Moonlight
Footballguy
CJ Gardener’s play didn’t back up his mouth.
In the game thread I mentioned that his cheap hit on Deebo was an example of putting himself before the team.
I don’t see him as a long term fit.
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2024 Detroit Lions: Draft complete. (20 Viewers)
- Thread starter Da Guru
- Start date
In the game thread I mentioned that his cheap hit on Deebo was an example of putting himself before the team.
I don’t see him as a long term fit.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Doesn’t mean a whole lot now but Malcolm Rodriguez played a great NFCCG after being mostly a Special Teamer in Y2. Played at a very high level after Barnes got hurt.
MCDC mentioned last night that the more you win, the easier it is to get attached to players. Said you have to be able to take emotions out of it when making those roster decisions.
There are a few players on the defensive side who simply aren’t up to the standard.
MCDC mentioned last night that the more you win, the easier it is to get attached to players. Said you have to be able to take emotions out of it when making those roster decisions.
There are a few players on the defensive side who simply aren’t up to the standard.
Wasn't planning to go to the game, but I was planning on going to Vegas. That would have been a great weekend.
But this team is in a real good place right now. I can see Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes being the dynamic duo running the Lions for the next decade. Loads of young talent, plenty of cap space, decent draft capitol, and a destination where football players want to come. Plenty of more playoff wins in the future.
But this team is in a real good place right now. I can see Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes being the dynamic duo running the Lions for the next decade. Loads of young talent, plenty of cap space, decent draft capitol, and a destination where football players want to come. Plenty of more playoff wins in the future.
Hot Sauce Guy
Footballguy
You still can!
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Ifeatu Melifonwu since Week 14 (8 games):
• 79.7 PFF Defensive Grade
• 16 Defensive Stops
• 11 Total QB Pressures (6 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, 3 QB Hurries)
• 13 catches on 22 targets for 171 yards (only 21.4 yds/gm)
• 2 TDs
• 2 INTs
• 2 PBUs
• 76.1 NFL Passer Rating
• 79.7 PFF Defensive Grade
• 16 Defensive Stops
• 11 Total QB Pressures (6 Sacks, 2 QB Hits, 3 QB Hurries)
• 13 catches on 22 targets for 171 yards (only 21.4 yds/gm)
• 2 TDs
• 2 INTs
• 2 PBUs
• 76.1 NFL Passer Rating
Moonlight
Footballguy
Listened and Campbell takes responsibility for calling the goal line running play. Said he thought it would easily work and said he gambled and lost.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Noticed that MCDC repeated this thought from the postgame presser again yesterday, almost verbatim:
I thought AG did a really good job showing some creativity in his pass rush schemes over the last 8 weeks. Inserted Melifonwu and started dialing up pressure from the secondary. Disguised their coverages well, became less predictable. He was working with a suboptimal talent level, especially at outside corner, and there was no consistent pass rusher besides Hutchinson.
All that said, I feel like Brad and Dan might have deferred a bit too much to Glenn on personnel decisions for the defensive unit. Guys being versatile, capable of playing multiple roles, isn't enough. They have shown a lot of loyalty (unwarranted IMO) to the Okwara brothers, Charles Harris, Will Harris, CJGJ, Jerry Jacobs. Time to move on from those guys.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
FA is before the draft, so looking ahead to that, PFF gave out a player for each team to look at.
DETROIT LIONS: DI JUSTIN MADUBUIKE
Vibes are high in Detroit right now and, while the Lions' 2023 success should be applauded, this is a team that can get even better in 2024. Edge defender Aidan Hutchinson is already in or near the top tier at his position, but adding an interior pass rusher like Madubuike could take the team's defense to another level. Madubuike is coming off a career year, boasting a 77.7 PFF pass-rushing grade and 64 total pressures — including 31 combined sacks and quarterback hits — on 512 pass-rushing snaps.
