2024 Detroit Lions 13-2: Lions maul Da Bears (21 Viewers)

[hutchins929]

ok seriously a WR in round2?

They have done nothing to address the defense

A good #4 WR in round 2... but the Lions did address the need for a CB in the third round in Dwight Bentley. Still some work to do but if the WR makes a comeback after the injury then he will add to the depth at the WR position and make the Lions Offense all that more scary! Now I agree that I didn't think they would draft a receiver in round two. However I gotta believe that Martin Mayhew has a plan for the team.

by the way that WR (Ryan Broyles) they picked in the second round set OU records for season receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions (14)

 

[lebowski]

ok seriously a WR in round2?

They have done nothing to address the defense

A good #4 WR in round 2... but the Lions did address the need for a CB in the third round in Dwight Bentley. Still some work to do but if the WR makes a comeback after the injury then he will add to the depth at the WR position and make the Lions Offense all that more scary! Now I agree that I didn't think they would draft a receiver in round two. However I gotta believe that Martin Mayhew has a plan for the team.

by the way that WR (Ryan Broyles) they picked in the second round set OU records for season receptions, receiving yards and TD receptions (14)

Interesting blog response to pick, but it doesn't make me feel much better as a fan. One of the fan comments jumps out to me that some top rated OL were still available. I thought maybe lions should have gone in that direction too and just solidify the line in this draft since those players were falling into their laps.

 

[Sabertooth]

No boos for Barry. Crowd went nuts. Class act.

 

[Hendo]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.

Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.

I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under whelming draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

 

[jurb26]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under whelming draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

I agree. I like the 1st pick of Reiff and he really fell into their lap. After that, I think the draft for Det is a bit of a disaster. Taking Broyles is an awful pick. He wasn't worth the 2nd round pick before the injury and will get lost on their roster. That pick could have been much more useful to take a LB like L. David, who went only a few picks later. It also would have been better spent doubling up on the Oline seeing that great value was on the board in Adams or Konz. With a paring of Reiff and Adams/Konz Det could have instantly upgraded both the inside and outside of their Oline. The 3rd round pick of Bently is equally baffeling. Bently is a much worse prospect than guys like Dennard, Boykins or Hosely (who went just after their pick).I said it earlier, I think now that we've seen how Det used these picks it only cements it more, Det should have traded up to grabe J. Jenkins. He is a top 15 talent and they could have gotten him for a bargin at the begining of the 2nd. All they had to do was trade up in from of St. L.

 

[azgroover]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under whelming draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

I agree. I like the 1st pick of Reiff and he really fell into their lap. After that, I think the draft for Det is a bit of a disaster. Taking Broyles is an awful pick. He wasn't worth the 2nd round pick before the injury and will get lost on their roster. That pick could have been much more useful to take a LB like L. David, who went only a few picks later. It also would have been better spent doubling up on the Oline seeing that great value was on the board in Adams or Konz. With a paring of Reiff and Adams/Konz Det could have instantly upgraded both the inside and outside of their Oline. The 3rd round pick of Bently is equally baffeling. Bently is a much worse prospect than guys like Dennard, Boykins or Hosely (who went just after their pick).I said it earlier, I think now that we've seen how Det used these picks it only cements it more, Det should have traded up to grabe J. Jenkins. He is a top 15 talent and they could have gotten him for a bargin at the begining of the 2nd. All they had to do was trade up in from of St. L.

by both you guys

 

[matuski]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.

Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.

I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under whelming draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

I agree. I like the 1st pick of Reiff and he really fell into their lap. After that, I think the draft for Det is a bit of a disaster. Taking Broyles is an awful pick. He wasn't worth the 2nd round pick before the injury and will get lost on their roster. That pick could have been much more useful to take a LB like L. David, who went only a few picks later. It also would have been better spent doubling up on the Oline seeing that great value was on the board in Adams or Konz. With a paring of Reiff and Adams/Konz Det could have instantly upgraded both the inside and outside of their Oline. The 3rd round pick of Bently is equally baffeling. Bently is a much worse prospect than guys like Dennard, Boykins or Hosely (who went just after their pick).

I said it earlier, I think now that we've seen how Det used these picks it only cements it more, Det should have traded up to grabe J. Jenkins. He is a top 15 talent and they could have gotten him for a bargin at the begining of the 2nd. All they had to do was trade up in from of St. L.

No offense, but you are two guys on a ff message board.No spin necessary - guys by the name of Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz chose these players, who are we? People that do this for a living made these decisions with a heck of a lot more information than you could ever have. People who have a pretty strong track record doing so.

Just as a simple point of correction - You don't know who was rated higher, you don't know who they consider a better prospect, and you don't know what the trade environment was.

I'm looking forward to Reiff and Bentley stepping right in this year, and am pretty excited to see Broyles when he gets healthy.

 

[Ilov80s]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under whelming draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

They had Broyles as the BPA on their board. I guess they aren't getting their player info from the same websites as you . Mayhew basically said that the draft isn't about winning now, but building a team.

 

[jurb26]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under whelming draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

They had Broyles as the BPA on their board. I guess they aren't getting their player info from the same websites as you . Mayhew basically said that the draft isn't about winning now, but building a team.

So, you like the pick? The great thing about the draft is that we are all allowed to have an opinion on players and rank them as we see fit. The teams all do the same. For all we know Det could have been the only team in the NFL to have Broyles ranked in the 2nd round. Or, he could have been ranked there by more than half the teams. It doesn't really matter how many teams rank a guy one place or another. It only matters where the team who actually took him does, right or wrong. As we know, most picks are not hits in the draft so I'm not sure why we as enthusists should blindly agree with every pick our teams management makes based soley on the premise of "they do this for a living."

 

[lebowski]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under whelming draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

They had Broyles as the BPA on their board. I guess they aren't getting their player info from the same websites as you . Mayhew basically said that the draft isn't about winning now, but building a team.

So, you like the pick? The great thing about the draft is that we are all allowed to have an opinion on players and rank them as we see fit. The teams all do the same. For all we know Det could have been the only team in the NFL to have Broyles ranked in the 2nd round. Or, he could have been ranked there by more than half the teams. It doesn't really matter how many teams rank a guy one place or another. It only matters where the team who actually took him does, right or wrong. As we know, most picks are not hits in the draft so I'm not sure why we as enthusists should blindly agree with every pick our teams management makes based soley on the premise of "they do this for a living."

