MichiganCardinal

I think Hockenson will be much better this year when he doesn’t have to be the best receiving option out there. If your expectations for a 1st round TE are that they be top 3 at their position he may still disappoint, but I think Chark, St. Brown, and eventually JaMo will allow him to be a TE again, rather than a TE *and* our WR1

I believe with the IR rules if a player is placed on IR before the cut to 53, they must be on IR for the entire season, but if the move is made after final cutdowns, they only have to be on for four weeks.

I would think the latter. He can be a valuable asset in the NFL. Just not at that price tag.

I agree with 1 and 3. I don’t think we were that desperate though. Holmes knew we weren’t going to win many games and it’s not as if WR depth was going to magically change that. If Holmes hadn’t seen something in Benson it wouldn’t have happened.

I don’t think there is a real competition for the backup QB role. I have a hard time believing that after more than a year of having both Boyle and Blough on the roster, which the FO favors would boil down to the results of Blough v. 2nd team defenses or Boyle v. 3rd team defenses. They know both of these guys pretty well at this point. I am sure it matters to an extent, but I’d be willing to bet their minds have been largely made up since the decision to cut the depth chart to 2 QBs was made.

I think the same could have been said for Benson last year though.

In hindsight I would walk back my post last night a little. I still think they are more likely to keep Benson than either TK or Cephus and I do think it’s related to the trade, but more so because clearly they saw something they liked about Benson that led to them giving up assets for him. I don’t think they would dig their heels in on a bad trade and say “A is better than B but we have to look good and since we traded for B he is who I’m keeping”. I think that’s kind of what I insinuated last night. I think TK would have to *clearly* be better and more valuable than Benson though to make them bail on Benson. I’m not sure that he has set himself up for that, despite the preseason success. It’s not as if TK would challenge even Josh Reynolds for WR4. Anyway you cut it though it’s a good problem to have.

I think Benson is more likely to make the team than either Kennedy or Cephus, at least in part because of the trade that acquired Benson. Unless their hand is forced, front offices aren't in the game of admitting bad moves within a year of them being made. Benson has played well enough to justify a spot. If I had to guess right now, I would think they try to shop Tom Kennedy for a 6th or 7th round pick to a team not as deep at WR - the Bears and Texans come to mind. If they can't swing a deal, they'll try to stash him on the practice squad if he can clear waivers. If they really want to keep both TK and Benson, they could Waive/Injury Cephus at final cuts and hope he clears to the short-term IR. Ultimately, I think we are talking about the difference between three guys who are ultimately the WR6, WR7, and WR8 on this team (behind Jamo, Chark, St. Brown, Reynolds, and Raymond), and that it won't really matter much at the end of the day.

A Lions victory. A must win and they got it done. Extend Campbell.

I haven't been paying close enough to attention to know if it matters but special teams has really shined today. Big returns on the kickoffs.

Our backup offensive line is allowing Reynolds to absolutely gash the backup Indianapolis defense.

Kidz Bop with the National Anthem. Those poor spectators.

Yep. Stop placating them. The B1G is enabling ND's independence by scheduling with them. Announce that B1G is moving to a 10-team conference schedule, along with an SEC partnership for one game per year. No competitive B1G team will take their one non-conference game that can be a cupcake and schedule ND. ND will be left with table scraps and would join the B1G within two years, when their most competitive game on the schedule is against Miami.

I've been that way for a while now. I could get behind it as Minor League Football if their talent dispersement and playoff format were reasonable.

I’ve predicted 7-10 wins. I think I’m higher on the Lions than others for two reasons: (1) my valuation of last year, and (2) my valuation of the offense this year. With respect to (1), the Lions had only two really bad losses last season- the Bengals and the Eagles. I’m not counting the Broncos because of the COVID backdrop to that game. Every other game they were reasonably competitive, even when they shouldn’t have been (see Rams). They beat a good Cardinals team soundly. They were in position to beat the Ravens, Vikings, Steelers, Browns, and Bears, had a few breaks gone their way. Even with just two of those games going their way, you’re talking about a 5 win team that got healthy and better in the offseason. With respect to (2), offense is what wins games and championships in the NFL nowadays. I’m sure some will call me crazy, but with our offensive line and the addition of JaMo around the halfway point, I think our offense has the ability (if healthy) to be a top ten scoring offense in the NFL. I think there will be games this year where we plain outscored our opponents. It may not be pretty but it will get the job done. I’m not saying that they’re going to compete for the NFC crown, but if this coaching staff is as good as we think they are, I don’t think being on the graphic come December is an unreasonable ask.

🎵 forward down the field…. 🎵

I thought the second episode of HK was good. Not as fun to watch as the first with the novelty wearing off, but still good. I think the bit in the linebackers room where the room gets chastised for a 6th round pick outperforming them says a lot about that room (more than anything Campbell or Holmes say publicly). The bit at the end with Hank Fraley and his son was cute. Would have loved to have my dad be an NFL coach as a kid LOL.

Why does this start so late? Trying to stay up…

Now that it’s all over, don’t forget to cancel your AMC+ subscriptions before they renew! What, too soon? 😁

The salary cap isn't something that really concerns me to a very large degree when it comes to making moves. It's on the radar, but not very close to the center of my thought process. Maybe I'm naïve and it should concern me more (no one confused me for being an NFL GM), but it never seems to bother big spending teams. Every offseason you seem to hear about the Packers, Saints, and Rams being in some form of salary cap hell.... and then they go out and sign big name players and are immediately back in contention. To be clear, I'm not advocating going the Jaguars route and spending money for the sake of spending money. I don't think the Lions should be 'at' the cap year-in and year-out just for the sake of being there. But if you feel that Roquan, or whoever, puts you in a position where you a legitimate contender - for the NFC North title and beyond - both now and into the future.... I wouldn't allow concern for the salary cap stop you from making that move.

I'm satisfied. Part of me was disappointed when he came clean, because as the con that led to an offer of seven years was being played out, I wanted to see a 2022 scene shot in color to finish. Where we see a new alias for Jimmy/Saul/Viktor/Gene be born. Leaving the door open in a sense, to Jimmy being out there in some way. At the same time, upon further reflection, I think this finale offers better closure to the universe. No one wins, and no one should win. I also don't think I would want to see AMC try to re-boot the series in ten years without Gilligan or Gould the way they did Dexter without James Manos Jr.

I would wait until the trade deadline to assess the risk and reward of sacrificing assets for Roquan Smith, or any premier linebacker. There is a lot of hype around the team right now, and I’m even on the train that believes the Lions could potentially make the playoffs this year…. but I want to see it materialize before I commit to being a buyer off a 3-13-1 season. If we reach late October at 4-3 or so, have a timetable on JaMo’s return, and like our chances to compete for the North or a wildcard spot, but can tell the LB spot is holding us back? Go for it. On the other hand, if Goff goes down or injuries otherwise hamper us, or if Aaron Glenn isn’t able to work the magic many of us are hoping for with the DL and DBs, and we are clearly more than one guy away, then pass. Save the draft capital and use it to get your guy in the draft.

That was sexy. It was against one of the worst teams in the NFL. But that’s how good teams look against bad teams in the NFL.

Chris will offer him three Hot N Readys and a 2 liter of expired Mug Root Beer, best he can do.

I’d be fine with that! He might accept such an offer too. I don’t think he’d come close to the job of GM though. If he came back he’d want a checkbook that I don’t think Chris is handing out.