DETROIT LIONS: DI JUSTIN MADUBUIKE
Vibes are high in Detroit right now and, while the Lions' 2023 success should be applauded, this is a team that can get even better in 2024. Edge defender Aidan Hutchinson is already in or near the top tier at his position, but adding an interior pass rusher like Madubuike could take the team's defense to another level. Madubuike is coming off a career year, boasting a 77.7 PFF pass-rushing grade and 64 total pressures — including 31 combined sacks and quarterback hits — on 512 pass-rushing snaps.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
Unrestricted Free Agents
Will be interesting to see what Brad Holmes targets in FA. It is not a great CB FA class outside of Jaylon Johnson and L'Jarius Sneed. Several interesting DL on the market though.
Restricted/Exclusive-Rights Free Agents
- QB Teddy Bridgewater (has stated he'll retire)
- FB Jason Cabinda
- DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson
- G Graham Glasgow
- DE Charles Harris
- S Will Harris
- G Halapoulivaati Vaitai
- G Jonah Jackson
- CB Emmanuel Moseley
- OT Matt Nelson
- LB Julian Okwara
- DE Romeo Okwara
- WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
- LB Jalen Reeves-Maybin
- RB Craig Reynolds
- WR Josh Reynolds
- QB Nate Sudfeld
Will be interesting to see what Brad Holmes targets in FA. It is not a great CB FA class outside of Jaylon Johnson and L'Jarius Sneed. Several interesting DL on the market though.
Restricted/Exclusive-Rights Free Agents
- LB Scott Daly
- CB Khalil Dorsey
- LB James Houston
- CB Jerry Jacobs
- DT Benito Jones
- LB Anthony Pittman
- TE Brock Wright
- TE Shane Zylstra
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
PFF Top 10 Free Agents
PFF Rank
1
DI
AGE
29.5
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
KC
PROJECTED CONTRACT
4 yrs — $30m avg/yr
$80m guaranteed, $120m total
It's rare for a player of Jones' caliber to reach unrestricted free agency, and Kansas City did not give up the right to franchise tag him for a second time when the two sides agreed to a reworked contract this past offseason. A tag for Jones would land north of $33 million, which perhaps helps him test the open market for the first time in his career. Jones is not only one of the best interior pass rushers in the game right now; he's one of the best ever. He is also capable of lining up outside of tackles as a five-technique, bending around the edge and getting home.
PFF Rank
2
QB
AGE
35.4
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
MIN
PROJECTED CONTRACT
2 yrs — $30m avg/yr
$37.5m guaranteed, $60m total
An ill-timed torn Achilles derailed another strong season from Cousins, and he looked set to have a host of suitors in free agency, as he did back in 2018. Cousins still has the requisite arm strength to throw to all levels of the field and has been as accurate as ever in recent seasons.
PFF Rank
3
ED
AGE
26.5
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
JAX
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $22.79m avg/yr
$22.79m guaranteed, $22.79m total
Franchise tag. Allen backed up a strong 2022 with an extraordinary 2023 season, racking up career highs in quarterback pressures (90) and sacks (19), coupled with a 20.5% pass-rush win rate that was among the league's best.
PFF Rank
4
WR
AGE
25.0
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
CIN
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $20.71m avg/yr
$20.71m guaranteed, $20.71m total
Franchise tag. Injuries hampered almost the entire 2023 season for Higgins after his second consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2022 with a receiving grade above 75.0. A franchise tag already seemed likely heading into this season, and with little new data to impact the negotiation either way, that seems inevitable. The field-stretching, jump-ball receiver should have the chance to bounce back in 2024 along with the entire Bengals team following a disappointing campaign.
PFF Rank
5
ED
AGE
25.7
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
CAR
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $22.79m avg/yr
$22.79m guaranteed, $22.79m total
Franchise tag. Burns cannot seem to escape Carolina as the team turns down trade offers and consistently loses football games, but he put together a strong second half of the 2023 season. He posted his fourth straight pass-rush grade above 70.0, keeping his stock high amid the chaos.
PFF Rank
6
DI
AGE
26.2
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
BLT
PROJECTED CONTRACT
4 yrs — $23m avg/yr
$60.25m guaranteed, $92m total
Madubuike has a strong case for being the player to earn himself the most money in 2023. With at least half a sack in 13 of 17 games this season, Madubuike more than doubled his prior season high. He also exactly doubled his total pressure output. His effort and intensity on backside pursuit plays have always been there, and now an improved arsenal of moves with a more explosive first step has Madubuike set to cash in big time.
