NYLion

Not interested. The Lions core receivers are Amon Ra and Jamo and the former needs to get paid in 2 years. Not only are you giving up the draft capital but you're also paying Higgins big money long term which could well prohibit the Lions from filling other more pressing needs and re-signing some key guys. I'd rather just re-sign Chark or use a draft pick on a receiver. I would have been more fine with this last year (when the Deebo rumors came out) but the Lions are in a different place now.

So... Wagner is an interesting option. He's still a top player but you worry at his age that he can fall off any moment and he'd probably be fairly pricey for a player his age but I think he'd be a real boon for this defense. Regardless, he's likely signing with a true contender but it's fun to talk about something like this being even a remote possibility which would have been a complete fantasy a year ago. The Lions have come a long way in a year.

Holmes is much more likely to trade up than trade down based on his history. He was heavily rumored to wanting to trade up for Sewell (I don't think it was Chase based on rumors), we know based on the behind the scenes stuff that he wanted to trade up for Levi, he did trade up for Barnes and traded up for Jamo. Holmes just seems like one of those GMs that prefers quality over quantity so with 5 picks in the top 81, I'd bet that he heavily pursues a trade up probably not from 6 but I could see him packing the two 2nds to move into the 1st round to take "his guy". I wouldn't mind that tbh especially if it's a high upside player even if it's not a position of big need.

I'm highly disinterested in another Ben Simmons (Amen) so I wouldn't even consider Amen although the Pistons could use a defensive stopper. Nick Smith doesn't stand out to me at all. He just looks like an inefficient chucker. I could see the Anthony Black intrigue because of the archetype and defensive versatility but I have a hard time taking a guy who will likely never be a lead scorer, in a league where scoring is king, in the top 5. I like Walker but he's mostly projection at this point, same with Whitmore. Guys that look the part and flash some high end skills but that are largely role players at the college level. Granted, they are younger. I don't know, I see Miller as having the highest floor of all these guys and a pretty high ceiling as well if his in between game continues to progress. At the very least, you're getting a 6'9" elite 3 point shooter that has the length to defend multiple positions. Those guys don't exactly grow on trees. I think he's Jabari Smith with more offensive potential.

So if you go by only numbers, who do you take ahead of him? Walker? No... Whitmore? No... the Thompson twins who play against far inferior competition?... No, George? No Who do you have in mind that you'd take ahead of him? I'm curious Also, those games against Houston and North Carolina were much earlier in the year. He's improved since then with his 2 point efficiency in particular. He also had a great game against Gonzaga and a good game against Memphis so there's been some ups and downs against tournament teams. He has loaded up against some lesser competition in SEC play though so we'll see how he does down the stretch. The age thing is overblown. He's 20 but he doesn't have much college experience.

More like 3-5 if indeed GMs aren't phased by this news. I just think some GMs might be concerned with the company he keeps, that he could put himself in this position again. To me, he's clearly the 3rd best prospect in this draft ignoring any perceived red flags.

He'll get drafted but I don't see how his draft stock doesn't take a hit. He was still involved one way or another and I'm sure that will scare some GMs from investing a high pick in him. Weaver is big on character guys so I bet he'll be off the Pistons board.

My question is, how the hell did this get swept under the rug for so long? It's not like Miller is a low profile athlete. I think Alabama/Nate Oats are in for a serious hurting as more details emerge. As far as Miller is concerned, bye bye draft stock. From a Pistons (much less important) perspective, this sucks because I saw him as a clear #3 for them so this now narrows the room for error when they inevitably drop in the lottery. I like Jarace Walker and Whitmore shows some flashes but it's slim pickings beyond the top 2 with Miller gone. The Thompson twins look like athletes with not much else to offer so no thanks on either of them.

Hock is a perfect example of why it's a bad idea to take a TE in the 1st round and he was dealt, not because he wasn't a solid player, but because he's not good enough to warrant a 2nd contract for this particular team and Holmes smartly traded him for some value rather than overpay him for a role that wouldn't be worth what he's making. Hock is actually an above average TE and was still a failed pick. As I said before, the Lions had 3 TE's that were much cheaper, provided better blocking and scored many more TDs (which is where the real mismatches are), all three of which were undrafted and drafted in the 5th round. Yeah they didn't have as many receptions between the 20s but they provided more of a balance for MUCH less money, plus the Lions got improved beans out of it. I'm not against taking a TE somewhere in the draft but very little interest in taking one in the first 3 rounds. There's just so many more avenues where draft capital is better spent (pretty much every other position really).

