By: Andy Davies

Plenty of uncertainty surrounds the Detroit Lions, Philadelphia Eagles, and Houston Texans going into the 2021 season. Their quarterback situations are far from clear and their overall rosters are mediocre at best.

The same goes for their head coaches, with all three going into their first seasons at the franchise. Neither of Dan Campbell, Nick Sirianni, or David Culley has been a full-time head coach in the NFL. Campbell is the only one to have some experience, with his spell as interim head coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2015.

Here is why you should be expecting the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the three worst records in the league in 2021.

Saying Goodbye To A Franchise Legend In Detroit. Struggles For The Replacement

Matthew Stafford was the number one overall pick in 2009, with the entire city of Detroit hoping he would be the man to turn around the fortunes of the franchise. Despite three seasons of making the playoffs, the Lions and Stafford never won a single postseason game as the wait continues. The Lions remain the team with the second-longest period without a playoff win, their last taking place on January 5th, 1992.

Stafford had some great individual moments as a Lion, most notably his Mic’d up moment during his 2009 rookie season. In a week eleven game against the Cleveland Browns, he overcame injury to produce a moment of pure heroism. He played with a separated shoulder despite the efforts of the medical staff to keep him off the field, leading the Lions to a touchdown-winning drive.

Jim Caldwell guided the Lions to these playoff appearances but was not seen as good enough to take them to the next step. New England Patriots assistant head coach Matt Patricia was brought in but never took to life as head coach. The Lions had three consecutive losing seasons under the coaching of Patricia. They will hope that they have found their guy in Dan Campbell. His press conference was certainly not dull, with Campbell referring to “biting kneecaps”. As a former Lions player, he knows what it takes to play in the league. He also knows about the city of Detroit and his intentions are both positive and clear. If he is given time, he has the desire to bring the good times back to Detroit. However, he is inexperienced as a head coach and the roster is below average.

New quarterback Jared Goff has the potential to struggle. This is despite the drafting of offensive lineman Penei Sewell at seventh overall, a selection that had Campbell and new General Manager Brad Holmes very excited.

Despite his brilliant 2018 season that saw the Rams reach Super Bowl 53, Goff had a poor game and struggled in 2020 as he and head coach Sean McVay’s relationship deteriorated.

Goff struggled despite a plethora of offensive talent around him. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp form one of the best wide receiver duos in the NFL. He is going to a franchise that let go of their two best wide receivers and failed to replace them.

The Lions have a schedule that features the San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, and Cleveland Browns. There are also two games against their division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, and Chicago Bears. The Lions do not have it easy.

Prediction: 3-14

Trouble In Philadelphia; Reason For Hope?

The Eagles have seen three years of gradual decline after winning Super Bowl 52. The 2017 season saw the Eagles lift the Lombardi Trophy for the first time after two previous attempts.

Doug Pederson was the head coach to guide the Eagles to a Super Bowl but was fired after the conclusion of the 2020 season. His decision to bench rookie quarterback Jalen Hurts in order to lose and gain a higher draft pick appeared to be the final nail in the coffin.

Carson Wentz had an MVP caliber season before an injury derailed hopes of winning the award. Backup Nick Foles stepped in and guided the Eagles to the Super Bowl 52 win. He also stepped in a year later and guided the Eagles to a shock Wildcard Round win against the Chicago Bears, with thanks also going to a Cody Parkey missed field goal.

Both Foles and Wentz are no longer Eagles players. Out of the starters in that Super Bowl 52 win, only seven remain with the franchise. Their decision to draft Jalen Reagor over Justin Jefferson continues to be mocked by rival fans and nobody knows how new head coach Nick Sirianni will do in the role.

The schedule is mixed for Philadelphia. Whilst they face the New York Jets, Lions, and twice play the New York Giants, they also have to face the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs.. This is as well as facing a rising Washington Football Team twice as well as playing the Dallas Cowboys both home and away.

Reports have surfaced in recent days of the Philadelphia Eagles being the favourites for Deshaun, with talks said to be “heating up”.