PFF Rank
7
DI
AGE
28.1
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
MIA
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $20.99m avg/yr
$20.99m guaranteed, $20.99m total
Franchise tag. Wilkins hoped to get an extension done before the 2023 season but didn't let the lack of one amid many at the position slow him down. Wilkins is as good a run defender as any interior defensive lineman in the NFL and set career highs in every pass-rushing category this season, including pass-rush win rate, pressure rate, sacks, quarterback hits and pressures.
PFF Rank
8
S
AGE
25.4
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
TB
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $16.26m avg/yr
$16.26m guaranteed, $16.26m total
Franchise tag. Winfield can line up in the box, take on receivers in the slot and play as a roaming deep-third free safety, finding success in single-high and two-high coverage shells. The former second-round pick is a difference-maker on the backend, and his remarkable versatility carries value at a position that appreciates it more than perhaps any other.
PFF Rank
9
CB
AGE
24.7
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
CHI
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $18.8m avg/yr
$18.8m guaranteed, $18.8m total
Franchise tag. Johnson wasn't quite able to have the third-year breakout in 2022 he hoped for as nagging injuries kept him off the field for several stretches, and he and the team were unable to find common ground on an early extension. Johnson continued to push for a new deal right up to requesting a trade at the deadline this year, but after conversations with other teams, Chicago elected to keep him around. Now, with edge defender Montez Sweat extended and the franchise tag freed up, another negotiation looks to be on the horizon. The physical, technically sound wide cornerback boasts ball production and lockdown coverage abilities that prevent targets as well as anyone, never allowing a 60% completion rate in any NFL season thus far.
PFF Rank
10
CB
AGE
27.0
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
KC
PROJECTED CONTRACT
3 yrs — $17.5m avg/yr
$35m guaranteed, $52.5m total
Sneed was a fixture out wide in 2023 after lining up primarily in the slot over his first three seasons, and he held up quite well in several tough matchups. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo asks a lot of his cornerbacks, and Sneed is sticky in coverage, getting into receivers' hip pockets and becoming very hard to shake with lateral movement or in the air at the catch point. Sneed could stand to cut down on penalties, but his aggressive nature would be welcome on many teams, and his inside-outside versatility is a nice benefit, as well.
PFF Rank
1
Chris Jones
POSITIONDI
AGE
29.5
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
KC
PROJECTED CONTRACT
4 yrs — $30m avg/yr
$80m guaranteed, $120m total
It's rare for a player of Jones' caliber to reach unrestricted free agency, and Kansas City did not give up the right to franchise tag him for a second time when the two sides agreed to a reworked contract this past offseason. A tag for Jones would land north of $33 million, which perhaps helps him test the open market for the first time in his career. Jones is not only one of the best interior pass rushers in the game right now; he's one of the best ever. He is also capable of lining up outside of tackles as a five-technique, bending around the edge and getting home.
| 2023 | 892 | 86.8 6th / 130 DI | 0.37#2 DI |
| 2022 | 1079 | 92.3 1st / 127 DI | 0.7#1 DI |
| 2021 | 764 | 83.4 5th / 108 DI | 0.33#3 DI |
PFF Rank
2
Kirk Cousins
POSITIONQB
AGE
35.4
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
MIN
PROJECTED CONTRACT
2 yrs — $30m avg/yr
$37.5m guaranteed, $60m total
An ill-timed torn Achilles derailed another strong season from Cousins, and he looked set to have a host of suitors in free agency, as he did back in 2018. Cousins still has the requisite arm strength to throw to all levels of the field and has been as accurate as ever in recent seasons.
| 2023 | 513 | 86.1 9th / 38 QB | 1.96#17 QB |
| 2022 | 1171 | 79.3 9th / 39 QB | 3.5#4 QB |
| 2021 | 1086 | 88.2 6th / 37 QB | 3.12#8 QB |
PFF Rank
3
Josh Allen
POSITIONED
AGE
26.5
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
JAX
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $22.79m avg/yr
$22.79m guaranteed, $22.79m total
Franchise tag. Allen backed up a strong 2022 with an extraordinary 2023 season, racking up career highs in quarterback pressures (90) and sacks (19), coupled with a 20.5% pass-rush win rate that was among the league's best.
