Hardknocks/Preseason Thread - Including OTAs

[MichiganCardinal]

Kidz Bop with the National Anthem. Those poor spectators.

[MichiganCardinal]

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

[MichiganCardinal]

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.

[Motor City Sonics]

I know it's preseason, but I don't know how Tom Kennedy does not make this team.    I think it's Quintez that doesn't make the team.  

 

 

[MichiganCardinal]

A Lions victory.

A must win and they got it done.

Extend Campbell.

[RandyMarsh]

NOt that preseason means a whole lot but crazy to think this is the Lions first preseason win since 2018! 

[holygoat]

Maurice Alexander is gonna be some team's kickoff return guy come opening day.

[NYLion]

On 8/20/2022 at 3:11 PM, Motor City Sonics said:

I know it's preseason, but I don't know how Tom Kennedy does not make this team.    I think it's Quintez that doesn't make the team.  

 

 

Unless Cephus is unable to play on opening night due to injury, I'd say he's locked in. It's Kennedy vs. Benson and I don't see how Benson beats out Kennedy unless they value Benson's speed over Kennedy's production and reliability.

[buddha]

54 minutes ago, NYLion said:

Unless Cephus is unable to play on opening night due to injury, I'd say he's locked in. It's Kennedy vs. Benson and I don't see how Benson beats out Kennedy unless they value Benson's speed over Kennedy's production and reliability.

i think the opposite.  kennedy doesnt play special teams and can almost assuredly make it through waivers and go back to the practoce squad.  benson can return kicks and punts and that gives him the edge.

[Motor City Sonics]

57 minutes ago, buddha said:

i think the opposite.  kennedy doesnt play special teams and can almost assuredly make it through waivers and go back to the practoce squad.  benson can return kicks and punts and that gives him the edge.

Actually TK has been playing on Special Teams (not in a receiver role).     He's just that steady guy, that depth guy every team needs.   You know, the sure-handed white guy that gets open even though he's not the fastest, but he actually is pretty fast.   He made two catches on Saturday that I am not sure any other receiver not named St. Brown could make.   You know at least 2 WRs will get hurt this year.    I like Kalif Raymond because he's scrappy, but he's so small.............

[buddha]

1 minute ago, Motor City Sonics said:

Actually TK has been playing on Special Teams (not in a receiver role).     He's just that steady guy, that depth guy every team needs.   You know, the sure-handed white guy that gets open even though he's not the fastest, but he actually is pretty fast.   He made two catches on Saturday that I am not sure any other receiver not named St. Brown could make.   You know at least 2 WRs will get hurt this year.    I like Kalif Raymond because he's scrappy, but he's so small.............

the gritty gutty white guy who looks amazing in pre season against the other team's secind and third string?

yes, i think we all know who tom kennedy really is.

[MichiganCardinal]

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.

[buddha]

i would be shocked if kennedy is traded.  everyone knows youre likely to cut him.

there are lots of small guys out there who can play slot receiver.

[Hongbit]

When it comes to the 6th or 7th WR, is it more important to be reliable or have a higher developmental upside?   I’d probably lean reliability for a player in the on field rotation but want potential from someone deep down the depth chart.  Personally, I’d keep Cephus, then Benson, then Kennedy.    

[Motown Bombers]

I don't think they will keep Benson just because they traded for him. This is the same front office that cut Perriman before he ever played a game after signing him. For the last WR on the bench, I'll probably take a speed guy. 

[MichiganCardinal]

2 hours ago, Motown Bombers said:

I don't think they will keep Benson just because they traded for him. This is the same front office that cut Perriman before he ever played a game after signing him. For the last WR on the bench, I'll probably take a speed guy. 

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.

[MichiganCardinal]

3 hours ago, buddha said:

i would be shocked if kennedy is traded.  everyone knows youre likely to cut him.

there are lots of small guys out there who can play slot receiver.

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

[MichiganCardinal]

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.

[Stanley70]

If they keep Kennedy, along with Raymond and St. Brown, that will give them 3 small slotty types. I think it will be Cephus and Benson that they keep.  Plus whoever the last one is to make it will be cut when Williams is activated.

[buddha]

32 minutes ago, MichiganCardinal said:

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

1) that was not a good trade;

2) the lions were desperate for receivers;

3) benson is bigger and faster than kennedy and therefore has more upside, imo.

but we'll see. maybe kennedy has a market?

[djhutch]

I know TK is small, but he's almost identical in size to Wes Welker & Julian Edelman. I don't know why there can't be a spot for a guy who catches what's thrown at him & just seems to me like the poster child for Dan Campbell is all about.

[Hongbit]

34 minutes ago, djhutch said:

I know TK is small, but he's almost identical in size to Wes Welker & Julian Edelman. I don't know why there can't be a spot for a guy who catches what's thrown at him & just seems to me like the poster child for Dan Campbell is all about.

There is a spot for him in the NFL.  I’m not sure it’s with the Lions.  This discussion is a tip of the cap to Brad Holmes, who has done a great job improving the WR corps. 

[Motown Bombers]

 

[MichiganCardinal]

6 hours ago, buddha said:

1) that was not a good trade;

2) the lions were desperate for receivers;

3) benson is bigger and faster than kennedy and therefore has more upside, imo.

but we'll see. maybe kennedy has a market?

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.

[Motown Bombers]

Meanwhile, Giants fans are talking about how they can get out of the Golladay contract.