This could be a move that transforms the franchise. However, Deshaun Watson had his best statistical season yet the Texans only managed four wins all year. This proves that whilst it is very important to have a good quarterback, you need more around to be successful.

Unless the Eagles do something in what remains of the offseason, they will continue to be mediocre if their roster continues to be this poor. If they get offensive or defensive talent in the next one or two offseasons, then they are a team that will compete for years to come. Otherwise, the Eagles will fail to be a threat to both the NFC and NFC East.

This is why Deshaun should avoid the Eagles at this present time. He will be going into a situation no different to what he experienced in Houston.

Prediction: 4-13

What A Difference A Year Makes

Where do we start with the Houston Texans? The 2019 season saw them take a 24-0 lead against the Chiefs in the Divisional Round. However, they allowed 41 unanswered points as they lost 51-31. What has unfolded since in the following nineteen months has been reminiscent of a Greek tragedy.

Head coach Bill O’Brien, who also was general manager, made the unusual decision to trade star wide receiver, Deandre Hopkins. In exchange, the Texans received a running back past his sell-by date in David Johnson, one second-rounder and one fourth-round pick. O’Brien only lasted four games in the 2020 season as they finished the campaign with just four wins.

Since the conclusion of the 2020 season, franchise legend J.J Watt has left and there continues to be an uncertain future surrounding quarterback Deshaun Watson. Houston’s quarterback requested a trade in January before allegations of sexual assault arose. These have lingered throughout the remainder of the offseason. It is unclear if Watson will play in the NFL at all in 2021 but even if he does, it is unlikely that he will be wearing a Texans jersey.

Houston has said they would listen to trade offers for Watson, with the franchise said to be wanting three first-round picks. They have also acquired Tyrod Taylor via Free Agency and used their first pick in the draft on Davis Mills in the third round. Even if the Eagles stick with Hurts, there will be plenty of other suitors.

Even with Watson, the Texans are light on the ground when it comes to elite talent. Linebacker Zach Cunningham and Laremy Tunsil are talents and despite adding Phillip Lindsay and Mark Ingram to the running back room, the roster is one of the league’s worst.

David Culley has developed somewhat of a worrying reputation after his time with the Eagles, Chiefs, and Baltimore Ravens. During his fourteen-season spell with the Eagles, his four seasons with the Chiefs, and two years with the Ravens, he had 0 wide receivers earn a PFF grade of 80 or above.

The Chiefs wideouts went an entire season without a touchdown under Culley. With a wide receiver room featuring Brandin Cooks, Nico Collins and Anthony Miller, this is not exactly a position of strength for the Texans. Culley is unlikely to see any of these receivers score high PFF grades.

Whilst the Texans might be playing the Jacksonville Jaguars twice and the Jets, they have a tough schedule. They will face the Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks. Houston will also play the Los Angeles Chargers and the San Francisco 49ers as well as the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans twice.

They are unlikely to win many of these games. Fans should be expecting a difficult season.

Prediction: 2-15

The post Expect the Lions, Eagles, and Texans to have the worst records in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ladarius Brown

In an NFL offseason full of storylines, one of the bigger ones was that of the trade between the Rams and Lions. The Lions moved on from arguably the best quarterback in franchise history in Matthew Stafford in exchange for Jared Goff. Both quarterbacks needed a change of scenery for varying reasons. For Stafford, it is about the chance to play for a Super Bowl contender. In the case of Jared Goff, it is about trying to start anew someplace else. Now that Goff is in the Motor City, what are the floor and his ceiling? Let us start with his floor. 

Floor: Jared Goff in 2016/Carson Wentz 

The Rams made the quarterback out of the University of California the number one overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He started seven games that year, losing all seven. Goff threw for 1,089 yards with a 54.6% completion percentage and five touchdowns to seven interceptions. A large part of his shortcomings in his rookie year fell upon the offense around him. In 2016, the Rams had the worst offense in the NFL. Also, the fact that Jeff Fisher was his head coach for the preponderance of that year did not exactly help matters either.  

