• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

NFL Offseason Thread 2015 |OT2| Home of Baseball, Anime, Cricket, and Magic Johnson

K

Kastrioti

Persecution Complex
How the Lions can become a Super Bowl contender for years to come

The Detroit Lions are mostly fine. They won 11 games last season, and made the playoffs for the second time in four seasons -- something they could last say in 1999. The defense was outstanding, finishing No. 2 in yards and points allowed per game during the regular season. The offense probably didn't give Detroit the return on investment it was hoping for, averaging a hair over 20 points per game, but it's still a relatively young unit that was in its first year under head coach Jim Caldwell and offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

The Lions could be one of the NFL's best next season, depending on how they address the elephantine defensive tackle in the clubhouse. Accommodate Ndamukong Suh without jeopardizing the rest of the roster, and you may see the outline of a Super Bowl contender if you step back and take in the long view of the team.
Click to expand...

Three-step plan

1.) Build the offensive line for the future

Heading into the season, the Lions were seemingly in fine shape up front, but the unit finished just south of mediocre in 2014, giving up 47 sacks and springing the running game for just 3.6 yards per carry with Reggie Bush and Joique Bell. The veterans got pooped. Dominic Raiola has already been let go for being a poor center, as well as an unpleasant person. Nine-year left guard Rob Sims may be next.

What would be left are a bunch of youngsters entering, at most, their fourth season in the NFL, and that's fine. The Dallas Cowboys' top-notch unit was exactly the same way last season, outside of right tackle Doug Free. Travis Swanson (2014) and Larry Warford (2013) appear to be hits. If the Lions can find something other than an undrafted rookie to plug into the right tackle spot for next season, the line could be in great shape for years to come, and that would help Matthew Stafford and the offense much more than trying to give him another splashy playmaker.
Click to expand...


2.)Stop making it about Matthew Stafford

Yeah, he's the Lions' $53 million golden goose. If he's so good then you can probably stop hurling wide receivers and tight ends at him with hopes he'll find reliable targets.

Okay, lop on Golden Tate -- but that's it.

The Lions have been trying really hard to turn Stafford into an unstoppable throw-bot, but only have a lot of ultimately wasted draft picks to show for it. Since Stafford was drafted in 2009, the Lions have had a terrible time selecting offensive skill players. Jahvid Best (No. 30 overall, 2010) and Titus Young (No. 44, 2011) are already out of the league for reasons that were mostly out of their control. Ryan Broyles (No. 54, 2012) has only appeared in 21 games in three seasons due to injuries.

The verdict is still out on tight end Eric Ebron (No. 10 overall, 2014). Unfortunately, his rookie season looked a lot like that of teammate Brandon Pettigrew (No. 20, 2009), the Lions' other first-round tight end. Ebron struggled with dropped passes in college, through the pre-draft process, into training camp and during the regular season, dropping four of his 47 targets to finish with 25 catches for 248 yards and one touchdown.

Brandon Pettigrew's rookie numbers? Five drops on 54 targets to finish with 30 catches for 346 yards and two touchdowns. That notorious problem with dropsies has seemingly been deemed uncurable by the Lions. Pettigrew was targeted just 15 times this past season.

Having first-round caliber weapons is nice, but you don't need them to be a good offense, if this year's Super Bowl contenders are any indication. A Tate-supported Calvin Johnson, Joique Bell, Stafford and a good, young offensive line are enough, especially if the Lions ...
Click to expand...

3.) Keep the Defense Elite


http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/2/27/8019301/lions-2015-offseason-super-bowl-contenders

More at the link including some of the mental hurdles the franchise and fanbase have to overcome as a whole.

I agree with the article except for the Stafford is fine with the current playmakers we have. Megatron is a liability and I'm not counting on Ebron panning out as hyped, though it would be nice.

We have to go offensive playmaker, biggest Impact offensive weapon whether a RB or WR in the first two rounds. Right now I want Melvin Gordon if he's available at #23.

It never ever hurts to have another impact offensive weapon regardless of what was done in last years draft.

Restore the Roar.
 
B

Bread

Banned
2. Stop making it about Matthew Stafford.

2. Stop making it about Matthew Stafford.

2. Stop making it about Matthew Stafford.

2. Stop making it about Matthew Stafford.

2. Stop making it about Matthew Stafford.

2. Stop making it about Matthew Stafford.
 
M

MechDX

Member
Does Bill O'Brien prefer Bryce Petty over the rest of the quarterback prospects? One former NFL scout says O'Brien does.

Landry was a scout for the Cleveland Browns and Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, and consulted for up to 10 NFL teams on one point. Now he runs his own independent site covering draft prospects, which leads us to the current topic. Also, Landry is a frequent visitor of the NFL combine, as he was this year.

Landry, on 620 WDAE (Tampa,) discussed the Jameis Winston vs. Marcus Mariota debate in the draft and tagged specific team personnel to each quarterback. While running down which organizations liked each quarterback, Landry mentioned Houston Texans’ coach Bill O’Brien preferring Mariota. Then Landry added the tidbit that O'Brien liked Baylor’s Bryce Petty the most. You can hear the rundown at the 36 minute mark.
Click to expand...