2nd round seems like a reach for someone coming off an ACL injury. Why not grab another solid OL and see if he falls to the 3rd? If not oh well take your BPA or maybe package a couple late picks to move up in the 3rd to get him. I would have been much happier with 2 OL and a DB/WR than what they did. Both picks felt like a real reach to me.

 

[Ilov80s]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under whelming draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

They had Broyles as the BPA on their board. I guess they aren't getting their player info from the same websites as you . Mayhew basically said that the draft isn't about winning now, but building a team.

So, you like the pick? The great thing about the draft is that we are all allowed to have an opinion on players and rank them as we see fit. The teams all do the same. For all we know Det could have been the only team in the NFL to have Broyles ranked in the 2nd round. Or, he could have been ranked there by more than half the teams. It doesn't really matter how many teams rank a guy one place or another. It only matters where the team who actually took him does, right or wrong. As we know, most picks are not hits in the draft so I'm not sure why we as enthusists should blindly agree with every pick our teams management makes based soley on the premise of "they do this for a living."

I am ok with the pick. He was a great college player. Konz seemed to make so much sense, but I have watched zero film on him so I am basing it solely on reading mock drafts. I just have a hard time being too critical when I have absolutely no first hand knowledge of the players. I agree with the BPA strategy. This is likely Nate's last year in Detroit and next year the Lions would have had a need at WR. Better to take care of it now when the opportunity is there. I have to think there weren't any CBs that the Lions loved and thought could really contribute right away.

 

[hutchins929]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.

Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.

I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under whelming draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

I agree. I like the 1st pick of Reiff and he really fell into their lap. After that, I think the draft for Det is a bit of a disaster. Taking Broyles is an awful pick. He wasn't worth the 2nd round pick before the injury and will get lost on their roster. That pick could have been much more useful to take a LB like L. David, who went only a few picks later. It also would have been better spent doubling up on the Oline seeing that great value was on the board in Adams or Konz. With a paring of Reiff and Adams/Konz Det could have instantly upgraded both the inside and outside of their Oline. The 3rd round pick of Bently is equally baffeling. Bently is a much worse prospect than guys like Dennard, Boykins or Hosely (who went just after their pick).

I said it earlier, I think now that we've seen how Det used these picks it only cements it more, Det should have traded up to grabe J. Jenkins. He is a top 15 talent and they could have gotten him for a bargin at the begining of the 2nd. All they had to do was trade up in from of St. L.

No offense, but you are two guys on a ff message board.No spin necessary - guys by the name of Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz chose these players, who are we? People that do this for a living made these decisions with a heck of a lot more information than you could ever have. People who have a pretty strong track record doing so.

Just as a simple point of correction - You don't know who was rated higher, you don't know who they consider a better prospect, and you don't know what the trade environment was.

I'm looking forward to Reiff and Bentley stepping right in this year, and am pretty excited to see Broyles when he gets healthy.

My thoughts exactly!

 

[Hendo]

I dont care how some are spinning the Broyles pick... It was a bad pick. I find it very hard to believe he was the BPA even before injury. He had a forth round grade, and when you have a guy like Konz just sitting there or Adams to further strengthen that OL you do it. You win games from the trenches out not from a slot receiver.

Horrid pick, they preached BPA the while draft yet did the opposite and reached from the 2nd round on... I really thought Bentley was a reach there too.. If your going db Boykins was the one to get and higher grade.

I'm a very disappointed Lion fan right now, very under withing draft that had such a promising start from the first round. I mean no disrespect to Mayhew but I dont have a lot of faith in his drafting, it's not a skill to pull a Stafford/Suh from the draft when you have that high a pick, and really side from Levy, Willie Young is about as close a nice low round coup he has pulled from his drafts.

I agree. I like the 1st pick of Reiff and he really fell into their lap. After that, I think the draft for Det is a bit of a disaster. Taking Broyles is an awful pick. He wasn't worth the 2nd round pick before the injury and will get lost on their roster. That pick could have been much more useful to take a LB like L. David, who went only a few picks later. It also would have been better spent doubling up on the Oline seeing that great value was on the board in Adams or Konz. With a paring of Reiff and Adams/Konz Det could have instantly upgraded both the inside and outside of their Oline. The 3rd round pick of Bently is equally baffeling. Bently is a much worse prospect than guys like Dennard, Boykins or Hosely (who went just after their pick).

I said it earlier, I think now that we've seen how Det used these picks it only cements it more, Det should have traded up to grabe J. Jenkins. He is a top 15 talent and they could have gotten him for a bargin at the begining of the 2nd. All they had to do was trade up in from of St. L.

No offense, but you are two guys on a ff message board.No spin necessary - guys by the name of Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz chose these players, who are we? People that do this for a living made these decisions with a heck of a lot more information than you could ever have. People who have a pretty strong track record doing so.

Just as a simple point of correction - You don't know who was rated higher, you don't know who they consider a better prospect, and you don't know what the trade environment was.

I'm looking forward to Reiff and Bentley stepping right in this year, and am pretty excited to see Broyles when he gets healthy.

Who am I... just some nobody who has followed the Lions for 30 years. I am not putting myself higher then the guys getting paid (Mayhew) but then again history proves the guys getting paid get it wrong all the time (Millen). That's not a comparison just proving my point people running a front office have no clue at all sometimes.

I dont see a harm in voicing my opinion either, god knows I been wrong as much as right but I feel with the time iput into studying football and reading over a multitude of draft grades that my educated opinions do end up being right some times.

Broyles was the Lions BPA there but can anyone honestly say that for any of the other 31 teams? I find that remotely hard to believe. I'm not even sure that pick is justifiable pre injury... again just my opinion and several scouts who get paid to post grades on players talents.

 

[Da Guru]

I do question Mayew a bit only because he was groomed by Millen.

Calvin was Millens pick. Stafford and Suh were no-brainers. Mayhew has taken 2 RBs and 2 WRs high in his two drafts that the best player of the draft did not fall in his hands. With Broyles injury who knows how far he would have fell. Teams do not want to wait a year on injured WRs since they already have a learning curve higher than other positions.