The team was 4-19 with Hock the last two seasons, he didn't move the needle. He had a couple of really long receptions this season, otherwise he was largely a non-factor. Meanwhile, Zylstra alone who was an undrafted free agent btw had more TDs than Hockenson did with the Lions last season. Not to mention Brock Wright who is a MUCH better blocker and also had more TDs than Hockenson had with the Lions last season and who was also an undrafted free agent btw (further illustrating Holmes great eye for talent). I could go on and on about why it's a bad idea to draft a TE in the 1st round (Lions history with that, most great TEs are drafted outside the 1st) unless it's a very unique circumstance but I think you know where I'm going with this.

Amon Ra is an elite slot guy so that's where most of the catches down the middle will go and they already have TE's that create mismatches in the red zone. Unless there's a TE available that is generational and you HAVE TO take him, it's a waste of a 1st rounder because a Tight End will never be the featured receiver in this offense. Hockenson was a top 10 TE, some would argue close to top 5, and he barely moved the needle here.

They have plenty of young TEs all in development stage and it has to be be explained again that the TE is not featured heavily in the passing game here. Not only would be a reach positionally but it would also be pointless, again in this offense, to waste a high pick on a tight end. Running back is different, they are a heavy running/play action team so getting a bell cow runner that can also catch the ball out of the backfield (and be available and relatively healthy unlike Swift) would be a boon for this offense and an understandable use of a 1st rounder if they choose to go that route. Taking a tight end in the 1st makes no sense for most teams but especially for this team.

It's not really. The TE isn't featured prominently in the passing game in this offense, moreso in the running game, and they have 3 young tight ends that scored a whole bunch of TDs once Hock was traded. Taking a tight end in the 1st round would be absolute madness.

Fairley was a monster in his final season. He was basically Suh with a more questionable work ethic, he and Suh were two of the most dominant DT's I've ever seen in my 30+ years of watching college football along with Sapp. He was a steal where the Lions got him but unfortunately, he never wanted it enough so he became a case of "what could have been".

Is this in reference to Cade? He was definitely not a "no brainer", Mobley and Green had good cases to go #1. Regardless, it remains to be seen if Cade was even the right pick until he can prove to be healthy. 2 fairly significant injuries in 2 years is concerning so Weaver shouldn't get credit for Cade either until he proves something. I'm a big fan of his upside but he needs to get, and stay, on the court.

The problem is that Weaver gave up assets to acquire the Bey and Stewart picks so I don't think you can look at the success rate of those draft positions in isolation. Granted, the Bey assets were fairly inconsequential depending on what one thinks of Kennard but that 1st rounder given up for Stewart is still handcuffing them from making any real trades because they don't have a 1st to trade until it conveys so while Stewart is somewhat covering the bet for a player picked in that range, I think I'd rather have the 1st to use as trade bait going forward. Then there's Killian who some are fawning over him as much improved but in reality, he went from a non-NBA player to a barely NBA player. In any event, I'm still fine with the direction this is moving in but that 2020 draft really set this thing back. Nothing short of Wiseman panning out is likely to save that draft class from being considered a bust overall since I think Stewart has a limited ceiling.

That's fair although I wouldn't call Cade, Ivey and Duren piles of shit, they're just.... young. I'd take that over the Griffin, Rose, Drummond, Jackson core that was on a one way treadmill to nowhere. My main point is, compared to the other rebuilding teams, he had garbage assets to work with to build a foundation while those others teams all had stars that they could sell off for multiple 1sts.

