Teams focus on talent, not need.

[lionstop1]

Looking back at some of the pre-draft visits, there is plenty of evidence that says that these visits may mean there is a real interest in the players.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Lots of guys. I'm sure teams hope and wish they can start, but they don't. Mingo, the kid Miami took at 3...neither started or played much last year. Maybe Mingo did later on. The kid from Miami looks like a bust. The CB Oakland took never started. They traded out of the top 10 for him but they were gonna take him at 3 anyways.

Mingo suffered a bruised lung against Detroit in the preseason, which set him, but he ended up as a starter and played in 15 games and picked up 5 sacks.

I agree with Dion Jordan, but he wasn't drafted for depth. He was just a bust in his first year. They tried to start him, but he was just not very good for Miami.

DJ Hayden is in the same boat as Mingo. He didn't play till any in OTA's or the preseason while he was healing from ab surgery. Once healthy and up to speed, he did start for Oakland until he was injured.

So while these players weren't immediate starters -- the teams drafting them didn't do so to add depth, but they drafted them to start as rookies. Sometimes though, players are busts, THANK YOU AGAIN OAKLAND, for taking JaMarcus Russell and not Megatron.

 

[Rollingthndr]

It makes sense to draft BPA if you have a roster like the Raiders or Jacksonville and need help everywhere. If you are a playoff type team with just a few holes, it is foolish not to target certain positions that you are weak at and need to get over the hump. Whether that be trading up or down to target the position.

 

[Kreton]

It makes sense to draft BPA if you have a roster like the Raiders or Jacksonville and need help everywhere. If you are a playoff type team with just a few holes, it is foolish not to target certain positions that you are weak at and need to get over the hump. Whether that be trading up or down to target the position.

Whooooooo. Mr thunda. Are you now saying the bpa approach was right for Lions during the sackus debacle on CBS Era? Because holy fuck I think you were going apeshit over that back then. And yes we were El terrible.

 

[Rollingthndr]

Whooooooo. Mr thunda. Are you now saying the bpa approach was right for Lions during the sackus debacle on CBS Era? Because holy fuck I think you were going ape shit over that back then. And yes we were El terrible.

It's a gray area and yes Suh has been better than Okung so far but Okung is still a damn good player and plays a much more important position than Suh. We had just drafted our franchise QB. Position value also has to be factored in than just "BPA". QB-LT-DE/OLB-WR-CB are the 5 most important and is the reason you always see those positions get selected top ten more often, year in and year out.

 

[Microwahevo]

THANK YOU AGAIN OAKLAND, for taking JaMarcus Russell and not Megatron.

Sometimes I sit up at night and thank my lucky stars Al Davis was incompetent.

 

[Kreton]

It's a gray area and yes Suh has been better than Okung so far but Okung is still a damn good player and plays a much more important position than Suh. We had just drafted our franchise QB. Position value also has to be factored in than just "BPA". QB-LT-DE/OLB-WR-CB are the 5 most important and is the reason you always see those positions get selected top ten more often, year in and year out.

I am just fucking with you. That whole sackus blokung stuff was fun.

 

[Microwahevo]

I am just fucking with you. That whole sackus blokung stuff was anoying.

FIFY

 

[gvsulaker82]

Personally, I think there is a complete misconception when it comes to fans and their overall thoughts about how NFL teams want to build their teams. To me, its talent over need in so many cases, that teams covet and they attempt to add needs whenever possible. There is no one script that every team follows, they are all a bit different but they all want the most talented guys. This brings me to this:

Today, I saw that the Broncos were showing tons of intererest in Kelvin Benjamin at his pro-day and most fans would probably see that and wonder why. The Broncos are set on offense, right? Maybe, but does that mean they pass on a guy like Benjamin if he is high on their draft board? Absolutely not.