| 2023 | 880 | 89.5 11th / 112 ED | 0.41#10 ED |
| 2022 | 1005 | 84.7 10th / 119 ED | 0.42#7 ED |
| 2021 | 767 | 78.5 18th / 110 ED | 0.2#15 ED |
PFF Rank
4
Tee Higgins
POSITIONWR
AGE
25.0
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
CIN
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $20.71m avg/yr
$20.71m guaranteed, $20.71m total
Franchise tag. Injuries hampered almost the entire 2023 season for Higgins after his second consecutive 1,000-yard season in 2022 with a receiving grade above 75.0. A franchise tag already seemed likely heading into this season, and with little new data to impact the negotiation either way, that seems inevitable. The field-stretching, jump-ball receiver should have the chance to bounce back in 2024 along with the entire Bengals team following a disappointing campaign.
| 2023 | 573 | 72.1 44th / 128 WR | 0.15#53 WR |
| 2022 | 929 | 78.4 20th / 113 WR | 0.32#14 WR |
| 2021 | 942 | 83.4 9th / 115 WR | 0.37#9 WR |
PFF Rank
5
Brian Burns
POSITIONED
AGE
25.7
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
CAR
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $22.79m avg/yr
$22.79m guaranteed, $22.79m total
Franchise tag. Burns cannot seem to escape Carolina as the team turns down trade offers and consistently loses football games, but he put together a strong second half of the 2023 season. He posted his fourth straight pass-rush grade above 70.0, keeping his stock high amid the chaos.
| 2023 | 814 | 74.1 36th / 112 ED | 0.15#34 ED |
| 2022 | 951 | 64.5 64th / 119 ED | 0.11#44 ED |
| 2021 | 838 | 60.8 73rd / 110 ED | 0#111 ED |
PFF Rank
6
Justin Madubuike
POSITIONDI
AGE
26.2
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
BLT
PROJECTED CONTRACT
4 yrs — $23m avg/yr
$60.25m guaranteed, $92m total
Madubuike has a strong case for being the player to earn himself the most money in 2023. With at least half a sack in 13 of 17 games this season, Madubuike more than doubled his prior season high. He also exactly doubled his total pressure output. His effort and intensity on backside pursuit plays have always been there, and now an improved arsenal of moves with a more explosive first step has Madubuike set to cash in big time.
| 2023 | 849 | 77.4 16th / 130 DI | 0.23#10 DI |
| 2022 | 684 | 63.8 54th / 127 DI | 0.07#53 DI |
| 2021 | 482 | 56.6 62nd / 108 DI | 0.03#65 DI |
PFF Rank
7
Christian Wilkins
POSITIONDI
AGE
28.1
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
MIA
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $20.99m avg/yr
$20.99m guaranteed, $20.99m total
Franchise tag. Wilkins hoped to get an extension done before the 2023 season but didn't let the lack of one amid many at the position slow him down. Wilkins is as good a run defender as any interior defensive lineman in the NFL and set career highs in every pass-rushing category this season, including pass-rush win rate, pressure rate, sacks, quarterback hits and pressures.
| 2023 | 968 | 71.8 29th / 130 DI | 0.23#11 DI |
| 2022 | 1022 | 82.2 9th / 127 DI | 0.37#5 DI |
| 2021 | 734 | 83.3 6th / 108 DI | 0.26#7 DI |
PFF Rank
8
Antoine Winfield Jr.
