Post by Danchat on May 15, 2018 18:40:08 GMT -6
I'll be doing a 3 part series summarizing the offseason of Vikings' 3 divisional rivals. Today, we'll lead off with the Lions.
Let's see how their 90 man roster is looking:
Lions 2018 Offseason Subtractions
CB D. J. Hayden
Hayden was the Lions 4th CB, and when he did reach the field, his play was pretty bad, the same as what he did for the Raiders as a 1st round pick.
So, of course, the Jaguars gave him a 3 year deal worth $19M with $9.5M... I have no idea why they'd pay him so much. His subtraction is a plus for Detroit.
LB Tahir Whitehead
Whitehead was a late round pick who became a starter and was a fine defender in both coverage and run defense. He was a three down starter who left for Oakland on a deal very similar to Hayden's (3 years, $6M a year). Whitehead is worth every penny and Detroit will miss him.
TE Darren Fells
Fells is a solid #2 TE who is a competent blocker and has solid hands but doesn't have the speed to go out there and beat LBs in coverage. The Browns will use him in a similar role like Detroit did.
TE Eric Ebron
The Lions spent a 1st round pick on Ebron, but his poor hands and inconsistent play earned him the pink slip. He was improving as time went on, and the Colts will use him as their #2 TE to Jack Doyle with the potential to usurp him. While Detroit won't miss him much, they don't have a replacement lined up.
C Travis Swanson
Swanson was one of the worst centers in the league, and the Lions rightly let him walk. He will now compete for a starting job with the Jets.
DT Haloti Ngata
Ngata was once one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL, but his play was declining in Detroit. He'll be a part of Philly's vaunted D-line rotation now.
DT Akeem Spence
Spence was an average rotational D-lineman who was recently traded to the Dolphins. He's not a big loss.
Others
LB Paul Worrilow
S Don Carey
Free Agent Additions
QB Matt Cassel
Cassel has been one of the worst backup QBs in the league, looking awful for Dallas and Tennessee. He will compete with Jake Rudock for the backup job, but I have to believe Rudock is the favorite after he spent all of 2017 backing Stafford up.
HB LeGarrette Blount
Blount is a punishing HB who does one thing well - plowing through defenders with his size and strength. He's a total liability in the passing game, but when used right, he can break open defenses like a sledgehammer. His off-the-field personality can be a pain, as the Steelers once figured out. He seems to be pegged to be out there on 1st and 2nd downs, but there's a certain rookie HB who will challenge him.
TE Luke Willson
Here's the guy who will likely be the Lions starting TE... yep, he's totally underwhelming. He's been a backup TE for Seattle and never acommplishing much. He has a little receiving ability and his blocking grades are mixed (PFF likes his pass blocking but think he's a bad run blocker).
TE Levine Toilolo
He's a good blocking TE and not much else. He's basically a 6th offensive lineman.
C Wesley Johnson
Johnson was one of the league's worst centers as a starter for the Jets, but he's going to back up Detroit's 1st round pick if all goes well.
G Kenny Wiggins
Wiggins was forced to start the Chargers' entire season with rookie Forrest Lamp on the IR. As you can imagine, Wiggins was one of the worst offensive linemen in the entire NFL. He'll back up Lang and Glasgow.
DT Sylvester Williams
With Ngata and Spence gone, Williams is slated to play a hefty number of snaps at DT. His first four years with Denver were mostly bad, but his one year stint in Tennessee was league average. He's a quality run defender but won't create any pressure.
LB Devon Kennard
Kennard was a part time player for the Giants as he sometimes rushed the passer and other times stopped the run. He's an average at best player, but they should have focused their funds on retaining Whitehead instead.
LB Christian Jones
Jones was an inside LB for the Bears 3-4 defense who picked up a bunch of tackles over the years but was mostly ineffective, especially in coverage. His addition doesn't seem like an improvement to the roster.
Others
LB Jonathan Freeney
CB DeShawn Shead
Draft Additions
Pick 1-20: G/C Frank Ragnow
It was surprising to see an interior lineman go this early, but Ragnow flew up the draft boards as he was athletically elite and totally dominated the competition at Arkansas. He'll either play center or guard and he should be able to start right away.
