Official 2023-2024 Detroit Lions Thread.

[Piff Perkins]

My biggest fear is Goff turning into Dak, Carr situations. Big time money for mediocre QBs that need alot of help to win. Lions need contingency plan in case Goff reverts to old Goff with the happy feet and TOs. Getting rookie QB extends Lions window if they hit. I trust Holmes at this point to pick right one. Keeping Goff shortens window because he’ll be making close to 40-50 million a year. Sucking the cap dry

6th pick kinda no mans land. With both first rd picks just pick BPA. No Carter or Anderson. No true elite cb prospects. The DEs available are in the Romeo Okwara/Pascal mold- Big edge setters/not great pass rushers. No elite Olineman or WR prospects either. Think QB would be BPA considering. Even at 18 i would do BPA even if it's Bijan or Michael Mayer. Don’t necessarily value their positions like that but their truly elite prospects then go ahead. Drafting for need gets people fired honestly

I also think Holmes will be super aggressive in Free Agency. Think he signs atleast 3 defensive starters preferably a CB, off ball lb, and interior pass rusher. So when draft comes around they can go BPA. Lions window has opened. They should be favorites to win North. And have more momentum going into offseason than anyone but eventual Super Bowl champs.

That's certainly a fear but Goff can read defenses which makes him better than Dak, and he doesn't panic like Carr. I think Holmes/Campbell have already figured out how to make him work at max level: surround him with weapons, behind an elite o-line. To me the next step is finding a dynamic RB who isn't on the injury list 13 weeks a season. When he had Gurley in the RPO game he looked like an MVP candidate. Maybe you're right and Holmes would take Bijan in the 1st round. I don't think he will but it's possible. If not we can easily get the second best RB in the draft via the 2nd round. I think that's what will take this offense to an even higher level and ensure Goff can function even after Ben Johnson leaves.

You pair a dangerous RB with this o-line, plus Jamo outside and St Brown in the slot and I'm not sure who stops us. I'm not saying we cut Swift btw. But if he's able to get 7-10 touches (run/pass) while Jamaal and a rookie split the remaining 20-25 touches, the offense can really soar while properly insulating Goff from mistakes.

 

[Knights89]

NFL salary cap rises to record $224.8 million, Lions rank 13th in cap space​

• Updated: Jan. 30, 2023, 1:39 p.m.|
• Published: Jan. 30, 2023, 1:39 p.m.

Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes watches during an NFL football practice in Allen Park, Mich., Wednesday, June 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)AP

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• Kyle Meinke | kmeinke@mlive.com

ALLEN PARK -- The salary cap is rising to an NFL-record $224.8 million next season, according to multiple reports. That’s up 8.0% from last season, when the cap was set at $208.2 million.

Detroit has roughly $211 million worth of commitments on the books for 2023, leaving the club with roughly $13.8 million in cap space heading into the offseason. That ranks 13th in the league and second in the NFC North, trailing only the Chicago Bears, who have a league-high $91.8 million to work with.


The Lions’ financial picture hasn’t looked this healthy in years. After years of turmoil under Matt Patricia followed by years of turmoil undoing what Matt Patricia did, Detroit has cleansed itself of its worst contract situations. The club has only $304,000 worth of dead money on the books for 2023, third lowest in the league. While that number will surely change after decisions are made on the future of potential cap casualties like Michael Brockers, Romeo Okwara, Charles Harris and Halapoulivaati Vaitai, the Lions should remain in excellent position heading into free agency.


The Lions insist their free-agent approach won’t change this offseason, sticking with their philosophy of retaining their own while taking high-upside gambles on prove-it players in free agency. But if they want to spend bigger heading into a season where they’ve already explicitly said they expect to compete for the division title, they’ll have the flexibility to do so.


