1984Echoes

But this... Is just waaay too simplistic IMO. IE: You cannot just go to Kiper's top 100 and say "BUT WAIT! That guy is not BPA!" I'm not even saying that to be difficult... we just ALL know that BPA to anyone else is NOT BPA to Holmes/ Campbell. They have different criteria than anyone else. And also... to MC's point: Holmes specifically stated that they maneuvered to get their guys (Gibbs, Campbell, LaPorta, Branch, Hooker, Martin AND Sorsdal) NOT because of "BPA", but because he and Dan wanted THESE guys to help the team make a run to the Playoffs. Holmes straight up said: "We drafted these specific guys at these positions to help us get to the playoffs." You can't say "BPA" with these guys. You have to say "Best Fit for the Lions". IMO.

I tend to agree with this.

I didn't say "don't see time". I said "in a meaningful way". Meaning, I would expect him to be a part of a rotation... but with limited snaps until Reader hands those snaps over (through injuries, or Readers' slow-down/ ineffectiveness, or Martin really catches on/ catches fire.) Any of which could happen. But, again... the team does not have to "push" or "rely" on Martin, they can rely on Reader. When Martin takes off and outplays Reader... he can take over for him. Whether that's at the end of 2025 or middle of 2026... I couldn't say. Nor is it my place. I'll leave that up to DC...

I think Hamilton outran his asthma...

I wouldn't call him "last" as much as I would call for the need to stay healthy. IE: If he's the 3rd best DT in training camp then he's the #3 DT in the regular season as well, as long as he can remain healthy and productive. And Martin is #4 and has to both learn more and wait his turn. But it's the NFL and injuries happen so I wouldn't write anything in stone. What depth # would we have given Tyson Alualu and Quinton Bohanna? As they each played a few games in 2023. I think I would look at Levi more at the end of the season with the question "what was he able to bring to the Lions in 2024?" Just my 2 cents...

That's what I was thinking also...

I think this also delays a "need" to put Brodric Martin into the starting lineup or even a rotation. It means Brodric may be entering "Reader School" and may not even emerge, in a meaningful way, until 2026. And I don't see that as a negative on Martin either. It may be an unknown... But if he truly loves this game and both can be patient as well as have the ability to truly learn and grow his technique in this game... It will be interesting to see what comes out the other side of his "Reader School of Dominant D-Line Play." And when.

From the Athletic: https://theathletic.com/5318482/2024/03/14/nfl-free-agent-rankings-tracker/ (Fuller was ranked 70th best FA this offseason by the Athletic... the reason why): Fuller's speed has declined, but his anticipation and instincts help offset that. Even so, he's approaching 30 and has some knee concerns, making his market a bit murky. With Benjamin St-Juste and Emmanuel Forbes around, he doesn't seem likely to return to Washington, which will miss his leadership. — Ben Standig

Which are active, virulent, hostile, even violent, and anti-Democratic/ anti-Constitutional.

Get some wins for this team and we can get back to that place...

I respect the right of anyone to believe anything they want to, without persecution. I do not respect someone attempting to replace facts with "belief" or "hearsay evidence". I have a right to demand that someone provide "proof" when they attempt to override facts with non-factual statements or "statements of certainty" or "belief". Facts have been proven. I respect facts. I do not respect lies. Lies like "Donald Trump won the election in 2020." I have the right to demand evidence whether it is a statement I believe to be a lie, or a statement that I believe is a "belief" attempting to override the truth. Or a proven fact. You do NOT have the right to abrogate my right to evidence, or proof, when arguing beliefs over facts. Sorry if that upsets you. And I STILL respect your right, to believe anything you want to.

Exactly. If people (like a Biff Mayhem) or anyone else wants to believe that the universe revolves around Earth because it says so in the bible (I haven't read the bible in 50 years so someone would have to verify that... but I believe the bible, and most ancient religious texts state that belief...): They are absolutely free to do so. Which is "faith", or "belief". But if we are arguing facts it has been definitively proven that we are a heliocentric planet (all planets are...), and we revolve around the sun, not the universe around Earth. But if Biff, or anyone, wants to believe the universe revolves around Earth, go for it. I'm not stopping anyone. But I'm sticking with facts only. And the fact of the matter is we are heliocentric. If someone wants to believe in a flat Earth... go for it. But, sorry, factually, the Earth is round. That's it. But go ahead and believe whatever anyone wants to (which is why it's called "belief", not "fact".) The Earth however, indisputably, factually, is round. If someone wants to believe the Earth is 6,000 years old because that's what is calculated from the bible? Go for it. But the fact of the matter is that Earth if 4.8 million years old. If anyone wants to believe that humans and dinosaurs and eyes and everything else just "magically appeared" due to some "god", go for it. But evolution is proven fact. Indisputable. There is no definitive proof on the Big Bang so... I'm not going to argue that one.

Has anyone ever witnessed "god"? I'd like to hear a first hand account. Let's start with yours.

It's calling them extensions... not renegotiations.

Yeah, Meadows is at the top only to get as many at-bats as possible in spring training. Regular season, he's in the bottom 3. Just a wag.

Hooker will be the #2. Any veteran backup will be vying for the #3 spot. Rumor was the Lions were interested in getting Sudfeld back..