 

[lebowski]

another interesting article. Fans are not too happy about this it sounds. I'm warming a little bit but I would still consider myself in the unhappy camp. Could Dr. Gene comment on Broyle's injury?

 

[King of the Jungle]

Personally I was rooting for them to either trade up in the 2nd for Upshaw or Jenkins....or take Konz. Konz was there and we grab a 2nd round grade receiver coming off injury who probably would have slipped to the 3rd. Sounds like the 3rd round corner was a reach - but I don't know too much about him. We shall see....

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did.

As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky.

In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

 

[lebowski]

I do question Mayew a bit oly because he was groomed by Millen.Calvin was Millens pick. Stafford and Suh were no-brainers. Mayhew has taken 2 RBs and 2 WRs high in his two drafts that the best player of the draft did not fall in his hands. With Broyles injury who knows how far he would have fell. Teams do not want to wait a year on injured WRs since they already have a learning curve higher than other positions.

Not to mention one of the RB's we took had a history of concussions, another had a history of marijuana use...and what is happening now? History does need to play a factor sometimes. I don't like drafting a WR in round 2 coming off an injury like that.

 

[lebowski]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Hi Anthony, thanks for chiming in. What would you have thought about Konz?

 

[Ilov80s]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Broyles is similar to the Best pick. Best was likely a top 15 pick before the injury and Broyles was likely a first rounder. Broyles is a lot safer though. Head injuries are a sign of a chronic problem, while a torn knee is more a result of bad luck. The Lions saw how quickly Pettigrew bounced back from his knee injury, so based on what their doctors are telling them, they must believe Broyles is on the road to a quick recovery. Best proved himself to be well worth his pick talent wise, but the chronic injuries have derailed him. If Broyles turns out to be the type of talent many people saw in October of 2011, then there is no reason to think he won't be able to stay healthy and be a difference maker. The Lions fans complaining are drafting for Detroit to fill their current holes with a short term strategy. Mayhew and Schwartz are thinking long run and filling holes for 2 and 3 years down the road. Don't think who will be the best player next year, but who will be the best player in 3 years. The Lions see a potential 10 year window with Stafford. They fully believe Stafford is the next great NFL QB and can be a Pro Bowler for many many years. They are fully invested in him and believe with the right weapons, the Lions can do what the Saints and Colts have done behind elite QBs surrounded by a wealth of talent. The next 5 years are pretty well set with Stafford having Calvin and Titus outside, Broyles in the slot and Pettigew at TE. The Titus pick is really the one that made the Broyles pick work in a weird way. When people took Titus, they thought he was nothing more than a slot WR. He proved that he is good enough to play outside. So he will take Burleson's spot and Broyles will be the slot guy most Lions fans expected Titus to be.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Hi Anthony, thanks for chiming in. What would you have thought about Konz?

I think Konz would have been a solid pick, but I'm not sure the Lions wanted to take another lineman this high. They also probably think they can get 2 more years out of Raiola. They also may not have had this high of a grade on Konz. I'm not an offensive line expert, but I'm not sure Konz can play guard and if that is true and they think Raiola plays 2 more years, then picking Konz would be a waste since he wouldn't play for 2 years. That's just a guess. My best guess about why they took Broyles is because Burleson will pretty much have to be cut next year because of his salary and they wanted to draft someone this year that will be ready to step in. They also seem to think that Broyles will be ready in week 1. If he was the highest on their board and if the above is true, I really don't have a problem with the pick. Also, I have seen reports that suggest he would have been a possible first rounder had he not torn his ACL. That is not a career threatening injury, so this could turn into a great value pick. I think the problem people have is that they didn't necessarily need a WR and were badly in need of corners, but the corners available were not worthy of this high of a pick. The corners after Jenkins went are all pretty close in value. No other corners went in round 2, which pretty much shows they weren't worthy of the Lions' 2nd rounder. Trumaine Johnson, who I really like, and Josh Robinson, who I don't, both went early 3rd. Then there was only one other corner drafted before Bentley. With so many teams needing a corner and with very few getting drafted, it pretty much shows how weak the corners are in this draft. Bentley reportedly excelled during senior bowl week. I think he was a solid pick.

 

[Ilov80s]

I do question Mayew a bit oly because he was groomed by Millen.Calvin was Millens pick. Stafford and Suh were no-brainers. Mayhew has taken 2 RBs and 2 WRs high in his two drafts that the best player of the draft did not fall in his hands. With Broyles injury who knows how far he would have fell. Teams do not want to wait a year on injured WRs since they already have a learning curve higher than other positions.

Not to mention one of the RB's we took had a history of concussions, another had a history of marijuana use...and what is happening now? History does need to play a factor sometimes. I don't like drafting a WR in round 2 coming off an injury like that.

It is clear that Mayhew loves talent above all else. It is easy to see why they fell in love with Best, when healthy he was a difference maker. As for Leshoure, I am not nearly as worried about the weed issue as I am his injury. That was just a bad break because from all accounts he was shining in camp before getting hurt.

 

[jurb26]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Broyles is similar to the Best pick. Best was likely a top 15 pick before the injury and Broyles was likely a first rounder. Broyles is a lot safer though. Head injuries are a sign of a chronic problem, while a torn knee is more a result of bad luck. The Lions saw how quickly Pettigrew bounced back from his knee injury, so based on what their doctors are telling them, they must believe Broyles is on the road to a quick recovery. Best proved himself to be well worth his pick talent wise, but the chronic injuries have derailed him. If Broyles turns out to be the type of talent many people saw in October of 2011, then there is no reason to think he won't be able to stay healthy and be a difference maker. The Lions fans complaining are drafting for Detroit to fill their current holes with a short term strategy. Mayhew and Schwartz are thinking long run and filling holes for 2 and 3 years down the road. Don't think who will be the best player next year, but who will be the best player in 3 years. The Lions see a potential 10 year window with Stafford. They fully believe Stafford is the next great NFL QB and can be a Pro Bowler for many many years. They are fully invested in him and believe with the right weapons, the Lions can do what the Saints and Colts have done behind elite QBs surrounded by a wealth of talent. The next 5 years are pretty well set with Stafford having Calvin and Titus outside, Broyles in the slot and Pettigew at TE. The Titus pick is really the one that made the Broyles pick work in a weird way. When people took Titus, they thought he was nothing more than a slot WR. He proved that he is good enough to play outside. So he will take Burleson's spot and Broyles will be the slot guy most Lions fans expected Titus to be.