POSITIONS
AGE
25.4
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
TB
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $16.26m avg/yr
$16.26m guaranteed, $16.26m total
Franchise tag. Winfield can line up in the box, take on receivers in the slot and play as a roaming deep-third free safety, finding success in single-high and two-high coverage shells. The former second-round pick is a difference-maker on the backend, and his remarkable versatility carries value at a position that appreciates it more than perhaps any other.
| 2023 | 1230 | 90.4 2nd / 95 S | 0.33#2 S |
| 2022 | 833 | 78.7 10th / 88 S | 0.32#4 S |
| 2021 | 1014 | 89.5 2nd / 92 S | 0.43#2 S |
PFF Rank
9
Jaylon Johnson
POSITIONCB
AGE
24.7
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
CHI
PROJECTED CONTRACT
1 yrs — $18.8m avg/yr
$18.8m guaranteed, $18.8m total
Franchise tag. Johnson wasn't quite able to have the third-year breakout in 2022 he hoped for as nagging injuries kept him off the field for several stretches, and he and the team were unable to find common ground on an early extension. Johnson continued to push for a new deal right up to requesting a trade at the deadline this year, but after conversations with other teams, Chicago elected to keep him around. Now, with edge defender Montez Sweat extended and the franchise tag freed up, another negotiation looks to be on the horizon. The physical, technically sound wide cornerback boasts ball production and lockdown coverage abilities that prevent targets as well as anyone, never allowing a 60% completion rate in any NFL season thus far.
| 2023 | 809 | 90.8 1st / 127 CB | 0.85#3 CB |
| 2022 | 656 | 62.9 67th / 118 CB | 0.16#57 CB |
| 2021 | 933 | 64.2 50th / 116 CB | 0.24#58 CB |
PFF Rank
10
L'Jarius Sneed
POSITIONCB
AGE
27.0
STATUS
Unsigned
2023 TEAM
KC
PROJECTED CONTRACT
3 yrs — $17.5m avg/yr
$35m guaranteed, $52.5m total
Sneed was a fixture out wide in 2023 after lining up primarily in the slot over his first three seasons, and he held up quite well in several tough matchups. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo asks a lot of his cornerbacks, and Sneed is sticky in coverage, getting into receivers' hip pockets and becoming very hard to shake with lateral movement or in the air at the catch point. Sneed could stand to cut down on penalties, but his aggressive nature would be welcome on many teams, and his inside-outside versatility is a nice benefit, as well.
| 2023 | 1185 | 73.7 28th / 127 CB | 0.64#13 CB |
| 2022 | 1243 | 77.7 13th / 118 CB | 0.6#8 CB |
| 2021 | 1113 | 63.6 52nd / 116 CB | 0.32#39 CB |
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Did not mind the call, but when Goff went from shotgun to under center I thought "They are going to run" Play action really does not work as good at the goal line.
TartanLion
Footballguy
With our recent successes hopefully we will become an even more attractive proposition for FA’s.
2Young2BBald
Footbaldguy
I was thinking about this today too and tried to find the Amon Ra, Justin Jefferson jersey exchange conversation where Jefferson said something like "tell them to come get me". Obviously Jefferson won't happen, but I am sure lots more will be warm to a visit and chance to be a Lion!
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
He just completed the Immaculate Elimination
There are five ways to be eliminated from super bowl contention, and CJ has experienced all five in his first five seasons.
2019: Loses to the Vikings in the Wildcard
2020: Lost to the Bucs in the Divisional
2021: Missed Playoffs
2022: Lost to the Chiefs in the Superbowl
2023: Lost to the 49ers in the NFCCG
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
Reminds me of a certain TE the Lions traded to the Vikings in the middle of the season. Lost with Detroit when the two teams first played, and then lost with the Vikings the 2nd time they played that year.
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
nobody cares
Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs are headed to the Pro Bowl, replacing AJ Brown (inj) & CMC
Previously named Lions Pro Bowlers: first timers LaPorta, Hutch, & JRM, Sewell (2nd) and Ragnow (3rd.)
ETA - Jared Goff (2nd alternate) declined an invite; Jalen Reeves-Maybin has elected not to participate. No reason given for either player but JRM tweaked his groin in the NFCCG.
Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jahmyr Gibbs are headed to the Pro Bowl, replacing AJ Brown (inj) & CMC
Previously named Lions Pro Bowlers: first timers LaPorta, Hutch, & JRM, Sewell (2nd) and Ragnow (3rd.)