Wut? Not this way BOB. Not this way.
 
A

Alligatorjandro

Banned
Today is the one month anniversary of the New England Patriots winning Superbowl 49.

tGqtoVW.jpg
 
M

MechDX

Member
BlackGhost said:
I almost posted this in the morning , but the power of mallet prevented me.
Click to expand...

Came out of the damn blue. John McClain must be masterbating feverishly to the idea of a Baylor QB in Houston

I seriously have not given him much thought at all to be honest.
 
B

BaltimoreLarry

Member
LyleLanley said:
"Ravens CB Victor Hampton was arrested last night for DWI, according to WSOC-TV in Charlotte. Hampton signed w/Ravens in January." - @JeffZrebiecSun

"Ravens CB Victor Hampton was not only driving 100 in a 55 zone, he had an open container and two passengers w/concealed weapons." - @JeffZrebiecSun
Click to expand...

Who the fuck is Victor Hampton? We went through 23 different corners last year, and this dude wasn't one of them.

Chuck, you get nothing. You picked the wrong Raven.
 
G

Grover Cleveland

Member
LyleLanley said:
"Ravens CB Victor Hampton was arrested last night for DWI, according to WSOC-TV in Charlotte. Hampton signed w/Ravens in January." - @JeffZrebiecSun

"Ravens CB Victor Hampton was not only driving 100 in a 55 zone, he had an open container and two passengers w/concealed weapons." - @JeffZrebiecSun
Click to expand...

Note to Out-of-Staters:

Literally NOTHING good happens at CIAA weekend in Charlotte.

NOTHING
 
M

MechDX

Member
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/1...uars-big-free-agency-spenders-clayton-mailbag

While the league as a whole is spending at the 95 percent level at the midway point of the minimum spend period, 10 teams are under the 89 percent threshold: Oakland, Jacksonville, Carolina, Dallas, Pittsburgh, Washington, New Orleans, New England and both New York teams.


The question heading into the 2015 free-agency period is how the minimum spend provision, in its third year, will affect spending. For the Raiders and Jaguars, the impact could be huge.

The system pretty much mandates the Jaguars and Raiders to be the biggest players in free agency. After two years of the minimum spend period, the Raiders are at 80.19 percent of the 2011 and 2012 caps. The Jaguars are at 82.19 percent. Currently, the Jaguars are $66.8 million under the cap for 2015. The Raiders will be at $56.5 million under once the termination of safety Tyvon Branch's contract becomes official.

Don't be surprised if the Raiders make moves on four or five high-priced unrestricted free agents. The Jaguars could move on three or four big names. You could see tight end Julius Thomas and cornerback Byron Maxwell heading to Jacksonville, while the Raiders could go for defensive tackle Terrance Knighton, center Rodney Hudson, tight end Jordan Cameron and a top receiver who doesn't get franchised.
Click to expand...

All your free agents are going to Jacksonville and Oakland.
 
M

MRSA

Banned
I hope the Raiders offseason FAs this year are basically stealing from AFC West opponents:

Orange Julius, Pot Roast, Rahim Moore, Rodney Hudson, Nate Irving, and maybe Orlando Franklin.
 
D

DeaconKnowledge

Member
chuckddd said:
Would you bring him back? He's already counting $8.5M against the cap anyways.

I think my feelings can be summed up pretty succinctly.

Fuck you Woodley, you lazy wolverine biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitch.
Click to expand...

Hell no. We got Woodley's best years. He should take his money, retire, and get as fat as he wants.
 
G

Godslay

Banned
MRSA said:
I hope the Raiders offseason FAs this year are basically stealing from AFC West opponents:

Orange Julius, Pot Roast, Rahim Moore, Rodney Hudson, Nate Irving, and maybe Orlando Franklin.
Click to expand...

That would be a good haul.

Best player out of all of them is probably Hudson.

After that it's probably Julius and Pot Roast.

Orlando depending on where you put him.

Moore and Irving are average starters.

Hudson and Orlando are likely to be the two top paid linemen this FA, Julius the highest paid tight end, and Pot Roast will likely be 2nd behind Suh in terms of highest paid DTs.

You'll have to shell out for them, it would improve your team quite a bit. I guess if you have the money why not?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

2024 NFL Draft Day Thread |OT|
31
1K
AJUMP23 replied
Square Enix announces PAX East 2020 lineup, events
15
2K
Ryu Kaiba replied
  • Locked
NFL 2017 Offseason thread |OT| - Servicing Us Boys
402 403 404 405 406
20K
615K
TheSkullPrince replied
Fall 2018 TV Series Premiere Dates
4
1K
cryptoadam replied
NFL Offseason Thread 2015 |OT| All of our teams suck!
391 392 393 394 395
20K
772K
xDUMPWEEDx replied
Top Bottom