“We’re always going to be very strategic and selective with our approach,” general manager Brad Holmes said a couple weeks ago. “Regardless of how many resources you have, how much money you can spend, we always are very selective and strategic with how we go about free agency. And that’s upcoming UFAs that are on our team as well as external adds, but it’s always going to be the same approach. And I think we kind of proved that, obviously Year 1 didn’t have as many resources at our disposal, but we were very selective about who were the right guys and being very selective about, all right, Alex Anzalone, he’s the right guy. Kalif Raymond, he was the right guy. Charles Harris, he’s the right guy. It’s not that it was just a prove-it one-year deal, but it was the right guy. There were a ton of other options for prove-it one-year deals, but we just were really strategic and selective in getting those right guys. And we’ll continue that same plan.”

 

[djthegreat88]

They say Deuce mom is sick and Carolina close to home. Wish him luck



Bly was probably my favorite player from millen era.

 

[IrateMastermind]

They say Deuce mom is sick and Carolina close to home. Wish him luck



Bly was probably my favorite player from millen era.

It's good to see the lions start taking care of their guys.

 

[Piff Perkins]

Some interesting draft stuff. Early mocks aren't a good indicator of what will happen, but post-Senior Bowl and combine they'll start to get more accurate as agents/players start talking. In the mean time it's still interesting to see some trends, specifically which players are rising or falling. Saw this a few days ago on twitter:




Multiple players the Lions could be targeting. It's early, maybe the combine shoots him back up but man it seems like Bryan Bresee is falling like a rock. I'm no scout so just going off watching highlights and reading what scouts are saying, his tape isn't impressive enough for a top 10 pick. He could easily be available at 18 if this continues, or the second round.

Calijah Kancey is rising. DT from Pitt, undersized but very productive. Could be the guy at 18.

I'd have no prob taking a CB at 6 if Jalen Carter and Will Anderson are gone. Wouldn't mind taking Tyree Wilson at 6 either if he's there. Also wouldn't mind trading down. Carolina needs a QB and has two 2nd round picks, I could imagine them trading the 9 and one of their 2nd round picks for the 6.

 

[IrateMastermind]

We might as well start the 2023 season thread to include the draft. My title suggestion is, "We got the league feeling the Honolulu blues. The Official 2023-24 Detroit Lions thread."

Teams gonna be hurt when they see us this year, and we got new Unis coming and we about to have a bandwagon.

I'd do it myself but I don't have all the @'s for our fans. Also don't know why I can't turn off bold text

 

[smitty22]

Will be yalls head coach within the next 4 years.

 

[Knights89]

Will be yalls head coach within the next 4 years.

That's dope. it would be cool to see a young brother becoming a head coach. Maybe it could be Barrett

 

[dh86]

Some interesting draft stuff. Early mocks aren't a good indicator of what will happen, but post-Senior Bowl and combine they'll start to get more accurate as agents/players start talking. In the mean time it's still interesting to see some trends, specifically which players are rising or falling. Saw this a few days ago on twitter:




Multiple players the Lions could be targeting. It's early, maybe the combine shoots him back up but man it seems like Bryan Bresee is falling like a rock. I'm no scout so just going off watching highlights and reading what scouts are saying, his tape isn't impressive enough for a top 10 pick. He could easily be available at 18 if this continues, or the second round.

Calijah Kancey is rising. DT from Pitt, undersized but very productive. Could be the guy at 18.

I'd have no prob taking a CB at 6 if Jalen Carter and Will Anderson are gone. Wouldn't mind taking Tyree Wilson at 6 either if he's there. Also wouldn't mind trading down. Carolina needs a QB and has two 2nd round picks, I could imagine them trading the 9 and one of their 2nd round picks for the 6.

Breese has the injury history and doesn’t have the track record of dominance that high, there’s so many top run stoppers in FA it’s not a necessity at 6 for me. I don’t see Gonzalez playing CB in Aaron Glenn image and I certainly don’t see them taking someone that high that doesn’t

 

[Piff Perkins]

Breese has the injury history and doesn’t have the track record of dominance that high, there’s so many top run stoppers in FA it’s not a necessity at 6 for me. I don’t see Gonzalez playing CB in Aaron Glenn image and I certainly don’t see them taking someone that high that doesn’t

I'm not a Bresee guy. I'd imagine the combine will determine his fate because that's when scouts start talking. Looking at the current mocks, various dudes will say that the league is split on Bresee. We'll know the answer soon and I expect him to keep falling.