Pick 2-43: HB Kerryon Johnson
The Lions moved up for a HB, and I'm shocked it wasn't Derrius Guice. He's a decent HB who will compete with Blount and Reddick for snaps to start off. The Lions have not been able to find a competent starting HB for awhile now, so they'll hope he doesn't end up like Best or Abdullah.
Pick 3-82: S Tracy Walker
I don't get this pick. The Lions are solid at safety, and Walker is a small school prospect who will likely max out as a special teamer. I don't see him pushing for Tavon Wilson's or Miles Killebrew's roles.
Pick 4-114: DT Da'Shawn Hand
Hand was a mega prospect at Alabama but played to his full potential there. He will likely join the D-line rotation, but they spent a 2019 3rd rounder to get this pick, so I'm not sure if that was a wise idea.
Pick 5-153: T Tyrell Crosby
Most draftniks had Crosby as a 2nd to 3rd round prospect, so nabbing him here was a great get for the Lions. According to Charlie Campbell, he slid due to "poor body composition" and having a personality unsuited for NFL locker rooms. If he can get past those problems, they have a great reserve player and a potential starter.
Pick 7-237: FB Nick Bawden
The Lions drafted a fullback. If he makes the team, he'll likely end up playing 20-25% of the snaps.
Notable UDFAs
WR/CB Michael Ford (SE Missouri St.) 6th-7th round prospect
CB Amari Coleman 7th Round
Yup, that's about it. From what I could tell with a bit of research, all the other UDFAs weren't seen as draftable, so, on paper, it wasn't a good UDFA haul.
-~ Overall Thoughts ~-
The Lions went 9-7 last year, though being able to repeat that will be difficult due to one player - Aaron Rodgers. The Lions beat the Packers by double digits twice in 2017, which is likely not going to happen in 2018. I'll give Lions fans credit that they should have won the Falcons matchup on that close call at the end (they lost the game due to the 10 second run-down).
The roster itself is alright, and they look like an 8-8 team in a division that should be hostile, depending on if the Bears will be competitive in 2018. New head coach Matt Patricia has some pieces to work with on defense, but I must say I'm not a fan of the linebacker group. Their offense doesn't have any superstars, but the WR corps is quietly good and their O-line might not have any liabilities on it. If they can keep their best guys healthy, they could go on a playoff run.
Any thoughts? Will the Lions be able to keep up with the Vikings in 2018?
Let's see how their 90 man roster is looking:
Lions 2018 Offseason Subtractions
CB D. J. Hayden
Hayden was the Lions 4th CB, and when he did reach the field, his play was pretty bad, the same as what he did for the Raiders as a 1st round pick.
So, of course, the Jaguars gave him a 3 year deal worth $19M with $9.5M... I have no idea why they'd pay him so much. His subtraction is a plus for Detroit.
LB Tahir Whitehead
Whitehead was a late round pick who became a starter and was a fine defender in both coverage and run defense. He was a three down starter who left for Oakland on a deal very similar to Hayden's (3 years, $6M a year). Whitehead is worth every penny and Detroit will miss him.
TE Darren Fells
Fells is a solid #2 TE who is a competent blocker and has solid hands but doesn't have the speed to go out there and beat LBs in coverage. The Browns will use him in a similar role like Detroit did.
TE Eric Ebron
The Lions spent a 1st round pick on Ebron, but his poor hands and inconsistent play earned him the pink slip. He was improving as time went on, and the Colts will use him as their #2 TE to Jack Doyle with the potential to usurp him. While Detroit won't miss him much, they don't have a replacement lined up.
C Travis Swanson
Swanson was one of the worst centers in the league, and the Lions rightly let him walk. He will now compete for a starting job with the Jets.
DT Haloti Ngata
Ngata was once one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL, but his play was declining in Detroit. He'll be a part of Philly's vaunted D-line rotation now.
DT Akeem Spence
Spence was an average rotational D-lineman who was recently traded to the Dolphins. He's not a big loss.
Others
LB Paul Worrilow
S Don Carey
Free Agent Additions
QB Matt Cassel
Cassel has been one of the worst backup QBs in the league, looking awful for Dallas and Tennessee. He will compete with Jake Rudock for the backup job, but I have to believe Rudock is the favorite after he spent all of 2017 backing Stafford up.