In that same 2016 NFL Draft, another signal-caller was taken after Goff by the Eagles in Carson Wentz of North Dakota State. Wentz had a better rookie campaign than Goff based on passing yards and completion percentage. Wentz started all 16 games, throwing for 3,782 yards with a 62.4% completion percentage and 16 touchdowns to 14 interceptions in 2016.  

Even with his less than stellar rookie year, Goff’s career is comparable to Wentz’s based on the numbers. Having Wentz as the floor for Goff does not mean I think Wentz is terrible. The Wentz comparison for Goff is that Wentz can only get better, given his new surroundings. Goff is in the same situation.  

Ceiling: 2017-2018 Goff/Matt Ryan 

Given Goff’s floor, I love his ceiling because the Goff we saw in 2017 & 2018 were two of the best years of his six-year career. Combined in those two years, Goff had 8,492 passing yards (fifth-most), 60 touchdowns (tied for fourth), and averaged 273.9 passing yards a game (sixth-most). Also, he was tied with some quarterbacks named Drew Brees and Tom Brady for the most wins at 24 in 2017 & 2018. My point, this was peak Jared Goff, and it was amazing. He was also was the starting quarterback in the Super Bowl 2018. 

With this celling comes with a disclaimer since his production picked up once Sean McVay came to Los Angeles. I am banking on that on the high end, Goff can produce similar numbers for the Lions as he did for the Rams in those two years consistently. The disclaimer comes in is if he can without Sean McVay on the sidelines. I may not be sold on head coach Dan Campbell, but I am on the offensive coordinator Anthony Lynn.  

Lynn, a former offensive coordinator with the Bills and head coach of the Chargers, brings 20 years of coaching experience. In his four years as Chargers head coach, they were in the top 10 all four years. It helped to have quarterbacks in Philip Rivers and 2020 Rookie of the Year Justin Herbert, but it does not take away from Lynn’s coaching ability.  

As we travel back to college, Goff’s NFL comparison was Matt Ryan, and it turned out to be spot-on as both players are very accurate passers and excel in the pocket. Also, both Goff and Ryan are over 6’4” and have been to a Super Bowl, both on the losing end, and both came into the league under defensive head coaches. Looking at Ryan’s career, he was the league MVP in 2016, Goff’s rookie year. Ryan is still playing at a high-level entering year 14 and Goff could be the next Ryan. If Goff can take advantage of his new opportunity in Detroit, his career will bounce back.  

The post What is Jared Goff’s ceiling and floor? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Ladarius Brown

If you are a football fan (or a Lions fan for that matter), the Lions organization has not been great for some time. Over the last two years, it has been the defensive side of the ball that has taken a major hit. In 2018, this Lions team was 10th in the league in total defense with players like DE’s Romeo Okwara, Da’Shawn Hand, and 3x Pro Bowler & All-Pro CB Darius Slay. However, in 2019 & 2020, the Lions finished 31st and 32nd respectively. As they are rebuilding their secondary, most notably with drafting Ohio State CB Jeff Okudah in the 1st round in 2020, the defensive line needs some depth.  

One option that is out there is 4x Pro Bowler and All-Pro DE Justin Houston. Houston played for the Colts in 2020 in which he had eight sacks and 19 total sacks in his two seasons in Indy. In 2014, he led the league with 22 sacks as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs, who finished 7th in total defense that year. Another reason that Houston is an ideal fit for the Lions is the flexibility he can provide. 

The Lions’ new defensive coordinator, former 15-year NFL veteran Aaron Glenn, will bring in a 3-4 defensive scheme. Here, DEs who are typically starting with their fingers in the field will have their stance be upward as an LB. Houston played LOLB in his 1st eight years in the league with the Chiefs and the transition will be seamless. Also, two of the current DE’s on the roster, the aforementioned Okwara, and Trey Flowers, will be making the move to outside LB.  

What also bodes well for Houston is that Lions general manager Brad Holmes drafted only one true DE in the 2021 Draft: Derrick Barnes in the 4th round out of Purdue. Glenn alluded to is, in nickel packages, he visualizes using a five-down front at times, with LB Jamie Collins as one edge rusher. Veteran Michael Brockers and rookie second-round pick Levi Onwuzurike are defensive ends who will play as inside rushers in sub-packages in the Lions’ new defense. This Glenn-led will have various looks, taking advantage of players who have played as DEs and LBs. Houston fits the bill in this respect and more.  