The Lions have sent multiple scouts to watch Oregon games, and Brad Holmes himself even traveled to one of their games. I think they like Gonzales a lot. Given how much man coverage Oregon played, I def think he fits the scheme. Same with Devon Witherspoon from Illinois, and Joey Porter from PSU.

Unless something crazy happens like Will Anderson or Jalen Carter falling to 6, I'd prefer to trade down to 8 or 9. Pick up some extra picks. I think the Lions are drafting two DTs. A younger/more athletic nose to start ahead of Buggs, and a 3-tech to rotate with Alim. Hope I'm wrong but I just doubt Levi ever plays another football game again. Lot of guys fit the bill in the 2nd and 3rd round.

 

[FaygoMI]

I'm not a Bresee guy. I'd imagine the combine will determine his fate because that's when scouts start talking. Looking at the current mocks, various dudes will say that the league is split on Bresee. We'll know the answer soon and I expect him to keep falling.

The Lions have sent multiple scouts to watch Oregon games, and Brad Holmes himself even traveled to one of their games. I think they like Gonzales a lot. Given how much man coverage Oregon played, I def think he fits the scheme. Same with Devon Witherspoon from Illinois, and Joey Porter from PSU.

Unless something crazy happens like Will Anderson or Jalen Carter falling to 6, I'd prefer to trade down to 8 or 9. Pick up some extra picks. I think the Lions are drafting two DTs. A younger/more athletic nose to start ahead of Buggs, and a 3-tech to rotate with Alim. Hope I'm wrong but I just doubt Levi ever plays another football game again. Lot of guys fit the bill in the 2nd and 3rd round.

I really want to move back and pick up another 1st next year. The combine will change all these mocks but the talent between 6/7 and 90 doesn't look that much different. If we don't luck out into Anderson or Carter or even Bryce I'd feel much better going back to 16, 18 , or 29 for a next year 1st and a haul if Stroud or Levis is there. If the team is in love with Gonzales fine but there's 13 corners in the draft and I wouldn't be surprised if any of them is a top 3 CB from the class. With the way I trust the GM, talent and then positional value.

I just don't see these guys from 6-16 being that much better than 16-90. Who knows what the Lions board looks like but I tend to think their board will be vastly different then these mocks with all these players being so close. These OT are going to fly up the board, same with the DT and DE's

 

[djthegreat88]

Please draft a QB at 6. If Goff has another inflated statistical season like last he’s gonna want $45- 50 million a year. I would would take any of the top 4 QBs at 6 preferably Richardson

 

[IrateMastermind]

Tinfoil hat time.

I wouldn't say I like the idea of taking a QB in this draft with our early picks, but the more I think about it, the less it turns me off. I think there's a way for everyone to win in this scenario, but it's risky.

First, we take our future QB and sit him for a year. Second, Ben Johnson gets an HC job, and we trade Jared Goff to the team that gets him. We get something back for Jared and lower our QB cap number and Goff follows the person that got him right. Where the risk lies is we end up drafting a bust at QB and start all over.

What's stopping Goff from leaving if Johnson leaves in a year or 2? I think that's a very real possibility. I'd follow him if my success were tied to him. Maybe having a backup plan isn't a terrible idea. I still think we should make the most of our window with Goff but if Holmes takes a QB in the first, there has to be a plan to recoup value for Goff.

 

[IrateMastermind]

The Rams released Bobby Wagner.
He was rated as PFF's number-one linebacker this season. We have to get him on the squad. It'll be huge for us.

 

[Regular_P]

The Rams released Bobby Wagner.
He was rated as PFF's number-one linebacker this season. We have to get him on the squad. It'll be huge for us.

Go after him and Ramsey?