Personally, I've never felt Broyels was a 1st round talent. I've stated this in other dyansty threads and I'll again give me reasoning here. To me he was a 3rd round talent and is a slot WR in the NFL. Det is probably as good a landing spot as he could have hoped for. I think in 2013 Nate B. will be gone and Young will take over total control of the WR2 role, if he doesn't this year. This will leave the slot role open for Broyles. He is undersized and lacks strength off the line of scrimmage. He is easily jammed, though it didn't happen much while at OU due to the lack of physical CBs in college football and OU's offensive scheme. He has not run an NFL route tree and did not show the crispness in the ones he did run to make me feel he will easily transition to the NFL route tree. He lacks pull away speed and isn't nearly as fast as his film suggesets. He was allowed to play in space a great deal because of OU's scheme and overall dominance against the majority of their competition. I like his hands although they are on the small side for NFL WRs. I think he catches the ball pretty fluidly despite that. I also like his agility and short area quickness but because of his lack of size and strenght this may not be as benificial as it should.Clearly I'm not a Broyles fan. I hope I'm wrong about him as I'm a huge Stafford fan and own him in dynasty. I think Broyles could pan out to be a good slot WR but not much more.

 

[Da Guru]

I do question Mayew a bit oly because he was groomed by Millen.Calvin was Millens pick. Stafford and Suh were no-brainers. Mayhew has taken 2 RBs and 2 WRs high in his two drafts that the best player of the draft did not fall in his hands. With Broyles injury who knows how far he would have fell. Teams do not want to wait a year on injured WRs since they already have a learning curve higher than other positions.

Not to mention one of the RB's we took had a history of concussions, another had a history of marijuana use...and what is happening now? History does need to play a factor sometimes. I don't like drafting a WR in round 2 coming off an injury like that.

It is clear that Mayhew loves talent above all else. It is easy to see why they fell in love with Best, when healthy he was a difference maker. As for Leshoure, I am not nearly as worried about the weed issue as I am his injury. That was just a bad break because from all accounts he was shining in camp before getting hurt.

I have no issue with taking one RB and one WR early the last couple of seasons. The only reason I did not like taking LeShoure the year after drafing Best in the first is because it is easy to find guys to plug in as a second/third RB. Mike Bush, Cedric Benson, Darin Sproles, Stafford and CJ can make journeyman RBs look good. Heck look at what Kevin Smith did before he got hurt.

 

[Hendo]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Huh? Both Konz and Adams were not reaches, they were first round grades Konz(mid) Adams (late)Both graded out rounds higher then Broyles too.

 

[mightyeskimo]

The Broyles pick was absolutely stupid! We could have had the best center in the draft!! A position of need for our team ever since Raiola got the job!! This is why the Lions will never be a solid franchise like the Steelers. They have no idea how to build a team from the line out. They overvalue skill position players and undervalue the OL and LB (even DL to some extent. The only reason we drafted Suh is because he happened to fit the BPA at that pick). Mayhew is a less than average GM and that's more than a little annoying.

Konz or Hayward would have been better picks than another WR who just happens to be coming off an acl injury!!

 

[lebowski]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Broyles is similar to the Best pick. Best was likely a top 15 pick before the injury and Broyles was likely a first rounder. Broyles is a lot safer though. Head injuries are a sign of a chronic problem, while a torn knee is more a result of bad luck. The Lions saw how quickly Pettigrew bounced back from his knee injury, so based on what their doctors are telling them, they must believe Broyles is on the road to a quick recovery. Best proved himself to be well worth his pick talent wise, but the chronic injuries have derailed him. If Broyles turns out to be the type of talent many people saw in October of 2011, then there is no reason to think he won't be able to stay healthy and be a difference maker. The Lions fans complaining are drafting for Detroit to fill their current holes with a short term strategy. Mayhew and Schwartz are thinking long run and filling holes for 2 and 3 years down the road. Don't think who will be the best player next year, but who will be the best player in 3 years. The Lions see a potential 10 year window with Stafford. They fully believe Stafford is the next great NFL QB and can be a Pro Bowler for many many years. They are fully invested in him and believe with the right weapons, the Lions can do what the Saints and Colts have done behind elite QBs surrounded by a wealth of talent. The next 5 years are pretty well set with Stafford having Calvin and Titus outside, Broyles in the slot and Pettigew at TE. The Titus pick is really the one that made the Broyles pick work in a weird way. When people took Titus, they thought he was nothing more than a slot WR. He proved that he is good enough to play outside. So he will take Burleson's spot and Broyles will be the slot guy most Lions fans expected Titus to be.

Good points in your second paragraph. You do need to look to build a solid overall team for the future but at the same time with the season they had last year it feels like there could be a window now. The Saints may be in for a down year with the situation they are in so they feel beatable (they were actually beatable last year but a couple mistakes and a blown call or two didn't help). Packers and Giants are tough but if you could figure out a way to beat them you give yourself a shot.

 

[lebowski]

The Broyles pick was absolutely stupid! We could have had the best center in the draft!! A position of need for our team ever since Raiola got the job!! This is why the Lions will never be a solid franchise like the Steelers. They have no idea how to build a team from the line out. They overvalue skill position players and undervalue the OL and LB (even DL to some extent. The only reason we drafted Suh is because he happened to fit the BPA at that pick). Mayhew is a less than average GM and that's more than a little annoying.

Still agree with this overall. CB's and LB's still a big need too. My biggest problem is I really want to be positive...I live and die with the lions. They are making it tough though.

 

[mightyeskimo]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did.

As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky.

In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

As a subscriber who enjoys your content, as well as being a Michigan native, I have to ask you to amplify your statement here. Can you honestly say, as a Lions fan (which I am assuming just via your location) that you would rather have Raiola then Konz? How many times did we get blown up on plays due to poor play in the interior OL? We've needed a true center (not a pulling guard) at that position for a decade!! How many times could we have used that extra second for another read before our QB started scrambling? I don't think CB at that pick would be reaching either because it's such a big need over WR. Really man? As a Lions guy how can you possibly get behind Broyles?