The biggest question is how much playing time Houston would see on the field. In the last two seasons for the Colts, he averaged 641 defensive snaps, or 62% of the Colts snaps on that side of the ball. Given the players currently on the roster, there is an opportunity for the 10-year vet to get a starting job. Because of his familiarity with playing in a 3-4 scheme, he has an edge on the younger players on the roster. 

Given that the Lions’ front seven are have experienced players such as Collins (8 years), Brockers (9 years), Houston would be great as added depth with the chance to compete. Regarding his price tag, he made $12 million a year in Indy when he signed in 2019. Now, at 32 years old, another question is he worth $12 million a year, even for one year. If he is willing to take a pay cut (1 year, $5-6 million), he would be well worth the risk in kickstarting this Lions defense.  

The post Why the Lions should sign pass rusher Justin Houston appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

The Detroit Lions are in a relatively compromising position this season compared to most other NFL teams.  They traded away their franchise quarterback in Matthew Stafford, getting future picks in return as well as Jared Goff.  Jared could be good for Detroit, however if he were to perform poorly this year they could be looking at a pretty high up draft pick.  

In this article I will be going over players the Lions should consider drafting, as well as why they would be good fits with the team.  I will be operating under the assumption that their picks will be according to their Super Bowl odds, meaning they would have the second overall pick (they have the second-worst odds to win the SB) as well as the 29th pick (Los Angeles Rams first-round pick from Stafford trade, they have the 3rd best odds to win the SB or 29th worst).  With that said, let’s start with the first player.

Spencer Rattler ”“ QB ”“ Oklahoma

The next Oklahoma QB in line to be a premier pick is the Phoenix native Spencer Rattler.  After an impressive redshirt freshman season, he should be looking to improve even further as a player in 2021-2022.  Rattler is a phenomenally accurate quarterback when he has just enough time to make throws, completing 67.5% of his passes, however he can also improvise at an extremely high level. 

After back-to-back number one overall picks in 2018 and 2019 being Oklahoma QBs, the Lions could look for a true improvising based quarterback to replace Matthew Stafford, and bring a new dynamic to the team.  If the Lions are picking within the top three picks, they should most definitely consider bringing in a quarterback as either Jared Goff did not perform in that scenario, or the roster needs more time to develop.  

In 2020, Spencer Rattler put up the following statline:

• 11 games played
• 214 passes completed on 317 attempts (67.5%)
• 3031 passing yards, 28 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 172.6 Passer efficiency rating
• 81 rush attempts for 160 yards and 6 touchdowns

Overall, Rattler is a fantastic prospect who can pass at all three levels with great accuracy, while also being able to get outside the pocket and still make the throw.  As of now he is one of the top two QBs in the class to most analysts, as he should be, and Detroit would hugely improve having him behind center.

Justyn Ross ”“ WR ”“ Clemson

In this scenario, rather than replacing Jared Goff, the Lions would supplement him with new receivers.  As of right now one of the biggest needs in Detroit would be a receiver, as they have very little depth and even their top receivers on the depth chart are unproven.  Justyn Ross would change that, and even better, he may fall to their second first-rounder from the Rams later on.  

Ross is one of the better receivers in this class and has the ability to turn plays into huge gains whenever the ball is in his hands.  The main reason his value has dipped quite a bit is due to not playing in 2020 due to a major injury.  He had a bulging disc in his spine as well as a congenital spine condition, due to a collision with a Clemson LB in practice.  However, we have both 2018 and 2019 to base his skills off of.  In 2018, he was fifth in the ACC in receiving yards (1000) and led the ACC in yards per reception (21.7).  In 2019 he also got eighth in the ACC for number of receptions, with 66.

His better year of the two is 2018, where his full statline looked as such:

• 14 games played
• 46 receptions for 1000 yards (21.7 yards per reception)
• 9 receiving touchdowns. 