ETA - Jared Goff (2nd alternate) declined an invite; Jalen Reeves-Maybin has elected not to participate. No reason given for either player but JRM tweaked his groin in the NFCCG.
Last edited:
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
So much for it being a sure thing that he gone, lol
BobbyLayne
Footballguy
How many players for each team drafted the last 3 seasons and had a PFF grade of at least 75 this season (minimum 20% snaps):
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Brian Branch.
- Detroit Lions: 8
- Kansas City Chiefs: 8
- Houston Texans: 5
- Dallas Cowboys: 4
- Miami Dolphins: 4
- New York Jets: 4
- Los Angeles Rams: 4
- Baltimore Ravens: 4
- Buffalo Bills: 3
- Atlanta Falcons: 3
- Jacksonville Jaguars: 3
- Pittsburgh Steelers: 3
- Minnesota Vikings: 3
- Cincinnati Bengals: 2
- Denver Broncos: 2
- Cleveland Browns: 2
- Washington Commanders: 2
- Philadelphia Eagles: 2
- Green Bay Packers: 2
- Carolina Panthers: 2
- New Orleans Saints: 2
- Seattle Seahawks: 2
- San Francisco 49ers: 1
- Chicago Bears: 1
- Arizona Cardinals: 1
- Los Angeles Chargers: 1
- Indianapolis Colts: 1
- New England Patriots: 1
- Las Vegas Raiders: 1
- New York Giants: 0
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 0
Amon-Ra St. Brown, Sam LaPorta, Jahmyr Gibbs, Penei Sewell, Aidan Hutchinson, Alim McNeill, Ifeatu Melifonwu and Brian Branch.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
I see this as a good thing. He is a winning player.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
Ragnow is an awesome center, but is this the off season the Lions look to draft his replacement? His injury will never heal fully and sometimes he is going to say enough. This team is built on this line.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
I would draft someone on the interior o line in the first two days of the draft, with the other 3 picks on defense. But Holmes is rarely predictable so nothing would surprise me.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
How ironic would it be if Johnson turned down DC to finish the job in Detroit and Glenn was like, "Yoink!"
Ilov80s
Footballguy
On hand, I get it. On the other hand Ragnow is still 27. He could have a lot of years left. But yes, they do need a good versatile IOL.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
Johnson is an UFA. Do we get a draft pick if he signs with another team?
msudaisy26
Footballguy
You can't look at his age.
Frank Ragnow has to "figure everything out" after playing through multiple injuries
Lions center Frank Ragnow was no stranger to the injury report this season.
www.nbcsports.com
This is a guy that sounds like a 34 year old lineman that is wondering how many more times he can go through the battle.
Ilov80s
Footballguy
I agree he has a lot of wear but the rest of the quote about figuring everything out is about surgery, not retiring. I do Ragnow and Lions management are having open conversations though so we aren’t blindsided by a retirement. Still it’s going to be impossible to just replace an All Pro player in his prime.
You can't look at his age.
Frank Ragnow has to "figure everything out" after playing through multiple injuries
Lions center Frank Ragnow was no stranger to the injury report this season.
This is a guy that sounds like a 34 year old lineman that is wondering how many more times he can go through the battle.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
I agree he has a lot of wear but the rest of the quote about figuring everything out is about surgery, not retiring. I do Ragnow and Lions management are having open conversations though so we aren’t blindsided by a retirement. Still it’s going to be impossible to just replace an All Pro player in his prime.
You can't look at his age.
Frank Ragnow has to "figure everything out" after playing through multiple injuries
Lions center Frank Ragnow was no stranger to the injury report this season.
This is a guy that sounds like a 34 year old lineman that is wondering how many more times he can go through the battle.
Have to read between the lines. Feeling like Frank and being a better husband and father.
That is because of all the extra time it takes him to be game ready because of the injuries. Plus his foot will be an issue for the rest of his life.
Dan Lambskin
Footballguy
It’s not a glaring need but I’d still like to find a way to get Tee Higgins or Mike Evans in free agency (or Pittman). Just a big physical WR
But yeah, corner and edge are the 2 biggest needs
Then interior OL depth
Kicker
Beyond that just BPA to fill in depth on defense
Also looking forward to Jamo getting a full offseason/ camp in with the team.