This is the one thing I'd give Weaver a pass on and more patience is required, because he was handed a pile of dung when he got here 3 years ago. People point to OKC, Houston, Orlando, Utah and San Antonio having this "treasure chest" of future 1sts while the Pistons have jack. Well, the Pistons didn't have George, Westbrook when he was good, CP3, Harden, Vucevic, Gordon, Mitchell, Gobert and Murray to sell off, he had broken Griffin and Rose, so no shit that those franchises have all these extra 1sts to work with. What I can't forgive Weaver is what has now turned out to be a disastrous 2020 draft. You can't have three top 18 picks (and give up assets to get the last two) and end up with a bench big, a barely NBA caliber PG and a reclamation project in Wiseman. Getting no surefire starters 3 years after the drafting 3 guys in the 1st is a massive fail and has set this thing back. Now we wait on Cade to be healthy (concerning since he's had multiple injuries in his first 2 years), Ivey and Duren to develop, lottery luck and for this or the next coach to develop somebody/anybody who isn't a very high draft pick. I'm still on board with this process but Weaver needs to start making some hay starting this offseason.

That's the lone positive I see from this as well. We knew what we were getting in Bey and it wasn't fun to watch in the least. At least with Wiseman it's something new to keep an eye on because otherwise, I was running out of reasons to watch.

Weaver always has one head scratching trade a year. Well, this one fills the quota. Throw another big man bust into the large pile of big man busts in Okafor, Bagley and Noel because.... reasons? Bey was clearly flawed but this is the best they could do for him? I'd take the 5 2nds that GS got over Wiseman, quite easily, and those 2nds (which I assume or mostly mid to late) are useless.

I think it'll depend on who they cut, how many of their guys that they re-sign but I could see a guy like Bradberry being in the very high end of the splurge scale for Holmes. Cominsky had huge importance for this defense, the numbers with and without him were eye opening, and he's only 27 so I'd go up to 3 years $15-18m for him. He, like Williams might take a bit of a discount to stay here. They're the two that are a big part of the culture and have spoke the loudest about their desire to stay.

The numbers on Cominsky are WAY low. I think he'll be in the ballpark of 2 years $8-10m. Eliott will probably get offers of 3m per year on the open market, no way he gets 3m total over 2 years IMO unless he takes a team friendly discount. Chark and Williams seem about right although I think Williams might take a little less. Either way, I don't see Holmes splurging in free agency. I think it'll more "prove it" contracts like the Chark one last offseason and finding diamonds in the rough like Cominsky, Buggs and Eliott. Don't really see him being in on the big names.

I believe in Bijan for a couple of reasons. He could make this offense elite of the elite. I know they're already really good but he would potentially vault them to another level and if you have an elite offense, you're pretty much an auto contender, how do you stop the Lions with that many weapons? He might have the highest offensive upside in this draft. Also, they have 4 other Day 1 and 2 picks to address needs so they can afford to go luxury with a high pick if they believe in a guy who will have the most impact, or BPA. If we're following Holmes patterns and past draft rumors, combined with the amount of high picks, we could very well see a trade up to get a guy he loves. He was heavily rumored to want to trade up for Sewell and Levi, did trade up for Barnes, traded up for Jamo. I think we could very well see a consolidation of the picks for a trade up into the 1st and I wouldn't be surprised if it's a position that we least expect like RB, WR or even offensive tackle. I think a trade down is unlikely at least on Day 1 or 2. They already have a lot of picks as is and have a roster that is starting to get overcrowded with young players as is, not to mention that it doesn't fit the Holmes pattern.

I see that too. He has the measurables and is exactly the type of athlete that will crush the combine and open up some eyes. His production was far more impressive than Walker's too on a defense where he was more of the focal point. Not saying that he's a better prospect than Walker necessarily but I could see him being a real riser in the draft process and, for me, is the #1 option for the Lions if the Anderson and Carter are gone based on upside. Bijan Robinson would be #2 for the same reason, upside. I'm just not enamored enough with any of the CBs to take one at 6 and with this being such a deep CB class (arguably the deepest position in this draft), the Lions should get a good one at 18 regardless.

Oh don't get me wrong, the Bears have needed a new stadium for a long time. I just hate that in places that have had a lot of memorable outdoor games in Chicago and Buffalo, that we'll never see that again once they go to domes. A dome in Chicago and Buffalo just doesn't seem right, doesn't feel like "football" but maybe I'm just being a "Get off my Lawn" guy right now.