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Huh? Both Konz and Adams were not reaches, they were first round grades Konz(mid) Adams (late)Both graded out rounds higher then Broyles too.

If those grades were legit, why did both players go in the late 2nd? Grades are relative only to those doing the grading. It seems a lot of teams had lower grades on both of them.I am not an Adams fan. Konz would have been ok with me, but like I said, I don't see him playing guard and they might think Raiola has 2 years left and if that's the case, Konz would be a wasted pick. This assumes the Lions even like Konz. Also, centers are not all that tough to find. I definitely don't consider that a position of need and in fact, I think WR is more of a need than a center.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did.

As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky.

In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

As a subscriber who enjoys your content, as well as being a Michigan native, I have to ask you to amplify your statement here. Can you honestly say, as a Lions fan (which I am assuming just via your location) that you would rather have Raiola then Konz? How many times did we get blown up on plays due to poor play in the interior OL? We've needed a true center (not a pulling guard) at that position for a decade!! How many times could we have used that extra second for another read before our QB started scrambling? I don't think CB at that pick would be reaching either because it's such a big need over WR. Really man? As a Lions guy how can you possibly get behind Broyles?

I don't think Raiola is as bad as you think he is. He is not the greatest run blocker, but he is a solid pass protector. I don't think center was a need. Our differing opinions on whether to draft Konz is based on our different opinions of Raiola. I also think center is a relatively easy position to fill. Corner would have been a huge reach at that pick. Bentley was close in value to the corners available at the 2nd round pick. By the way, no corners went in the 2nd round after Jenkins.

I didn't necessarily want a WR, but I'm glad they waited until the 3rd to take a CB. I like Bentley quite a bit. I just don't think the Broyles pick was as doomsday as others do. I didn't see anything that really stood out at that pick.

 

[Addai's Adidas]

Another WR! Terrible. Why reach for a guy who is already injured when you could have taken another OL and had a great line on offense AND defense for years to come. With a great OL you don't need great runners, you can sign anyone decent, like the Law Firm, and they will be fine.

Another WR. We were joking last night at the bar about the Lions taking another WR, and they went and did it. Uggh.

 

[Ilov80s]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Broyles is similar to the Best pick. Best was likely a top 15 pick before the injury and Broyles was likely a first rounder. Broyles is a lot safer though. Head injuries are a sign of a chronic problem, while a torn knee is more a result of bad luck. The Lions saw how quickly Pettigrew bounced back from his knee injury, so based on what their doctors are telling them, they must believe Broyles is on the road to a quick recovery. Best proved himself to be well worth his pick talent wise, but the chronic injuries have derailed him. If Broyles turns out to be the type of talent many people saw in October of 2011, then there is no reason to think he won't be able to stay healthy and be a difference maker. The Lions fans complaining are drafting for Detroit to fill their current holes with a short term strategy. Mayhew and Schwartz are thinking long run and filling holes for 2 and 3 years down the road. Don't think who will be the best player next year, but who will be the best player in 3 years. The Lions see a potential 10 year window with Stafford. They fully believe Stafford is the next great NFL QB and can be a Pro Bowler for many many years. They are fully invested in him and believe with the right weapons, the Lions can do what the Saints and Colts have done behind elite QBs surrounded by a wealth of talent. The next 5 years are pretty well set with Stafford having Calvin and Titus outside, Broyles in the slot and Pettigew at TE. The Titus pick is really the one that made the Broyles pick work in a weird way. When people took Titus, they thought he was nothing more than a slot WR. He proved that he is good enough to play outside. So he will take Burleson's spot and Broyles will be the slot guy most Lions fans expected Titus to be.

Good points in your second paragraph. You do need to look to build a solid overall team for the future but at the same time with the season they had last year it feels like there could be a window now. The Saints may be in for a down year with the situation they are in so they feel beatable (they were actually beatable last year but a couple mistakes and a blown call or two didn't help). Packers and Giants are tough but if you could figure out a way to beat them you give yourself a shot.

There is a window now. The Lions are returning essentially the same exact team (minus Eric Wright). They are returning a playoff team. Bentley takes Wright spot. Wright wasn't very good, so it isn't a reach to say Bentley/Wright could be a wash. The Lions have the turkey, mashed potatoes, and cornbread...here is the gravy: Fairley, LeShoure, Broyles, and Reiff. Those are 4 guys with 1st round talent that will provide depth and versatility at important positions for 2012 and beyond.

 

[mightyeskimo]

The Broyles pick was absolutely stupid! We could have had the best center in the draft!! A position of need for our team ever since Raiola got the job!! This is why the Lions will never be a solid franchise like the Steelers. They have no idea how to build a team from the line out. They overvalue skill position players and undervalue the OL and LB (even DL to some extent. The only reason we drafted Suh is because he happened to fit the BPA at that pick). Mayhew is a less than average GM and that's more than a little annoying.

Still agree with this overall. CB's and LB's still a big need too. My biggest problem is I really want to be positive...I live and die with the lions. They are making it tough though.

I'm with you lebowski. I'm just an average Joe but I feel I have a better understanding of how to build a winning franchise while still maintaining a long term perspective. Mayhew and his supporters seem to think that these attempts to keep the cupboard stocked with skill players for Stafford is a better path to long term success than consistently building your OL, DL and LB. I could not disagree more! You have to be able to run the ball and stop the run if you want to have a shot at a title year in and year out. We've been lacking a true run stopping MLB ever since Claiborne (Lenon was the next best. After that it was a travesty to see the LB's put in that spot. Lehman?!?! Are you kidding?!?!) I would not have minded Hightower in the first round either, although I'm very happy with Reiff. Backus has been soft and overpaid for far too long. Should have moved him inside to LG and drafted Jordan Gross in 2003.