One thing that does not show up in his stats is his size and reliability.  At 6’4” and 205 LBs, he is a very tall receiver who can use his wingspan to go up and contest 50/50 catches and bring them down at a high rate.  His hands are extremely reliable, and he makes the most out of every single snap he gets on the field.  This is exactly what the Lions need at receiver, and definitely a player Dan Campbell would like to have around due to his physicality.

Kyle Hamilton ”“ S ”“ Notre Dame

Finally, we have a relatively outlier pick, taking a safety in the first round, never mind early in it.  This is more for if the Lions do decent, and go in the 7-10 to 5-12 range, and get a pick somewhere from 7-15.  Like I mentioned, taking a safety early in the draft is heavily advised against by most teams and front offices”¦. unless they are a generational talent or have extreme upside.  Kyle Hamilton has extreme upside and could be one of the better safeties we have seen come from CFB since Jamal Adams, potentially better.

Kyle Hamilton is another massive prospect, at 6’4” 219 LBs he could be the size of a nickel linebacker if he could put on about 10 more pounds.  His extremely tall frame and long wingspan allow him to get in between the receiver and the ball and knock it away almost with ease it seems.  The other thing that makes him so scary is his vertical abilities, even though he is 6’4” and has a large frame, he is able to get a 40-inch vertical.  This type of athleticism is coveted in the NFL, and scouts should be all over him if he continues on the path he has created.

In 2020, he put up the following statline for the Fighting Irish:

• 11 games played
• 63 total tackles (51 solo and 12 assisted) along with 4.5 tackles for loss
• 1 interception with 14 yards returned, and 6 passes deflected

Another thing to note is in 2019 he had four interceptions, with the same number of passes deflected.  He should be a highly drafted prospect, most considering him top 15 at worst right now, and if he has another great year in 2021, we could be looking at our “next big thing” in the safety world.  His high level of talent would hugely improve the Lions secondary and would create a fantastic dynamic duo of sorts with Jeff Okudah in front of him on the field at the CB position. 

The post 2022 draft targets for Detroit Lions: A QB, WR, and S make out the list appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

The Detroit Lions sent out a defense that was more than lackluster last season. The defense was ranked 26th in the NFL. They also ranked in the bottom five of almost every defensive statistical category.  They ranked last in every defensive touchdown category. 32nd in points, yards, and both rushing and passing touchdowns. They also ranked last in red zone touchdowns given up. The defense also gave up 6,700 yards. 
After an off-season full of changes, the Lions defense is slowly starting to look up. They have made changes for the better and while it may take time to develop, this unit should eventually be a force to be reckoned with. Through both free agency and the draft, the unit on the field this season will look vastly different. Here are three reasons why the Lions defense will be better in 2021 than it was in 2020. 

Revamped Defense

Through both the draft and free agency, the Lions added strong defense players. Detroit traded for defensive tackle Michael Brockers, who will be a focal point on this side of the ball. They also re-signed star defensive end Romeo Okawara. Romeo had nearly half of the teams total sacks with 10 last season. The Lions also selected Romeo’s younger brother Julian Okwara in the 2020 draft. They will hope to see more of a breakout performance in Julian’s second year. He only appeared in six games during his rookie season and was plagued by injury. 

The duo of Brockers and Okawara will not only be the faces of the defense but will also be expected to be the leaders of the defensive line. 

The Lions also chose to go heavy on defense in this year’s draft, using four of their seven selections on defensive players. Most notably, in an effort to solidify the defensive line even more, Detroit went back to back with defensive tackle selections, Levi Onwuzurike at pick #41 and Alim Mcneill with pick #67. Onwuzurike opted out of the 2020 season but in his three seasons at the University of Washington, accounted for 16 tackles for losses and 7 sacks. Mcneill played three seasons at NC State where he was an anchor on the defensive line. In only 32 games, Mcneill was a disruptive player with 77 tackles and 17.5 tackles for loss. He also added 10 sacks. Both of these rookies will be expected to perform day one and one of them will have a starting job come the start of the season.

The Lions clearly saw the defensive line as maybe their biggest weakness so they did what they deemed necessary to fix it. They are also taking an approach of building with the line and then up.