Then, I saw where the Lions are hosting Eric Ebron for a visit. I wonder how Lions fans feel about this, considering that most believe the Lions should be done with offense because they have the best WR in the game, a new #2 and Pettigrew is back. Some would probably say that bring Ebron in is some type of smoke screen of some sort but I doubt it. Its because Ebron is the top TE and could cause a lot of problems.

To add, Mayhew and Caldwell were also at the Florida St pro-day and the word is that they were there scoping out the defensive players, which may be true but Im sure they took some notes on Benjamin.

Talent trumps need, especially early in the draft.

I think most fans agree with talent over need especially when detroit has so many areas that need improvement. Obviously there are exceptions though, if the most talented player is a qb, will the lions draft him number one? Same logic can be applied to TE. If ebron is the BPA based on their assessment of his talent than they need to be trading down. Ebron at ten would set the lions back two years.

 

[gvsulaker82]

As far as bringing in Ebron -- I think it is a total smokescreen. I would wager they scheduled the visit before they re-signed Pettigrew and still brought him with the off chance, one of the teams may be enamored with him and Detroit could trade back in the 1st round.

As much as I doubt our front office at times -- I don't see a single scenario playing out where they would draft Ebron, when they already have Pettigrew signed, as well as Fauria and Mike Williams.

If Ebron was the Lions target -- Pettigrew would be a NYJ right now.

My guess is that they showed interest in ebron to scare pettigrew into signing a decent contract.

 

[gandydancer]

My guess is that they showed interest in ebron to scare pettigrew into signing a decent contract.

Cumberland had already resigned with Jets. Not sure he was going to get bigger money there. For the same money I sure would stay in Detroit.

 

[lionstop1]

Ebron is an upgrade over the TEs the Lions have. I doubt its a scare tactic.

 

[broncosmitty]

It'd be an offensive weapon. This franchise likes reaching for those. No surprise here.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Ebron is an upgrade over the TEs the Lions have. I doubt its a scare tactic.

Larry Webster was in Allen Park for a visit. After reading the article about Webster -- I can pret much guarantee the visit by Ebron doesn't mean all that much. Detroit can bring in THIRTY players pre-draft.

I think they are just doing their due diligence.

 

[broncosmitty]

I don't know.....we've talked a lot about Evans being an option around here. Ebron is faster.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

I don't know.....we've talked a lot about Evans being an option around here. Ebron is faster.

Ebron ran a 4.6 at the combine. Evans ran a 4.53. Evans is getting drafted at #10. Unless Detroit brings in Brandon Cooks. He ran a 4.33, so he trumps both of them.

 

[broncosmitty]

I thought Ebron ran a 4.5? (Im just accepting this franchise doesn't give a fuck about building a winner. Going to be an offensive skill position. Doesn't matter to me anymore.)

 

[lionstop1]

"Due diligence" is exactly what I'm talking about. Im not really saying that Ebron is the target, just an option. Some teams dont even bring in all 30 guys for their visits, so my guess is that the guys that they do bring in, its for a reason.

 

[lionstop1]

Im all for the team taking the BPA regardless of position. The 10th pick in the draft isnt going to make or break this team. Its going to be a really good player. Im more concerned with rounds 2-7 when decisions become a lot harder. I think its safe to say if the Lions went with an offensive player, they probably wouldnt touch another one for a long time.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

"Due diligence" is exactly what I'm talking about. Im not really saying that Ebron is the target, just an option. Some teams dont even bring in all 30 guys for their visits, so my guess is that the guys that they do bring in, its for a reason.

The reason could be one of a couple. They can be bringing him as a smoke screen to make teams believe they are interested. They can be bringing him in, just in case someone calls to make a trade in the draft and they want to move up to take Ebron. They could actually be interested in him. They could be taking a look at him with the possibility he drops and the Lions may try and trade back into the 1st round.

It is all just speculation. By resigning Pettigrew though -- I think we can ignore Ebron as the 10th overall pick, as I just don't see any possibility they draft him over the players who will be on the board still.