Comments on: The Jeff Backus Enigma http://sidelionreport.com/2011/06/13/the-jeff-backus-enigma/ A Detroit Lions Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more. Sun, 30 Dec 2012 07:22:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: editstet http://sidelionreport.com/2011/06/13/the-jeff-backus-enigma/comment-page-1/#comment-4621 editstet Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:43:14 +0000 http://sidelionreport.com/?p=9047#comment-4621 The point about Backus is that he is not elite, but elite left tackles are few and far between or they would not be elite. Only Joe Thomas and Jake Long are truly elite left tackles. Ryan Clady, D'Brickshaw Ferguson and Marcus McNeill are very good. And then there is a group of a dozen or so, Backus among them, that are more middle of the road. None of the tackles taken in the first round of the last three drafts has elite written over them. A couple may become very good, but most will be no better than Backus. The point about Backus is that he is not elite, but elite left tackles are few and far between or they would not be elite. Only Joe Thomas and Jake Long are truly elite left tackles. Ryan Clady, D’Brickshaw Ferguson and Marcus McNeill are very good. And then there is a group of a dozen or so, Backus among them, that are more middle of the road. None of the tackles taken in the first round of the last three drafts has elite written over them. A couple may become very good, but most will be no better than Backus.

]]> By: Ace Anbender http://sidelionreport.com/2011/06/13/the-jeff-backus-enigma/comment-page-1/#comment-4580 Ace Anbender Mon, 13 Jun 2011 20:50:24 +0000 http://sidelionreport.com/?p=9047#comment-4580 Derek, I agree with you that it was, in large part, bad luck that Stafford got hurt when Backus got beat by Peppers. I know Backus was pretty distraught and said it was the first time in his football career that he'd ever given up a sack that led to an injury, and I believe him. The problem is this: the NFL North is full of elite defensive ends. You've got Peppers in Chicago and both Ray Edwards and Jared Allen in Minnesota -- only Green Bay provides respite from a top-level pass rusher in the division, and they just won the Super Bowl. I acknowledge that Backus is what we've got at left tackle and it's going to be that way in 2011 and quite possibly beyond -- I guess what I'm looking at is whether or not that's a big mistake by the Detroit brass to let it get to that point (and I'm a huge fan of Mayhew). Derek, I agree with you that it was, in large part, bad luck that Stafford got hurt when Backus got beat by Peppers. I know Backus was pretty distraught and said it was the first time in his football career that he’d ever given up a sack that led to an injury, and I believe him.

The problem is this: the NFL North is full of elite defensive ends. You’ve got Peppers in Chicago and both Ray Edwards and Jared Allen in Minnesota — only Green Bay provides respite from a top-level pass rusher in the division, and they just won the Super Bowl.

I acknowledge that Backus is what we’ve got at left tackle and it’s going to be that way in 2011 and quite possibly beyond — I guess what I’m looking at is whether or not that’s a big mistake by the Detroit brass to let it get to that point (and I’m a huge fan of Mayhew).

]]> By: Ross Husson http://sidelionreport.com/2011/06/13/the-jeff-backus-enigma/comment-page-1/#comment-4579 Ross Husson Mon, 13 Jun 2011 19:40:50 +0000 http://sidelionreport.com/?p=9047#comment-4579 Backus is also getting old, he's been in the league for 11 years. This is a reason why I was hoping we would pick up a OT in the Draft. Backus is also getting old, he’s been in the league for 11 years. This is a reason why I was hoping we would pick up a OT in the Draft.

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