Coaching Changes

Lions new head coach Dan Campbell is said to be a defensive minded coach. Campbell also brought longtime defensive coach Aaron Glenn in to be the Lions new defensive coordinator. Glenn spent the last five seasons as the secondary coach for the New Orleans Saints. There is hope that with both Campbell and Glenn working on this defensive unit, they will see drastic improvements from last season. 

Nearly the entire set of defensive coaches will be new from last season. Each member will attempt to implement their way of defending and if done correctly, this group could be very dangerous. The Lions have made it clear that they want to be a gritty team that wins in the trenches and with these new hires, they are headed in that direction. 

New Scheme

With Aaron Glenn being brought in as the new defensive coordinator, there is potential that a new defensive scheme will be implemented. Coach Campbell has noted that the team will play a variation of a 3-4 defense. The scheme that they use should be based around the players that they are using. In order to have a successful defense, players must be in a scheme that they are best utilized for. In the Lions projected scheme, both outside linebackers will be used more as extra rushers. They will be going around the defensive ends and going to the backfield. This change may result in some extra sacks, which the Lions desperately need after only having 24 throughout the entirety of last season. 

This new defense, while being freshly incorporated, could be exactly what this unit needs. A change in how they approach the defensive side of the ball could prove to be extremely beneficial. 

The post 3 reasons why the Lions will have a better defense in 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

This upcoming season will be year three for Detroit Lions tight end TJ Hockenson. Hockenson has proven to be one of the most talented players at his position yet he hasn’t been given the credit yet. After a somewhat lackluster rookie year, the former eighth overall pick seemed to turn the corner in year two. 

After proving to be one of the lone bright spots on a poor Lions team, Hockenson should be talked about in the same regards as some of the other top tight ends in the league, but he is not. He is currently on a path to being a top-five player at the position yet his name is never brought up in discussions of the best at the position. Lets see why that might be and why he will be one of the best at the position come the end of next season. 

The Team

The Detroit Lions have been a bottom NFL team for some time now. Their last winning season came in 2017 and their last 10-win season was in 2014. They have always managed to just be mediocre and with the departure of quarterback Matthew Stafford, it makes you question just how they will look now. 

There is also a new regime leading the charge in Detroit. New head coach Dan Campbell seems to be bringing a culture change to Detroit. This change could be just what this team needs. In a trade that sent away Stafford, the Lions received Jared Goff. Goff has proven to be a capable NFL quarterback. It is still unknown how Goff will perform in Detroit but expectations will be high for the QB who was just starting in a super bowl a few seasons ago. With Hockenson being stuck on such an average team, does that attribute to his lack of attention? With other top tight ends such as Travis Kelce and George Kittle being on teams that have been at the forefront of the NFL, has that caused them to be talked about more than Hockenson?

Receiving Options 

Outside of Hockenson, there is a clear lack of options at receiver in Detroit. The next notable receiving threat on the roster is newly signed free agent Tyrell Williams. The Lions added rookie receivers  Sage Suratt and Amon-Ra St.Brown. While both of these receivers could develop into real threats, they are still inexperienced. This leads to Hockenson. In his first full 16-game season, Hockenson hauled in 67 receptions and 6 touchdowns. 

The Lions will also have to incorporate their new receivers into this offense. With the departures of Kenny Golladay, Mohamed Sanu and Marvin Jones. Jr, the entire offense will be entirely different. Hockenson can and should be the number one option on this roster, at least through the first few weeks of the season. 

So is this the season that Hockenson is able to put the league on notice? It should be. He is one of the most athletic and talented players at his position. His ability to both block and make plays is reminiscent of an old school tight end. He is an embodiment of Detroit and is destined to become one of the next great tight ends in football. 

The post Why TJ Hockenson will be the next great TE and it’s still not talked about appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Calvin K (Twitter: @Calvin_SGF)

The NFL draft took place last weekend in Cleveland, and as usual, there were plenty of interesting storylines along with it. As usual, there were players who dropped far past their projected draft slot (Trevon Moehring, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah), as well as players who went earlier than expected (Alex Leatherwood, Tutu Atwell).

