- 2 days ago
There are needs and wants for the Lions in free agency, what are yours?
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00:00Text coming in. How many needs do the Lions still have for wave two of free agency?
00:10Guys, my issue with the Lions is they didn't open more cap space.
00:13They can only get three B-level free agents and still have to sign their draft picks.
00:17Can they possibly address all of it?
00:21That's a very fair question.
00:22It is, and once we get done with the needs versus wants,
00:27we need to talk about how they fill the needs.
00:32And if you're going offensive tackle in the first round,
00:35you only got one other top 100 pick to do it as it currently stands.
00:39And I'll say that little caveat every time.
00:41We know they have multiple fourths, fifths.
00:43Yeah, and I do think that they move up to the third.
00:46They may even move up back into the second and get a couple of seconds.
00:51It feels like to me, though, in terms of impactful money,
00:54what little of it they may have and what impactful draft picks.
00:59Almost all of it should be going to defense.
01:00They take a tackle at 17 and every other dollar and every other high draft pick
01:04should be used on defensive players because we just got done going through that exercise.
01:07They need players on the D-line, plural.
01:09They need a linebacker.
01:10They need players in the secondary, plural.
01:12They need help at all three levels of their defense, bodies, starters, and depth.
01:17John, it's pretty clear to me the next dollar spent is on defense.
01:20And I think, so I'll just dive into a little bit in regards to how I would fill some of
01:26the biggest needs.
01:27And offensive tackle, as we talked about, first round.
01:3017 or higher is where you're going to go to get your tackle.
01:34So you fill that one.
01:35And then it gets a little bit interesting because in the second,
01:42I believe the best way to fill the need at edge is in free agency.
01:46So you fill that one in free agency and you can also address it later in the draft with some
01:55depth pieces
01:55because this is a deep draft in edge and even defensive tackle.
02:00It's also a very deep draft in safeties.
02:03I go to, in that second round, if you go offensive tackle, probably go safety in the second round.
02:10So when we did the Honolulu blueprint, I had them going Keontae Scott,
02:13who is a nickel corner, but I think can be kind of that hybrid, not a deep safety,
02:18but can play all over the secondary.
02:20I do think you can address the secondary in that second pick, whether it's safety or corner.
02:25And then if you just simply stay where you are, fourth round, you're addressing the nickel.
02:32And not to the level that you really need to.
02:36Right.
02:37But that's where you start to put together some of the other roster spots.
02:41Well, then you start working backwards and go, well, it's going to have to start making some more moves now.
02:452-4-8-5-3-9-97-97.
02:48Guys, the more you look down the list of needs for the Lions,
02:51the more I understand why Brad Holmes is not going, quote, all in.
02:54Is this a silent retool season?
02:57Signed, Raymond.
03:01I don't know if it's a silent retool.
03:02I think we're kind of watching it in real time.
03:04It's not very quiet.
03:05Right.
03:06And it's not all...
03:09I know we always...
03:10It's Brad Holmes' fault of where they are.
03:13It's not all his fault, but they are all his problems.
03:18Well, his fault was...
03:20So, in regards to...
03:22He couldn't predict Brian Branch being hurt.
03:24He couldn't predict the fact that Kirby Joseph's knee has deteriorated.
03:29But they are his problems.
03:31He's got to deal with it.
03:32Um, and it just...
03:35What complicates it is the fact that he didn't deal with any of the needs last year.
03:41And you have an empty draft from two years ago.
03:45The Therion Arnold, Ennis Rake, Straw, Giovanni Manu.
03:48Like, that's an empty draft.
03:50And so, you've created some of your own issues in terms of depths of guys being able to step in
03:57when a Kirby Joseph goes down because you came away with zero in the 24 draft.
04:03I like how you put that.
04:04It's not all his fault, but they are all his problems.
04:08Well, okay.
04:09But I don't accept that it's going to take two years.
04:12Restructure some deals and make it happen today.
04:14You know what I'm saying, John?
04:16Like, if you know...
04:16It's not a secret.
04:17These positions of need or these areas they need to improve on.
04:20And they were last in the division.
04:22And they've known that.
04:23You need to make sure that you can address that right now.
04:26I don't want to hear, well, it's going to be a two-year plan.
04:28Right.
04:28Okay, then give everybody a discount next year.
04:30Right.
04:31And didn't predict it.
04:32Both your safeties would be dead when they start the season.
04:35But...
04:36What are you going to do about it?
04:36It's your problem.
04:37Yeah.
04:37And you've got to deal with it.
04:38Yeah.
