Your current grade for the Lions 2015 off season is...

[TBBishop]

Millen sucked 10 times as much, never came close to making the playoffs and had to go 0-16 before they shit-canned him. Lions would need several seasons in a row of less than 5 wins before that even becomes a possibility.

Wishing for them to suck in order to get rid of Mayhew is pointless. Its not going to happen anytime soon. The team is still a playoff contender.

What? Millen had a 6-2 team!

 

[TBBishop]

Not impressed. The back up safety is ok. Our back up QBs are just kindling for the dumpster fire.

Well, you need backups. When we went to the playoff in 2011 it was a team with good starters and no depth. You need depth in this league. If we resigned Suh and a couple of starters went down we'd be 4-12 again. I'm sure you'll say we're going 4-12 anyway but I doubt that.

 

[Thruthefog]

Millen sucked 10 times as much, never came close to making the playoffs and had to go 0-16 before they shit-canned him. Lions would need several seasons in a row of less than 5 wins before that even becomes a possibility.

Wishing for them to suck in order to get rid of Mayhew is pointless. Its not going to happen anytime soon. The team is still a playoff contender.

You misunderstand. I don't wish for them to suck. It's inevitable.

 

[VulturesRule]

Grade so far - C

Didn't think that management would be able to retain Suh or Fairley. Slightly surprised they went for Nagata, but in retrospect, it makes sense that they would try to fill the line with a veteran if even for a two year period. On the up side, cap is starting to be a little more manageable. Still, nothing spectacular so far, nothing daring, and nothing specially good or bad.

 

[jdwills126]

If Donald was a can't miss is not whats important. It's the fact they knew they could not keep both Suh and Fairley and still did not address the hole. If Donald was a bust at least Mayhew could have said he attempted to address the problem with the best DT in the draft.

The Lions loose both Suh and Fairley as well as Mosley and the best Mayhew did was a late round developmental guy?

 

[Dr. Evil-er]

You don't start a negotiation giving someone exactly what they want. that's why it is a negotiation. I mean do you honestly think that the Lions didn't offer him a huge contract last year? And at the end of the day, he's not better than JJ Watt and he plays a position that tradiationally gets paid less than DE so why should he be paid better than Watt? No matter what they offered him last year, you can be certain it was a competitive offer for what he had given the team and what his position calls for and he balked. If he wanted to be in Detroit, especially knowing how much paying him more than Watt would cripple the team, he would have done it. I'm not saying the front office has no fault in this, they could have gutted the team to keep Suh, but signing Suh would have just kept them in cap purgatory. You already have Calvin and Stafford signed and soon enough you'll have Levy, Ansah and Slay due for raises. Something had to shake it it pretty much had to be the guy demanding to be the highest paid player.

I never said that's where you start for fucks sake, but you don't begin with low ball offers given an established market. With McCoy's deal in place you have the floor for where you start right there because you would have to be an idiot of epic proportion to try and start lower than that. And it was reported that the Lions were offering a $15m avg early on. That's an insulting offer that can do nothing but hurt when you are already in a very weak position to negotiate from. From the reports that have come out the Lions only got to the final numbers reported as being offered at the very last minute. That's horrific negotiating

 

[tpaulus_2]

So I'm just scanning thru these posts, haven't read them all, but it seems like a lot of you are pissed that we're not being big spenders in free agency, regardless of that fact that teams are over-spending on the majority of these deals.

I can understand wanting the "splash" free agents, but there's definitely a lot of prudence to hanging onto that money. First off, we have several key players who will need to be extended over the next couple of years, Levy chief amongst them.

Beyond that teams can roll over unspent $$ toward the next year's salary cap, which can go along ways towards righting the bad cap situation that poor contract management has gotten us into.

Finally, the compensatory pick formula is based on free agents lost vs. free agents gained. The Ravens have it figured out and clean-up with extra draft picks every
year: Ravens play the long game with compensatory picks | ProFootballTalk I think following the lead of teams like them, the Patriots, and the Packers, who don't spend big in free agency, let over-priced vets walk away, and extend their own up-and-coming talent with the $$ that other teams use on free agents.

 

[RobBase]

.., regardless of that fact that teams are over-spending on the majority of these deals.

Not a fact. And more importantly, the Lions already tried to "over spend" on Suh, so don't act like all of a sudden this financial dumpster fire is fiscally responsible.

As if the Lions could have any of these big names if all these other dumb ass teams weren't "over spending". Anything to make the Lions look smart, right?

 

[RobBase]

We're still cool TP but you're slathered in Ngata flavored cornbread.

 

[broncosmitty]

Id rather have less money, two additional picks and the best DT in football.

But that's just me.

(So long we still have Tyrunn Walker. That muthafucka is the lynchpin right there. IAQ is pivotal as well. Lord knows what we'd do without him, or Josh freakin' Bynes.)

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

So I'm just scanning thru these posts, haven't read them all, but it seems like a lot of you are pissed that we're not being big spenders in free agency, regardless of that fact that teams are over-spending on the majority of these deals.

I'm not sure fans are upset they aren't going crazy in FA. I'm thinking many fans, myself included, felt as if the Lions weren't bringing back Fairley and couldn't re-sign Suh -- we'd see the team upgrading elsewhere.

Most of the "talk" both on here and on the radio -- Detroit would have enough money with the cap increase, as well as the money saved on not re-signing the two former 1st round picks -- Detroit would be able to find multiple starters to add depth to the team.

So I don't think it is necessarily wanting the team to overspend, but they have been pretty silent on the FA market. They signed Tyrunn -- who is actually a solid player. Other than that -- we have re-signed some of our backups, but haven't done much of anything else.