Both Moehring and Owusu-Koramoah could be argued as the “steal of the draft” based solely on how far they fell. However, this article will show you why the number one steal was a player who really only dropped two spots beyond their projected pick. That player is Penei Sewell. Here are three reasons why the Lions made perhaps the draft’s best pick.

Sewell is a generational talent

It’s not often that you find a lineman of Sewell’s caliber, and it’s even rarer to find one who can play both left and right tackle (Detroit will use him on the right). Sewell has the potential to immediately become a superstar in this league, and he will start right away for a Lions team that could definitely use some improvement on their line.

For his size, Sewell is an incredible athlete, and he is fantastic at moving laterally to make effective blocks. He was nearly flawless against both the run and the pass in college, and while the NFL is a different game, his skills should still translate over to the pros very well. Sewell should’ve been the pick for Cincinnati at five, as tackle is a much bigger need than WR for them. However, the Bengals chose to take WR Ja’Marr Chase over Sewell, and when the Dolphins took Jaylen Waddle at six, it ensured that the Lions would receive possibly the draft’s greatest gift.

The Lions could use some offensive line improvements

It’s not like Detroit had a bad offensive line, but Sewell could help the line make the jump to elite. Frank Ragnow was a standout center for Detroit last year, and with Taylor Decker stepping up at left tackle, the Lions only needed to fill a void on the right side. Sewell will fill that spot.

Upgrading the offensive line will pay dividends for this Lions team. Jared Goff will now have more time to operate in the pocket, which is especially essential given that Goff’s play suffers significantly when faced with any kind of pressure from defensive lines. Starting RB D’Andre Swift should also have more running room on the outside, which could help to fuel a second-year breakout, and the WRs would rack up more yardage due to Goff having more time. Because Sewell is a well-rounded player, all of these benefits would likely be immediate, which would be great for Detroit’s chances of a shorter-term rebuild.

Sewell fits well with head coach Dan Campbell’s football philosophy

When Dan Campbell had his introductory press conference after signing his six-year deal with Detroit, he emphasized playing smashmouth football. Campbell wants his team to be tough, win in the trenches, and yes, bite some kneecaps as well. While the final statement is clearly in jest, the others are not, and winning interior battles begins with the offensive and defensive lines.

Campbell emphasized his strategy in the draft, following up his Sewell pick with the selection of defensive tackles in Rounds 2 and 3. While Sewell isn’t known particularly for his power blocking, he still fills a position of importance for his new head coach, and there’s no doubt that he has all the tools to improve in that area. Either way, Sewell will make an immediate impact for his team, and he should be a centerpiece of this rebuilding Lions team for years to come.

The post Why Penei Sewell is the Steal of the Draft appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By Rod Villagomez

The Detroit Lions locked up who they believe will be their quarterback for the next several years when they acquired Jared Goff from the Rams. It seems now, they are willing to allow their current backup to also suit up elsewhere next season. The word is out that Chase Daniel may be dealt away soon. So who will serve as the second on the position depth chart if Daniel departs?

Looking at the salary cap situation in Detroit makes this situation a little more complicated that it should be otherwise. Currently, the Lions are coming into the 2021 season just under $5 million over the cap. This makes signing a more expensive veteran arm difficult. Of course, there is always the draft to find a suitable backup. Although, given how young Goff still is, spending anything more than a sixth round pick seems too expensive. 

Where then, does this leave Detroit as far as options? The most feasible way to solve the problem is to look for a signal caller who has a decent amount of experience, or nearing the end of his career. Over the years, it’s been proven that a solid second quarterback can do wonders should their starter go down. One need only look at San Francisco for proof of that. They were lost when Jimmy Garoppolo fell to injury. The Nick Mullins/C.J. Bethard combo was not up to the tall task of keeping the 49ers in the mix in the NFC West. Ryan Fitzpatrick almost sparked a revolution in Miami as the man behind rookie Tua Tagovailoa.

Here are arguments to be made for two possible candidates as Goff’s second in command. We’ll start with the pros, move on to the cons, and make a final conclusion as to whether they make a good fit. 