04:39I just think, like, Lions fans want to go into next year foaming at the mouth,
04:41ready to chase things.
04:42They don't want to be told, Super Bowl's really off the table.
04:45Well, and this is, right now, somewhat in a vacuum, because what we've witnessed over
04:51the last two years defensively, I don't know if it just happens defense, offense, someone,
04:57and I know this is going to seem really bizarre, someone is going to get hurt.
05:04And so what do you have in terms of depth?
05:08And this is where I go to what Dan Campbell was talking about at the Combine, is if you
05:12go out there and you get that big fish, now all of a sudden, all of that money and that
05:18cap space is taken up by a Trey Hendrickson, but then you can't have three or four guys
05:26of depth at that edge position.
05:29I would have been fine with either approach, because I could sell, hey, it's Trey Hendrickson,
05:33he's going to make life easier for these patchwork safeties, corners, and linebackers.
05:37I could also be sold, hey, instead of giving 28 to Trey, we're doing 12 on the DN,
05:4210 spot, eight at linebacker, eight at safety.
05:45But John, they're not doing that either.
05:46Right.
05:47So, and I'll just say this, if you want to put, okay, Trey Hendrickson signed for what
05:52was it, 28 a year-ish?
05:54Yeah.
05:54All right, if you have 28 earmarked for the defensive edge position and not taking into
06:01account Hutch, you could go, tell me if I'm crazy here, and get Cam Jordan and AJ Epinezza
06:10for the same price as you could get one Trey Hendrickson.
06:13Probably less.
06:14Right.
06:15And so, yeah, that's what I'm saying, is you could go out there and get two quality players,
06:18not to the same level as Trey Hendrickson, but you have to be able to have somebody behind
06:24Hutch.
06:25You have to have somebody behind Cam Jordan, even though I think that would be a great
06:30fit and a great signing.
06:32But if they're going to, I'll use the word settle, for the B-level guys at the end, that
06:39can't be the only level, they can't just add two defensive ends.
06:42They also still need to address linebacker and safety.
06:44Correct.
06:44Here's a thought exercise, and we did this off-air, but I think it's good to bring to the
06:48air.
06:49Players we think will be starting for the Lions defense in week one of this upcoming season.
06:53This is interesting.
06:55Hutch, Aleem, Tyleek.
06:58Yeah, so you got three of the four up front.
07:00Jack Campbell.
07:02Yes.
07:02I would say DJ Reed.
07:04Yeah, Derek Barnes.
07:06And Terry on Arnold.
07:09Yes.
07:09I know there's a question mark there, but I have to assume if he's healthy and he's not,
07:13you know, dealing with legal trouble in Florida, he'll be on the field week one.
07:16That's one, two, three, four, five, six, seven.
07:19Right.
07:20They play 11.
07:21Right.
07:21So where are they getting four starters?
07:23If they're using their first round pick on O-line, where are they getting four defensive
07:27starters with, where?
07:30Yep.
07:30Where?
07:31If they're not spending and they only have one other pick in the top 100 today, where
07:35are they getting four defensive starters?
07:37This is where the impatience or the anxiety comes from.
07:40That's clear as day.
07:41Right.
07:42And part of the mystery is we don't know about Kirby Joseph because he could be one of those
07:50starters, which gives you eight, but then you've got to figure out, okay, who's the
07:53safety next to him?
07:54Who's the linebacker next to Campbell?
07:55Who's the other edge opposite Aiden Hutchinson?
07:57Like, there are three distinct, clear needs just to be able to fill the starting 11.
08:05As one comment on Twitch puts it, the classic 3-1-3 defense.
08:08Hey, tribute.
08:103-1-3.
08:11That's what we are, right?
08:12Break out the hats, the t-shirts.
08:14I don't love their chances playing.
08:17Seven on 11?
08:18Seven on 11.
08:19Let's get to Pedro.
08:20Good morning, Pedro.
08:23Hey, guys.
08:23What's going on?
08:24You know, maybe I'm overreacting, but I feel like I'm on the right track.
08:29Is Brad Holmes a good GM, or is he just maybe average to above average?
08:33Because when you think about it in a vacuum, it's five years.
08:36We've only made the playoffs two of the five years.
08:38We have two playoff games, or two playoff wins to show for it.
08:42He's missed the last two drafts.
08:44He doesn't do anything in free agency.
08:46He doesn't make trades.
08:47And when you look at three of the last Super Bowl winners, right, Rams, Seahawks, Eagles,
08:54like they do the opposite of what he does.
08:56And I think he hit on, what, two draft classes early, maybe three.