But yeah, corner and edge are the 2 biggest needs
Then interior OL depth
Kicker
Beyond that just BPA to fill in depth on defense
Also looking forward to Jamo getting a full offseason/ camp in with the team.
msudaisy26
Footballguy
Pretty sure Higgins is an RFA. So money and draft pick.
Leroy Hoard
Footballguy
People always like to talk "luxury pick" in the draft, imo Tee would be that in FA.
Spin
Footballguy
I'm not a Lions fan, so I may be way off here, but something doesn't add up for me here. He turned down, what, $50 million+ garunteed for 4? He was definitely a hot commodity this coaching search cycle, no garuntee he is next year. Is there any chance Lions realize he's the key to their success moving forward and not Campbell? Could there be a trade for Campbell in the works? Someone help me make sense of this to someone on the complete outside.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
I don’t think you can ever have too much depth at IOL
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
There are a number of possibilities, but I don’t find the explanation we’ve been given to be that implausible. Imagine you were in a job you loved and were up for a promotion, but the new job would be very high pressure, and there was a good chance you would get fired in the next 3-4 years, possibly due to factors you had little control over. Wouldn’t you proceed very carefully in terms of which promotions you were willing to pursue?I'm not a Lions fan, so I may be way off here, but something doesn't add up for me here. He turned down, what, $50 million+ garunteed for 4? He was definitely a hot commodity this coaching search cycle, no garuntee he is next year. Is there any chance Lions realize he's the key to their success moving forward and not Campbell? Could there be a trade for Campbell in the works? Someone help me make sense of this to someone on the complete outside.
It’s also possible that BJ feels very confident in what he and Campbell are building in Detroit and he’s willing to bet on himself a la Rod Tidwell.
The irony is that if he’s successful next year and brings the Lions to the SB, he could end up hurting his chances of landing a HC gig because teams won’t want to wait that long, especially for someone they worry may leave them at the altar
bicycle_seat_sniffer
Smells like chicken
ben johnson coming back is huge
FarFromHome
Footballguy
I just saw this. Very huge. Actually kinda shocked. Staying with Campbell was obviously a factor.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
Given the story about how Campbell told the Lions during his interview that he didn't need a HC job, but wanted Detroit because he specifically wanted to turn the franchise around, I wonder if Johnson is following a similar script. He's not going to leave for any old job, only one that he feels is a perfect fit for what he wants to accomplish
Johnson makes damn good money working with people he loves doing exactly what he is best at. His family is settled in Detroit and are happy. Ben also sees how hard DC works and the pressure the media puts on him and how fast they turn on him. Ben would have taken a shot at a HC gig if it was truly life-altering contract with lots of guarenteed money. Sometimes a promotion does not bring happiness. DC takes care of a lot of the hard stuff and has Ben's back. Ben is doing exactly what he loves. It is a dream job in an ideal situation that has far more security than most high-profile NFL jobs. I don't think teams were ready to dangle that many carrots out there for a rookie coach.
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ChiefD
Footballguy
What this tells me is there may be some smoke around the thought that Andy Reid may retire after this Super Bowl. And if not this year then next.
Ben Johnson in KC with Mahomes and Veach would be a wet dream for him. And me. Reid would be hard to replace but if not him give me a BJ all day long.
Ben Johnson in KC with Mahomes and Veach would be a wet dream for him. And me. Reid would be hard to replace but if not him give me a BJ all day long.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
Honestly, the thing that bummed me out the most about the news is that Washington is my other team, so I liked the idea of him going there. Now he’ll likely go to some other team next year. How much would it suck if he ended up on the Bears coaching Caleb and facing the Lions twice a year?
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
This may just be spin from Washington: “He didn’t break up with us. We were totally about to break up with him!” Interesting that they still consider Glenn a candidate. Would be kind of weird if they hired him. To extend the dating analogy, it’s like getting rejected by a girl and then immediately asking out her sister
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Ministry of Pain
Footballguy
I just cannot get over this, perfect way to engage the students.
ignatiusjreilly
Footballguy
A huge johnson is doing what now?