Blake Bortles

Pros:

The Lions could runite these two former first round draft picks should they pluck Blake Bortles off the free agent market. Once the Jacksonville Jaguars greatest hope, Bortles fell from grace in 2018, one year removed from a playoff appearance. Although, to be fair to the third overall pick in the 2014 draft, he wasn’t dealt the greatest of hands in Duval. 

The fallout from his failures left Bortles bobbing out in the Atlantic Ocean without so much as an inflatable raft. It may not have been fair though considering his situation and how, statistically speaking anyway, he managed to perform in spite of it. 

Despite finishing with a record of 5-11 in the 2015 season, Bortles still passed for 4,428 yards, 35 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions. Each of these fell inside the top-10 of their respective categories. The next season was not so kind even though he still threw for almost 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. Then, in 2017, he took the Jags to within a game of the Super Bowl, only to get bounced by the New England Patriots. He made the best of a bad situation, but ultimately it seems, the situation, brought the worst out of him.

Cons:

Whatever managed to flip Bortles from a rising star to a sinking ship came on without apology in the 2018 season. Fresh off a contract extension and a deep playoff run, one would think he would be primed for a stellar year. Sadly, this was not the case. Suddenly, he became more turnover prone. His passing accuracy and overall numbers plummeted. It was as if his heart just wasn’t in it anymore. As if that wasn’t enough, he lost his starting job to Cody Kessler. 

If the Lions decide to take a risk on Bortles, they will take on more than his luggage. They’ll also inherit the baggage he’s carrying with him from his disappointing departure from Jacksonville. Not to mention, even if he lands in Detroit, there is no telling which version of Blake Bortles will walk into that locker room. 

Conclusion:

Life is full of situations in which there are a wide range of outcomes. Obviously, predictions are made by trying to anticipate and minimize these ranges. With Bortles, you know at his best, you will be getting a competent arm with starting potential. We’ve seen him lead a team to the playoffs with it. At worst, you’ll get the last version of him the Jaguars endured before letting him go. By giving him another shot to back up Goff though, you may be setting him up for a successful (third) chance. 

Goff is not known to miss much time due to injuries, so the pressure won’t necessarily be on to carry the team as often. Granted, he’ll find himself attached to another struggling franchise, but at least this time, he’s not the one who has to turn it around. He would do just fine as the first round backup of the first round starter. 

Geno Smith

Pros:

When it comes to backing up quarterbacks that refuse to ride the bench no matter their condition, look no farther than Geno Smith. After literally getting knocked out of the Jets 2015 season, he found himself riding behind Ryan Fitzpatrick. From there he went on to backup such injury free quarterbacks as Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and finally Russell Wilson. If there is a role Smith is meant to fill, it’s as the understudy to an Ironman. 

Smith will come at a gigantic discount to Daniel should the current backup find himself sent packing. If the Lions stand pat, they’ll owe Daniel almost $6 million. At most, Smith would cost less than a third of that price, even factoring in the $750,000 dead cap hit Daniel will incur if he’s cut. It’s more likely Detroit will try to trade him though to get more value. In the end, it might not be much, but something is better than nothing. Which is why Smith would make a suitable filler of this vacated position. 

Cons:

Let’s face it, there are actually more reasons not to bring Smith on board than there are to sign him. In six seasons, he’s been involved in only 10 games. Most of them, he’s spent either inactive, or on injured reserve. Not to mention the issues surrounding his eventual loss of his starting job in New York. Although, you could chalk those up to youth and inexperience, both of which are no longer the case. So there’s that. Even still, the fact that he may or not come through when called upon is a major red flag. It may be one that isn’t worth the risk.

Conclusion:

This all comes down to two things: the price tag on Smith, and the durability of Goff. Any team would stand to benefit from signing a seasoned backup at a huge discount. It’s especially true considering the man he’s backing up has yet to miss any considerable time due to major injuries. Can Detroit do better? Probably. Can they do worse? That can be debated. There does exist enough evidence to put this offer on the table and see where the chips fall.  

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