be one of the reasons the Lions might be willing to trade up. It might sound stupid but its just a thought.

Re-signing Suh, is going to come with some heavy concequences. Continuing to pay Stafford and CJ will too. Even though the cap is said to increase every year, the Lions will need to find money. In a few years they will have some players coming off the books but surely they will want to keep some of them. I wont list everyone, but you get my drift.

Now, if the Lions want to trade up and give away picks, that means the less contracts they have to pick up. I know rookie contracts arent bad by the numbers but it is money saved and money that can go other places. Given the Lions situation, they probably wont mind avoiding a 2nd round prospect's contract and even moreso, a 2015 1st rounder's.

Taking a chance at a top guy now and trading away picks means investing that money into said prospect and other areas.

 

[themuzzer]

What I thought about is the cap situation and that it might be one of the reasons the Lions might be willing to trade up. It might sound stupid but its just a thought.

Re-signing Suh, is going to come with some heavy concequences. Continuing to pay Stafford and CJ will too. Even though the cap is said to increase every year, the Lions will need to find money. In a few years they will have some players coming off the books but surely they will want to keep some of them. I wont list everyone, but you get my drift.

Now, if the Lions want to trade up and give away picks, that means the less contracts they have to pick up. I know rookie contracts arent bad by the numbers but it is money saved and money that can go other places. Given the Lions situation, they probably wont mind avoiding a 2nd round prospect's contract and even moreso, a 2015 1st rounder's.

Taking a chance at a top guy now and trading away picks means investing that money into said prospect and other areas.

I thought about this too, but do we really want a bunch of guys as castoffs from other teams filling our roster at league minimum to complete the roster......Cap hell sucks and were in it.

 

[lionstop1]

Not really cast-offs. They would attempt to keep all their good players in line and still build through the draft. They would take the hit this year by not getting a second round pick and live with what they can get afterwards. Next year, they would be back in the mix. Even if they gave up next years first, their thinking is that they wont be picking early anyway.

This strategy would still be building through the draft in a sense.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

This strategy would still be building through the draft in a sense.

Building thru the draft isn't trading away multiple picks to draft one player. As Muzzer said -- it is more a desperate move by a GM who knows his job is on the line and if they don't win in 2014, it doesn't matter to him about 2015 and beyond.

What I thought about is the cap situation and that it might be one of the reasons the Lions might be willing to trade up. It might sound stupid but its just a thought.

If it was pre 2012 -- I would say I could see this being in the cards. With the rookie scale they have now -- Draft picks are like gold, as you can get quality players on the cheap. Even 1st round picks are extremely cheap now -- Suh was the last year of the old scale -- He was giving like a 5 year 60 million dollar rookie deal. If we drafted him a year after -- his contract would have been 5 years 21 million (not 100% sure, but I think that is what the going rate for the #2 pick is now).

That is one of the reasons why I don't want to see them trade away picks for anyone, as the cheap talent they can get in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd round can fill starting spots for much cheaper than the Lions will find in the open market.

 

[Quackerjacked]

The new wage scale really only changed things dramatically for the first ten to fifteen picks. After that everything was relatively cheap before. 2nd and 3rd Roberts were definitely cheap before. If anything if you're moving up to the top of the draft foot what you used to be able to you are getting the deal because you are getting a potential game changer on the cheap in a way you weren't able to before.

 

[lionstop1]

I'd rather see them go after who they want instead of just taking what comes.

 

[lionstop1]

Im sure thats a factor they consider too, Quackerjacked.There is value to trading up.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I'd rather see them go after who they want instead of just taking what comes.

While I agree, I'd rather go after who they want, but at what cost? You mentioned a 1st and 2nd round this year and possibly a 1st round next year. Unless the player is going to step on the field and turn Detroit into a Super Bowl contender -- They are mortgaging their future.

If Detroit needed an elite QB, which they don't, I could understand trading away picks like that. If the guy was an elite DE, I could understand trading away picks like that, as it is one of the premier positions in the NFL. If the guy was an elite CB, I could understand trading away picks, as elite CB's are few and far between.

WR isn't a tough position to fill, even though Mayhew has made it that way. You can find huge value at the position outside the 1st round with relative ease. SD took Allen in the 3rd round and he put up #1 WR numbers. Randall Cobb was the 2nd a few years ago. Torrey Smith was the 2nd round a few years ago. TY Hilton was the 4th round a few years ago. Alshon Jeffrey was the 2nd round. There is elite talent to be had in drafts that didn't come close to the talent in this year's draft.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Jamie Samuelsen's blog: No reason for Lions to trade up and draft Sammy Watkins | Detroit Free Press | freep.com

yeah -- i think the freep is scouting this site on what to write about the Lions draft coming up

 

[lionstop1]

I dont love the idea of trading picks but that comes from the assumption that those picks will garauntee good players and not wanting them to "miss out" on players.