HB LeGarrette Blount
Blount is a punishing HB who does one thing well - plowing through defenders with his size and strength. He's a total liability in the passing game, but when used right, he can break open defenses like a sledgehammer. His off-the-field personality can be a pain, as the Steelers once figured out. He seems to be pegged to be out there on 1st and 2nd downs, but there's a certain rookie HB who will challenge him.
TE Luke Willson
Here's the guy who will likely be the Lions starting TE... yep, he's totally underwhelming. He's been a backup TE for Seattle and never acommplishing much. He has a little receiving ability and his blocking grades are mixed (PFF likes his pass blocking but think he's a bad run blocker).
TE Levine Toilolo
He's a good blocking TE and not much else. He's basically a 6th offensive lineman.
C Wesley Johnson
Johnson was one of the league's worst centers as a starter for the Jets, but he's going to back up Detroit's 1st round pick if all goes well.
G Kenny Wiggins
Wiggins was forced to start the Chargers' entire season with rookie Forrest Lamp on the IR. As you can imagine, Wiggins was one of the worst offensive linemen in the entire NFL. He'll back up Lang and Glasgow.
DT Sylvester Williams
With Ngata and Spence gone, Williams is slated to play a hefty number of snaps at DT. His first four years with Denver were mostly bad, but his one year stint in Tennessee was league average. He's a quality run defender but won't create any pressure.
LB Devon Kennard
Kennard was a part time player for the Giants as he sometimes rushed the passer and other times stopped the run. He's an average at best player, but they should have focused their funds on retaining Whitehead instead.
LB Christian Jones
Jones was an inside LB for the Bears 3-4 defense who picked up a bunch of tackles over the years but was mostly ineffective, especially in coverage. His addition doesn't seem like an improvement to the roster.
Others
LB Jonathan Freeney
CB DeShawn Shead
Draft Additions
Pick 1-20: G/C Frank Ragnow
It was surprising to see an interior lineman go this early, but Ragnow flew up the draft boards as he was athletically elite and totally dominated the competition at Arkansas. He'll either play center or guard and he should be able to start right away.
Pick 2-43: HB Kerryon Johnson
The Lions moved up for a HB, and I'm shocked it wasn't Derrius Guice. He's a decent HB who will compete with Blount and Reddick for snaps to start off. The Lions have not been able to find a competent starting HB for awhile now, so they'll hope he doesn't end up like Best or Abdullah.
Pick 3-82: S Tracy Walker
I don't get this pick. The Lions are solid at safety, and Walker is a small school prospect who will likely max out as a special teamer. I don't see him pushing for Tavon Wilson's or Miles Killebrew's roles.
Pick 4-114: DT Da'Shawn Hand
Hand was a mega prospect at Alabama but played to his full potential there. He will likely join the D-line rotation, but they spent a 2019 3rd rounder to get this pick, so I'm not sure if that was a wise idea.
Pick 5-153: T Tyrell Crosby
Most draftniks had Crosby as a 2nd to 3rd round prospect, so nabbing him here was a great get for the Lions. According to Charlie Campbell, he slid due to "poor body composition" and having a personality unsuited for NFL locker rooms. If he can get past those problems, they have a great reserve player and a potential starter.
Pick 7-237: FB Nick Bawden
The Lions drafted a fullback. If he makes the team, he'll likely end up playing 20-25% of the snaps.
Notable UDFAs
WR/CB Michael Ford (SE Missouri St.) 6th-7th round prospect
CB Amari Coleman 7th Round
Yup, that's about it. From what I could tell with a bit of research, all the other UDFAs weren't seen as draftable, so, on paper, it wasn't a good UDFA haul.
-~ Overall Thoughts ~-
The Lions went 9-7 last year, though being able to repeat that will be difficult due to one player - Aaron Rodgers. The Lions beat the Packers by double digits twice in 2017, which is likely not going to happen in 2018. I'll give Lions fans credit that they should have won the Falcons matchup on that close call at the end (they lost the game due to the 10 second run-down).
The roster itself is alright, and they look like an 8-8 team in a division that should be hostile, depending on if the Bears will be competitive in 2018. New head coach Matt Patricia has some pieces to work with on defense, but I must say I'm not a fan of the linebacker group. Their offense doesn't have any superstars, but the WR corps is quietly good and their O-line might not have any liabilities on it. If they can keep their best guys healthy, they could go on a playoff run.
Any thoughts? Will the Lions be able to keep up with the Vikings in 2018?
... and neither is this Chris guy.