 

[lebowski]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Broyles is similar to the Best pick. Best was likely a top 15 pick before the injury and Broyles was likely a first rounder. Broyles is a lot safer though. Head injuries are a sign of a chronic problem, while a torn knee is more a result of bad luck. The Lions saw how quickly Pettigrew bounced back from his knee injury, so based on what their doctors are telling them, they must believe Broyles is on the road to a quick recovery. Best proved himself to be well worth his pick talent wise, but the chronic injuries have derailed him. If Broyles turns out to be the type of talent many people saw in October of 2011, then there is no reason to think he won't be able to stay healthy and be a difference maker. The Lions fans complaining are drafting for Detroit to fill their current holes with a short term strategy. Mayhew and Schwartz are thinking long run and filling holes for 2 and 3 years down the road. Don't think who will be the best player next year, but who will be the best player in 3 years. The Lions see a potential 10 year window with Stafford. They fully believe Stafford is the next great NFL QB and can be a Pro Bowler for many many years. They are fully invested in him and believe with the right weapons, the Lions can do what the Saints and Colts have done behind elite QBs surrounded by a wealth of talent. The next 5 years are pretty well set with Stafford having Calvin and Titus outside, Broyles in the slot and Pettigew at TE. The Titus pick is really the one that made the Broyles pick work in a weird way. When people took Titus, they thought he was nothing more than a slot WR. He proved that he is good enough to play outside. So he will take Burleson's spot and Broyles will be the slot guy most Lions fans expected Titus to be.

Good points in your second paragraph. You do need to look to build a solid overall team for the future but at the same time with the season they had last year it feels like there could be a window now. The Saints may be in for a down year with the situation they are in so they feel beatable (they were actually beatable last year but a couple mistakes and a blown call or two didn't help). Packers and Giants are tough but if you could figure out a way to beat them you give yourself a shot.

There is a window now. The Lions are returning essentially the same exact team (minus Eric Wright). They are returning a playoff team. Bentley takes Wright spot. Wright wasn't very good, so it isn't a reach to say Bentley/Wright could be a wash. The Lions have the turkey, mashed potatoes, and cornbread...here is the gravy: Fairley, LeShoure, Broyles, and Reiff. Those are 4 guys with 1st round talent that will provide depth and versatility at important positions for 2012 and beyond.

Love your optimism and hope you are right

 

[King of the Jungle]

Good posting Anthony - always appreciate your side. Only time will tell on any pick - but still believe the Broyles pick was a poor choice.

 

[mightyeskimo]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did.

As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky.

In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

As a subscriber who enjoys your content, as well as being a Michigan native, I have to ask you to amplify your statement here. Can you honestly say, as a Lions fan (which I am assuming just via your location) that you would rather have Raiola then Konz? How many times did we get blown up on plays due to poor play in the interior OL? We've needed a true center (not a pulling guard) at that position for a decade!! How many times could we have used that extra second for another read before our QB started scrambling? I don't think CB at that pick would be reaching either because it's such a big need over WR. Really man? As a Lions guy how can you possibly get behind Broyles?

I don't think Raiola is as bad as you think he is. He is not the greatest run blocker, but he is a solid pass protector. I don't think center was a need. Our differing opinions on whether to draft Konz is based on our different opinions of Raiola. I also think center is a relatively easy position to fill. Corner would have been a huge reach at that pick. Bentley was close in value to the corners available at the 2nd round pick. By the way, no corners went in the 2nd round after Jenkins.

I didn't necessarily want a WR, but I'm glad they waited until the 3rd to take a CB. I like Bentley quite a bit. I just don't think the Broyles pick was as doomsday as others do. I didn't see anything that really stood out at that pick.

I understand where you're coming from. I don't think Raiola a bad player and my opinions about how the Lions should be building our team put him in the wrong place at the wrong time. So it's easy to see how I might be making him out to be worse than he truly is. I will support the arguments to his character, work ethic, veteran leadership and pass blocking all day long. I just want a C that is 300+lb who can pass block just as well Raiola but with much better run blocking ability. I want the Lions to be able to run much more effectively up the A and B gaps. I also want a C that doesn't require that much help from either G position. However that thought has been born over time watching the mid level talent the Lions have brought in at G over the last decade as well. If the Lions had addressed the G position in 2004 by drafting Shawn Andrews or in 2005 with Jammal Brown or Alex Barron then C wouldn't have been as much of a need as I feel it is. Ultimately I just have a different fundamental way of building a franchise. The Steelers are my model.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did.

As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky.

In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

As a subscriber who enjoys your content, as well as being a Michigan native, I have to ask you to amplify your statement here. Can you honestly say, as a Lions fan (which I am assuming just via your location) that you would rather have Raiola then Konz? How many times did we get blown up on plays due to poor play in the interior OL? We've needed a true center (not a pulling guard) at that position for a decade!! How many times could we have used that extra second for another read before our QB started scrambling? I don't think CB at that pick would be reaching either because it's such a big need over WR. Really man? As a Lions guy how can you possibly get behind Broyles?

I don't think Raiola is as bad as you think he is. He is not the greatest run blocker, but he is a solid pass protector. I don't think center was a need. Our differing opinions on whether to draft Konz is based on our different opinions of Raiola. I also think center is a relatively easy position to fill. Corner would have been a huge reach at that pick. Bentley was close in value to the corners available at the 2nd round pick. By the way, no corners went in the 2nd round after Jenkins.

I didn't necessarily want a WR, but I'm glad they waited until the 3rd to take a CB. I like Bentley quite a bit. I just don't think the Broyles pick was as doomsday as others do. I didn't see anything that really stood out at that pick.

I understand where you're coming from. I don't think Raiola a bad player and my opinions about how the Lions should be building our team put him in the wrong place at the wrong time. So it's easy to see how I might be making him out to be worse than he truly is. I will support the arguments to his character, work ethic, veteran leadership and pass blocking all day long. I just want a C that is 300+lb who can pass block just as well Raiola but with much better run blocking ability. I want the Lions to be able to run much more effectively up the A and B gaps. I also want a C that doesn't require that much help from either G position. However that thought has been born over time watching the mid level talent the Lions have brought in at G over the last decade as well. If the Lions had addressed the G position in 2004 by drafting Shawn Andrews or in 2005 with Jammal Brown or Alex Barron then C wouldn't have been as much of a need as I feel it is. Ultimately I just have a different fundamental way of building a franchise. The Steelers are my model.