I look at the athlete and not so much the position and I bet NFL reps do too. Even though WR isnt one of the premeir positions by some accounts, a talent like Watkins doesn't come around too often. A chance at adding him to a really good line-up doesnt come along too often either.

But this is not just about him, Lions seem to have interest in Clowney and maybe Mack is the target. They say, when you want to trade up, always have at least two players you will take in case one is gone.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

a talent like Watkins doesn't come around too often.

what WR in the NFL right now do you think Watkins is comparable to? what kind of stats do you believe Watkins is going to put up in the NFL? i'm just curious to hear what you think his ceiling is going to be.

 

[Old Lion]

Watkins to me seems like just a slightly bigger slightly better version of Tavon Austin. I just don't see him comparing to the elite WRs in the NFL. I also watched his body mechanics the way he runs. He is a knee or hip injury waiting to happen. He favors 1 leg way too much.


I also don't think he fits what we want to do. We would be better off with Tate in the slot and getting another big WR with good hands on the outside.


Personally, I still want OLB. It is our weakest spot and we have a chance to draft a talent with monster upside (Barr) sort of we did with Ziggy.

 

[lionstop1]

The guy that wrote that article is also blinded by the stats the Lions put up. I would like to see him write about who he would move up to take.

 

[lionstop1]

Not sure who I would compare him to. Stats? Hard to tell but I think he will excel at yac and have his share of tds and big plays.

 

[Kreton]

I keep changing my mind on the moving up for Watkins. Some days it seems like a solid play, others I think it sound dumb. Currently I think moving up is a bad idea. Tomorrow who knows.

 

[gandydancer]

what WR in the NFL right now do you think Watkins is comparable to? what kind of stats do you believe Watkins is going to put up in the NFL? i'm just curious to hear what you think his ceiling is going to be.

Depends where he goes. What QB and offense he has? Will he be like CJ and put up numbers no matter who his QB is? Give you better answer by May 8th.

Eric Decker will not repeat his production. Is it because no Peyton or is it new QB or offensive scheme? Combo of all three or just the fact some QB's make players around them better?

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Not sure who I would compare him to. Stats? Hard to tell but I think he will excel at yac and have his share of tds and big plays.

You see, that is what I am getting at. Watkins, to be an elite WR in the NFL, is going to have to break the mold of the type of WR's who have been dominating the league.

I agree -- I think he will do well in YAC. Which is why I said, he is basically a slightly bigger version of the guy we just signed, Golden Tate. My issue is -- in the NFL, the difference between the good and the elite WR's is winning the 50/50 balls in the air -- the dominate WR's use their height/length and jumping ability to make game changing contested catches. Watkins isn't small, but he definitely doesn't fit the prototype of the guys who are dominating in the NFL. Not only does Watkins have a very average vertical, he also doesn't have long arms, so he isn't going to be playing bigger than his size with the ball in the air -- a couple of guys who fall just short of the 6'3" and up category, but play much bigger, because of their vert and length is Dez Bryant and Andre Johnson -- both are just over 6'2", but both have 38+ inch verticals and both have long arms.

I think there is a reason why Watkins has had so much love for the Lions. He knows it is the one system, he can step in, not have to be the top guy and can just another WR on the team. Anyone else who drafts him are going to expect him to come in and be their #1 WR, when it could take some time for him to get acclimated to playing in a pro style offense, as he isn't going to be catching 60% of his balls on screen plays and CBs aren't going to be playing 5-10 yards off him at the line of scrimmage, which is what he dealt with in college, as basically every team does that.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Depends where he goes. What QB and offense he has? Will he be like CJ and put up numbers no matter who his QB is? Give you better answer by May 8th.

Eric Decker will not repeat his production. Is it because no Peyton or is it new QB or offensive scheme? Combo of all three or just the fact some QB's make players around them better?

In all honesty -- if a team is giving up draft picks to move up to #2 overall to take a WR -- it shouldn't matter who is throwing him the ball. He should be a player who will produce no matter where he goes.

Josh Gordon led the NFL in receiving with a bunch of garbage QBs throwing him the ball. Andre Johnson was a top 5 WR again with trash throwing him the ball most of the year. AJ Green has been one of the top WR with a QB who is killing the Bengals, to the point most fans want him gone. Vincent Jackson put up 1200+ yards with terrible QBs throwing him the ball.

An elite QB most definitely helps -- but elite WRs put up stats no matter who is throwing them the ball.

Do I think Eric Decker matches his production? No. I think he is a high quality #2 WR and his production will struggle greatly without Peyton Manning throwing him the ball next year and the fact he is now going to be the #1 WR in NY.

 

[lionstop1]

Watkins is a game-breaker. I'm not sure why you're so persistent with arguing that Watkins isnt elite when the world-wide view states otherwise. I dont blame the Lions one bit for being interested.