Hopefully they have a bigger plan for the future.

 

[TrustMeIamRight]

Id rather have less money, two additional picks and the best DT in football.

You wish the Lions would have paid Suh 19 million a year?

Suh was my favorite player on the Lions. I hate seeing him go. He has no chance to live up to the contract he just signed. Tremendous player, but not a chance is he worth 19 million a year.

 

[broncosmitty]

I wish Suh got paid to play for the Lions, how much is of little concern to me. 19mil, 20mil, tag his ass, whatever. Id like to see us not draft in theTop 10-15 every other year. Since we only keep offensive guys we draft anyway.

Ngata for two picks hurts more than over paying Suh.(they're all over payed. People just like to throw the term around to feel vindicated.) It's not like we turned the savings into a player of impact. (Ngata is the football equivalent of cholesterol at this point.). We re-signed our own mostly meaningless backups and a guy that didn't start for the Saints. Yay! (I seriously, honestly do like the Walker signing.)

The team is drastically less talented right now than it was at the end of season, or the start of the season, or this time last year. Or pick your reference point for comparison.

The Vikings are going to add another young RB (after they fleece someone for AP)and then we'll be older in most every area. Battling the Bears for the bottom. But without an over paid DT. Fiscal responsibility will feel great.

Atleast that fucker hasn't signed a FA RB..... yet.

 

[Dutchis59]

So I'm just scanning thru these posts, haven't read them all, but it seems like a lot of you are pissed that we're not being big spenders in free agency, regardless of that fact that teams are over-spending on the majority of these deals.

I can understand wanting the "splash" free agents, but there's definitely a lot of prudence to hanging onto that money. First off, we have several key players who will need to be extended over the next couple of years, Levy chief amongst them.

Beyond that teams can roll over unspent $$ toward the next year's salary cap, which can go along ways towards righting the bad cap situation that poor contract management has gotten us into.

Finally, the compensatory pick formula is based on free agents lost vs. free agents gained. The Ravens have it figured out and clean-up with extra draft picks every
year: Ravens play the long game with compensatory picks | ProFootballTalk I think following the lead of teams like them, the Patriots, and the Packers, who don't spend big in free agency, let over-priced vets walk away, and extend their own up-and-coming talent with the $$ that other teams use on free agents.

Agreed Tpaul according to Spotrac, the Lions should have about $5.5 million in space left, but that includes money needed to pay the rookie class. So there is not a ton of room left, but there aren't many players out there now who would be high-money signings. Detroit should have enough money to grab an offensive lineman and a cornerback heading into the draft and there is also the chance of a Ngata extension or a restructured contract or two that would free up some more cap room if needed.

 

[tpaulus_2]

I'm not sure fans are upset they aren't going crazy in FA. I'm thinking many fans, myself included, felt as if the Lions weren't bringing back Fairley and couldn't re-sign Suh -- we'd see the team upgrading elsewhere.

Most of the "talk" both on here and on the radio -- Detroit would have enough money with the cap increase, as well as the money saved on not re-signing the two former 1st round picks -- Detroit would be able to find multiple starters to add depth to the team.

So I don't think it is necessarily wanting the team to overspend, but they have been pretty silent on the FA market. They signed Tyrunn -- who is actually a solid player. Other than that -- we have re-signed some of our backups, but haven't done much of anything else.

Hopefully they have a bigger plan for the future.

Gotta remember, though, that the talk you speak of is generated by guys paid to speculate about such things, not from the guys who are actually making said decisions.

Hopefully they're getting finances in order and rolling over money to sign Levy this year, then Reiff, and Slay. I'd rather see us lock up Slay sooner than later, because he's going to command a top-dollar contract if he keeps playing like he did last year.

 

[tpaulus_2]

Goddamn. I loved Suh- definitely thought he was the best DT in the league, but I'm not sure when he became Football Jesus for some of you guys. This school of thought that he was responsible for anywhere from 3 to 6 (or more) wins is just idiotic, imo.

He was fucking awesome, but he wasn't the whole defense. Miami over-paid for him. I'm glad we didn't, but still sad he's gone...

 

[jdwills126]

I don't care about high priced FA I do care about addressing holes.

1. DT still has holes....multiple. Ngata was a good stop gap and Tyrunn Walker could be a good rotational guy but they still need 2 more 1 being a starter.

2. They still need 2 CBs. And very well may need 3. Not sure if Lawson is up to being a nickel or dime yet.

3. They need at least a starting guard and possibly a RT/LT.

3. RB

4. a dependable WR.

They will not be able to address every position in the draft especially after trading away the 4th and 5th. If Mayhew has a plan it is a very stealthy one!

 

[RobBase]

Id rather have less money, two additional picks and the best DT in football.

But that's just me.

(So long we still have Tyrunn Walker. That muthafucka is the lynchpin right there. IAQ is pivotal as well. Lord knows what we'd do without him, or Josh freakin' Bynes.)

 

[gvsulaker82]

Yeah so far the lions have essentially traded a fourth and fifth round pick, suh, fairley, and mosley for a 31 year old dt coming off a ped suspension, a seventh round pick and tyrunn on the dline. Anybody that thinks thats a good grade is nuts. Thats not to say the lions wont finish strong by drafting well but so far its been a massive failure. Anyone that disagrees is kidding themselves, and its always the same people that think the lions can do no wrong. Ngata probably will have a decent season but he isnt even comparable to suh. Any team that blows up a great defensive line and the number two defense and switches to a 3-4 from a 4-3 deserves a bad grade.

 

[broncosmitty]

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