Your assumptions are ok and I don't necessarily disagree, but you can't assume the Lions like Konz enough to spend a 2nd on him. Also, if you like the Steelers as your model, you should like a team sticking to their board and not reaching. The good teams never reach for need. Although we all have opinions on the picks, it's hard to judge them because we don't know the boards of any of the teams. I didn't really want a WR, but the only way I would have been mad with the pick is if there was a corner that should have been taken there. I don't think there were any and none got taken for the rest of the 2nd round. Bentley is just as good as the corners available where they took Broyles.

I don't think you have a fundamental difference in how to build a team as much as you have a different opinion of Raiola.

 

[jurb26]

Your assumptions are ok and I don't necessarily disagree, but you can't assume the Lions like Konz enough to spend a 2nd on him. Also, if you like the Steelers as your model, you should like a team sticking to their board and not reaching. The good teams never reach for need. Although we all have opinions on the picks, it's hard to judge them because we don't know the boards of any of the teams. I didn't really want a WR, but the only way I would have been mad with the pick is if there was a corner that should have been taken there. I don't think there were any and none got taken for the rest of the 2nd round. Bentley is just as good as the corners available where they took Broyles. I don't think you have a fundamental difference in how to build a team as much as you have a different opinion of Raiola.

I agree that good teams should stick to their board. Why does it seem that Det's board is always ranking a skill player highest though? I think that is the overall point when comparring them to a team like Pitt. Pitt seems to be opposite of that. More often then not their BPA is not a skill guy. It seems like there is an emphasis at work with each franchise and it impacts the valuation of talent.

 

[lebowski]

Alright...let's see some good value slip today.

 

[mightyeskimo]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did.

As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky.

In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

As a subscriber who enjoys your content, as well as being a Michigan native, I have to ask you to amplify your statement here. Can you honestly say, as a Lions fan (which I am assuming just via your location) that you would rather have Raiola then Konz? How many times did we get blown up on plays due to poor play in the interior OL? We've needed a true center (not a pulling guard) at that position for a decade!! How many times could we have used that extra second for another read before our QB started scrambling? I don't think CB at that pick would be reaching either because it's such a big need over WR. Really man? As a Lions guy how can you possibly get behind Broyles?

I don't think Raiola is as bad as you think he is. He is not the greatest run blocker, but he is a solid pass protector. I don't think center was a need. Our differing opinions on whether to draft Konz is based on our different opinions of Raiola. I also think center is a relatively easy position to fill. Corner would have been a huge reach at that pick. Bentley was close in value to the corners available at the 2nd round pick. By the way, no corners went in the 2nd round after Jenkins.

I didn't necessarily want a WR, but I'm glad they waited until the 3rd to take a CB. I like Bentley quite a bit. I just don't think the Broyles pick was as doomsday as others do. I didn't see anything that really stood out at that pick.

I understand where you're coming from. I don't think Raiola a bad player and my opinions about how the Lions should be building our team put him in the wrong place at the wrong time. So it's easy to see how I might be making him out to be worse than he truly is. I will support the arguments to his character, work ethic, veteran leadership and pass blocking all day long. I just want a C that is 300+lb who can pass block just as well Raiola but with much better run blocking ability. I want the Lions to be able to run much more effectively up the A and B gaps. I also want a C that doesn't require that much help from either G position. However that thought has been born over time watching the mid level talent the Lions have brought in at G over the last decade as well. If the Lions had addressed the G position in 2004 by drafting Shawn Andrews or in 2005 with Jammal Brown or Alex Barron then C wouldn't have been as much of a need as I feel it is. Ultimately I just have a different fundamental way of building a franchise. The Steelers are my model.

Your assumptions are ok and I don't necessarily disagree, but you can't assume the Lions like Konz enough to spend a 2nd on him. Also, if you like the Steelers as your model, you should like a team sticking to their board and not reaching. The good teams never reach for need. Although we all have opinions on the picks, it's hard to judge them because we don't know the boards of any of the teams. I didn't really want a WR, but the only way I would have been mad with the pick is if there was a corner that should have been taken there. I don't think there were any and none got taken for the rest of the 2nd round. Bentley is just as good as the corners available where they took Broyles.

I don't think you have a fundamental difference in how to build a team as much as you have a different opinion of Raiola.

And that's really the biggest point that falls over all the assumptions and speculations. I don't like the way the Lions have set up their draft boards from start to finish. Especially the 2-4 rounds. Hindsight is always 20/20 but I can think of many players drafted after Detroit in those rounds that I was begging for and have turned into solid players for other teams over the past decade. I'm all for sticking to your board but only if I happen to agree with the board to start with. The Steelers are my model because I think their scouting/evaluation is much better than Detroit. All things considered they have missed on far fewer picks than the Lions over the last 10 years.

 

[Hendo]

I saw multiple reports that said Broyles would have been a first rounder if not for the torn ACL. I also think the drafting of Broyles pretty much says that Burleson and his $5 mil per year salary will be gone after this year. I didn't necessarily want a WR, but the corners and linemen available would have been reaches there. Bentley is fine by me. I thought the corners after Jenkins was gone were all pretty close in value. That is likely why the Lions didn't take one in round 2....they probably figured they could get the same kind of corner in round 3 and I think they did. As for Jenkins, there is no way I would draft him where the Rams did, let alone trade up. He is way too risky. In general, I think BPA is much better than reaching for need. I also think there will be similar type corners in round 4.

Huh? Both Konz and Adams were not reaches, they were first round grades Konz(mid) Adams (late)Both graded out rounds higher then Broyles too.

If those grades were legit, why did both players go in the late 2nd? Grades are relative only to those doing the grading. It seems a lot of teams had lower grades on both of them.I am not an Adams fan. Konz would have been ok with me, but like I said, I don't see him playing guard and they might think Raiola has 2 years left and if that's the case, Konz would be a wasted pick. This assumes the Lions even like Konz. Also, centers are not all that tough to find. I definitely don't consider that a position of need and in fact, I think WR is more of a need than a center.