09:00And now he thinks he's maybe one of the best GMs in the NFL.
09:03But I'm starting to feel like he's average because he doesn't do anything to get ahead
09:06of these injuries or to be proactive.
09:08I mean, he doesn't do anything.
09:09He had a couple good draft classes, and he's been sitting on that for the past couple years.
09:13Well, in terms of the years that he's made the playoffs,
09:15I'll give him the first two years where we thought, okay, it's heading in the right direction.
09:20After 3-13-1, they just missed out on the playoffs in year two.
09:24So the years that they should have made the playoffs, they did it two out of three years.
09:29Last year was an abomination because they didn't address enough of what they needed to
09:35going into the season, which is complicating things here.
09:41Yeah, but when you say you're good GMs in the NFL, once they get there,
09:45they make sure they stay there or do things to try to capitalize on those cheap players,
09:50he doesn't do that.
09:51So, Pedro, I will agree with you in the fact that he has not changed his M.O.
09:56in any year that he's been here.
09:59He's going to have to do things differently.
10:01He's good at drafting.
10:03All right, and I know that the 24 draft is a big zero, but he is generally good at drafting.
10:09He is going to have to knock it out of the park in this year's draft,
10:13but he's also going to have to do things differently in free agency, in trades, in pro player acquisition.
10:21Yeah, and then drafting is just part of your...
10:24And maybe here's the thing, too.
10:25Since we haven't been in the top 10, has he hit on any draft picks?
10:28I mean, he's good maybe in the top 10, but most GMs can be good in the top 10.
10:32I shouldn't say most, because there's a lot of teams that have been bad for a long time.
10:34Yeah, there's teams that flub those picks, but to your point, that's where you should find stars.
10:38Where I give him more credit than you is St. Brown, Joseph, and McNeil before the injuries.
10:43I mean, those are guys in the fourth, third rounds.
10:49Call him a good GM.
10:51I'm willing to call him a good GM.
10:52Great is where you start to get real creative, and you've got to get out of your comfort zone,
10:56and you've got to do things that have a pain threshold, that it may hurt.
11:00Hey, if I wait an extra year to pay this guy, I might lose him.
11:03It may hurt.
11:04If I restructure money and spend it all today, I might need it in a couple years.
11:08It may hurt.
11:09You have to have a pain tolerance if you're going to compete with teams who are operating with that mindset.
11:15Let's get a quick phone call.
11:17Doug in South Lyon.
11:18Doug, good morning.
11:20Good morning, fellas.
11:20How are we doing today?
11:21Good.
11:23Good.
11:25Listening to all your great points, honestly, I think you guys are hitting all the points.
11:29I think, to me, it's very obvious this is a result of a team missing its window.
11:35They lost to San Francisco.
11:37They lost to Washington.
11:39And I feel that this team is trying to keep it together and prevent a rebuild,
11:43and I think that you're seeing that.
11:46They've got too many needs.
11:48They're not going to fix this in the draft.
11:50Come on.
11:51Why do you trade a starting running back for a second, a non-starter offensive lineman
12:00that's on a team that does not have a good offensive line, a seventh-rounder and a fourth-rounder?
12:07So you basically traded away a starting player and got no starter in return.
12:12Period.
12:13Yeah, but he was no longer a starter.
12:15At one point of contention, David Montgomery is not a starter.
12:17He's going to start.
12:19In Houston, he will.
12:20Yeah, but he'll start here.
12:21I think he's a good player.
12:21Look, I didn't like that they traded him.
12:23I'm with you.
12:24I'm just saying.
12:24He didn't get a starter in return.
12:25Is that correct?
12:27That's correct.
12:27Yeah.
12:28Yeah, they got a fourth and a backup offensive lineman.
12:31You lost.
12:32Now you...
12:34I didn't hang up on him.
12:35He's still there.
12:36Oh, yeah.
12:36Doug, you still there?
12:37...starting lines.
12:39I mean, they got...
12:40They're done.
12:41To me, they're done.
12:42They got to rebuild.
12:43You're just preventing this for another year.
12:46Well, I certainly don't think the answer would be tearing it down right now, if that's what
12:48he's suggesting.
12:49No.
12:51It's restructuring deals and doubling down and being more aggressive.
12:54I mean, come on.
12:55The answer is not to rebuild.
12:56No.
12:57But if you're going to stay in the fight, stay in the fight.
12:58I think that's what I would say.
13:00All right.
13:01We'll get to Heather's News.
13:01We'll get to the Two Grand Slam.
13:02It's next, 97.1.
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