Right. Get a 4th for Ghost (per buddha's doubts...) and a 5th for Perron? And bring up Edvinsson and Kasper? If those guys are ready for the NHL challenge (the big question), then I don't see a problem there. It needs to be done. At least at some point in time.

I would have zero interest in trading for any player with that cap hit. I'll wait for a guy to be released and sign him to a Lions contract with our own cap hit... not someone else's...

Cap hits are MEANINGLESS once a player has been released. The only "cap hit" that matters after that is the next contract that that player signs... NOT his previous cap hit.

That all changes in one year. With Yzerman at the helm. It's called a "rebuild", and it requires patience. That sucks big time... but... it still requires patience, whether any of us likes that or not. Most particularly because drafted hockey kids often take at least a few years to break into the NHL (even though there are some exceptions), and then STILL take a couple more years to make significant impacts towards the playoffs (for most at least)... AND... you cannot rebuild a bad team with no farm back into a "Playoff-Level Team" with ONLY 1st rounders. It takes LOTS of moves and... after Yzerman has made "lots" of moves, including draftees, trades, and FA signings, to get us to this point (hanging onto the edge of the playoffs but maybe not quite there yet), it's obvious he still has to make a few more (moves). But it's not like we are SO FAR AWAY (dire straits), we are, in fact... "ALMOST THERE" (nice song by anika noni rose) I already outlined that above. See my earlier post above...

Yeah, it's been so long I got confused there. I haven't watched SNL in forever (aside from a few clips here and there...). As soon as you said "Never mind." Yeah, OK, I remember that now, of course. But it seems like I'm needing more hints now than ever to try and remember stuff that I already knew. I think the pathways to my memory chips are starting to falter...

Quit conflating two different things: The Big Bang: where did all the matter in the universe come from? God? Or some scientific "Big Bang". That's one thing. How did humans evolve? That is a SEPARATE and UNRELATED thing to where did all matter come from. The universe is 13.7 billion years old. Earth is 4.5 billion years old. Homo Sapiens (the human species) is ~250,000 years old. That's a LONG freaking time for the human species to appear. There is NO such thing as "Intelligent Design". That's another fairytale concocted to try and explain how we got here, as an attempt by the religious to create a bogus "scientific theory" to try to argue against evolution. Evolution is a done deal. It's fact. Sorry. As for all the matter? ... AFTER the Big Bang, or God if you so choose... ALL the MATTER already exists. To create stars, planets, and living things on planets. Water. Carbon Dioxide and Methane and Hydrogen Sulfide atmosphere (early Earth atmosphere... note: NO Oxygen...) which slowly evolves over eons to also include oxygen. Why? Because ocean living single-celled creatures (plant kingdom) evolved an energy source using the sun, giving off a waste material called oxygen. Billions of years later: humans. Oh... your "intelligently designed" eye? That ALSO evolved over billions of years, from a single light-sensitive nerve ending, to a simple lensed eye, to our complex eye. Here is a chart of all the different types (evolution) of eyes, from its simplest form to most complex: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/eye-evolution/

I'll add one more thing: "Playoff level toughness". I don't think we have it. Not last year and not this year, at least the past 6 games. Which could be the need for better players... as I've outlined above... Or... Could be coaching as others have mentioned above. I don't know the answer to that one. Could be both.

No... there's no "start over". This team just isn't good enough yet. I mean, they're good, there's lots of positives, Stevie's been adding depth guys for at least the past 2 years... But we're sifting through goalies and nothing has stuck yet. Nedeljkovic was a nice try and had some good games, but didn't cut it with the Wings (needed better D in front of him)... Husso was a nice try and had some good games with the Wings but currently is faltering with the Wings (looks like he needs better health and better D in front of him)... Lyon is explained really well right here: In other words: Lyon looks like he needs better D in front of him. (It's sort of a theme with the Wings... and on all 5 guys too... not just on 2...) I think we just need some more of these young kids who look like they have some really high skill level to make their way to the Wings. That would include Edvinsson (better D, of course), Cossa (a #1 in goal instead of tossing #2 guys out there and hoping they turn into a #1...), Kasper. Just for starters. This team needs more high-end talent. And I don't know if any of these guys are ready yet. We have a lot of guys who are adding depth to this team. But they are all flawed, limited, whatever term you want to use. They add goals or playmaking (Sprong & Gostisbehere as examples), but their flaws cannot always be hidden. Could go through almost every player and do the same thing: List a positive or two, and then the negatives. The team played together really well this season and the "sum was definitely greater than the parts". But IMO... this team needs a higher skill level, and a higher "drive-to-win" level players, to become a sustainable playoff team. Larkin can drive this team to wins. And...? That's what I mean in a nutshell. The depth and the "sum-of-the-parts" means we're close to a playoff team. But apparently, just not quite there yet. I still believe this team needs to add more "drivers" to get wins. So... sorry to annoy everyone, I also think that takes looking at a guy or two on Lindholm & Hanifan's level. Not necessarily the superstar or even Larkin-level guys... but hard-nosed/ high skill players just a cut below Larkin that can ALSO drive a team to compete, overall, at a higher level. And face adversity & overcome it. And if Larkin gets knocked out for a week every now-and-then (this IS the NHL after all...), these other guys can still push the rest of the team to... not completely fall on their asses like they have the past 6 games? Yeeesh! Just my 2 cents.

You mean... After getting their asses whupped game-after-game.