There's a multitude of scouting sites that certify those grades along with Broyles down into the fourth. players slip all the time, I remember the lions taking a db Terry Fair ahead of Randy Moss(went right after) Both Konz and Adams went right after that Broyles blunder, like I said I find it really really hard to believe any team even graded Broyles anywhere near where he went. So yes that makes me tend to believe the rest of the league valued those two OL more then Broyles.Raiola is bad no, has not ever really been good and is over 30 getting the drafts top rated C would of been a very smart move. You are more then likely in the minority with your opinion on Railoa. WR is so far from a need them any other position on this team.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

From a Tulsa paper:

Barry Sanders announced Ryan Broyles as the Detroit Lions' second-round NFL draft pick Friday night. A short time later, the Lions legend tweeted about it: "I think it could be a real nice find for us."

Well, yes, if you can consider college football's all-time receiving leader a "find."

Broyles, taken No. 54 overall, comes to Detroit after catching 349 passes for 4,586 yards and 45 touchdowns in four years at Oklahoma. He put every school receiving record out of reach and became a two-time All-American, before tearing the ACL in his left knee against Texas A&M late last season.

Broyles worked feverishly to rehabilitate, and put his knee on display for 12 NFL teams at his own personal pro day in Norman on April 12. The Lions weren't among them, but it apparently didn't matter on draft night Friday.

"All it takes is there is one person to believe," Broyles tweeted late Friday, "and there is no one greater to do that than yourself!"

Actually, Broyles' biggest draft night fan might have been Super Bowl-winning coach-turned-NFL analyst Jon Gruden.

"This is a great pick right here," Gruden declared on ESPN after Detroit's selection. "I was hoping to see Ryan Broyles go earlier. He reminds me a lot of a guy I had (as coach) in Oakland in Tim Brown."

Others were a little more cautious. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock openly wondered when Broyles' rebuilt knee would truly allow him to make an impact with the Lions.

The word from Detroit on Friday night: Not to worry.

"We have the luxury of being able to rehab this guy very thoroughly, very carefully and just allow him to get healthy," Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told Detroit media.

Broyles tried putting doubts to rest at pro day. He clocked a 4.57 40-yard dash and cut sharply on that left knee during a brief series of routes.

"It shows hard work pays off," he said after the workout. "I feel very blessed to be in this position right now. I couldn't ask for a better scenario after a knee injury. I'm looking forward to what the future holds."

Now, Broyles knows a little more about that future.

He is poised to join what was already the fourth-ranked pass offense in pro football, with Matthew Stafford throwing to All Pro Calvin Johnson, complementary wide receiver Nate Burleson and blossoming tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Detroit's fourth-leading receiver last year was Boise State rookie Titus Young, the Lions' second-round pick in the 2011 draft

 

[mightyeskimo]

From a Tulsa paper:

Barry Sanders announced Ryan Broyles as the Detroit Lions' second-round NFL draft pick Friday night. A short time later, the Lions legend tweeted about it: "I think it could be a real nice find for us."

Well, yes, if you can consider college football's all-time receiving leader a "find."

Broyles, taken No. 54 overall, comes to Detroit after catching 349 passes for 4,586 yards and 45 touchdowns in four years at Oklahoma. He put every school receiving record out of reach and became a two-time All-American, before tearing the ACL in his left knee against Texas A&M late last season.

Broyles worked feverishly to rehabilitate, and put his knee on display for 12 NFL teams at his own personal pro day in Norman on April 12. The Lions weren't among them, but it apparently didn't matter on draft night Friday.

"All it takes is there is one person to believe," Broyles tweeted late Friday, "and there is no one greater to do that than yourself!"

Actually, Broyles' biggest draft night fan might have been Super Bowl-winning coach-turned-NFL analyst Jon Gruden.

"This is a great pick right here," Gruden declared on ESPN after Detroit's selection. "I was hoping to see Ryan Broyles go earlier. He reminds me a lot of a guy I had (as coach) in Oakland in Tim Brown."

Others were a little more cautious. NFL Network analyst Mike Mayock openly wondered when Broyles' rebuilt knee would truly allow him to make an impact with the Lions.

The word from Detroit on Friday night: Not to worry.

"We have the luxury of being able to rehab this guy very thoroughly, very carefully and just allow him to get healthy," Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told Detroit media.

Broyles tried putting doubts to rest at pro day. He clocked a 4.57 40-yard dash and cut sharply on that left knee during a brief series of routes.

"It shows hard work pays off," he said after the workout. "I feel very blessed to be in this position right now. I couldn't ask for a better scenario after a knee injury. I'm looking forward to what the future holds."

Now, Broyles knows a little more about that future.

He is poised to join what was already the fourth-ranked pass offense in pro football, with Matthew Stafford throwing to All Pro Calvin Johnson, complementary wide receiver Nate Burleson and blossoming tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Detroit's fourth-leading receiver last year was Boise State rookie Titus Young, the Lions' second-round pick in the 2011 draft

This is a great example of my opinion of Mayhew. I will ask this question of the entire Shark Pool. Would you rather have the "luxury" of rehabbing Broyles or any of the following players: Peter Konz, Casey Hayward, Vinny Curry, Trumaine Johnson or Brandon Brooks? On my Lions board, all of these players should have been before Broyles. And yes, I agree Broyles is a very good player. I'm not knocking him one bit.

 

[mightyeskimo]

What did we get from the 49ers for our 4th round pick? I would not have minded drafting Looney with that pick.

 

[Anthony Borbely]

What did we get from the 49ers for our 4th round pick?

Pick 196, a 6th....we did not have a 6th prior to this. There are still some decent corners left. RB Chris Polk, who I am a big fan of, is still there too.

 

[mightyeskimo]

Dennard would be a nice pick right here. Or Boykin.

 

[jurb26]

Dennard would be a nice pick right here. Or Boykin.

I'm surprised to see Dennard fall this far. Boykin not so much. I really think Dennard would be a nice fit here.I also like Z. Jone, Tackle from FSU. Raw but has potential.

 

[mightyeskimo]

Dennard would be a nice pick right here. Or Boykin.

I'm surprised to see Dennard fall this far. Boykin not so much. I really think Dennard would be a nice fit here.I also like Z. Jone, Tackle from FSU. Raw but has potential.

Me too! A solid corner who can play the run well and has enough sense not to get beat deep. Just what a good DL needs!

 

[jurb26]

Lewis is a great pick there. I hadn't realize he was still on the board.