Detroit Lions: Insomniac Thoughts

I lay awake at 5:45AM on a random Tuesday morning with my mind full of random Detroit Lions thoughts.

As I desperately grasp for a moment of clarity to ease my mind so that I may drift off into sleep, I find myself being hit with a barrage of thoughts that will likely consume my brain for the duration of the Lions offseason. Here’s what keeps coming to mind.

Cuts

I find myself going through the Lions roster player by player and wondering exactly who won’t be back in 2016. The obvious names like Brandon Pettigrew and Corey Fuller come to mind and o don’t give either of them a second thought. Where I find myself fighting back and forth with myself is Joique Bell or Stephen Tuloch. I know that Bell had a down year and every time he got the ball early on in the season I wanted to throw my TV out the window and burn the house down. But late in the year he really seemed to come on. Especially in moments where it really mattered. Like his game sealing run against the Raiders that allowed the Lions to run the clock out. But then I must consider that Bell only ran for 311 yards in 2015. That’s it. The NFL record for most rushing yards in a game in 296. When you put it that way, maybe it’s a no brainier. Perhaps the reason I try to argue for Bell or Tulloch is based on emotional attachment to this version of the Lions roster. Who knows?

The Draft

The draft isn’t for another three months or so. But the time to start thinking about the possibilities is here and now. When I think about the Lions, I think about the possibility that they could draft a guy like Reggie Ragland from Alabama with the 16th pick. A lot of people think he won’t be available when the Lions pick comes around, but judging by the needs of every team in front of the Lions, they might be able to steal Ragland midway through the first round. A hunch that’s been on my mind for months now is that the Lions will use up some of their    many draft picks to get themselves back into the first round. It seems like a move that Martin Mayhew definitely would have made without hesitation. But it seems out of place when you consider the way that New England has drafted over the years. They frequently find themselves trading down rather than up. Is that something that rubbed off on Bob Quinn?

Strength of the NFL

I don’t know what your thoughts are on the crop of playoffs games we’ve already seen thus far. Some my look at them as defensive battles between two teams that refuse to give up. I look at them as ugly football games that further proves just how mediocre the NFL truly is. The Lions played six of these playoff teams and lost to every single one of them. Yet when you look at the way the Lions played in the second half of the season, you have to wonder how they could ever lose to a team whose 39 year old quarterback can’t throw a 20 yard pass anymore (Broncos). A team whose quarterback couldn’t throw for more than 17 completions in a game for four straight weeks (Vikings). Seriously the Chiefs. How did they win all of those games against the Browns, Ravens, Raiders and Chargers? Of course the Packers and Seahawks games both ended with controversy. The Cardinals would beat any Lions team ever assembled.

The point here is the NFL is not very good outside of the four teams that are about to play this coming Sunday. This  is the time for any team to make something happen. The Lions find themselves in a great position to do so if they can get Calvin Johnson back and have a great offseason. Could be a huge year for the Lions in 2016.

Calvin

Speaking of Calvin. I like many others cannot stop wondering what his decision will be. If he indeed decides to walk away, I won’t blame him for taking care of himself and ensuring better health in the future. If he stays, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s only for one more year. If that’s the case the Detroit Lions better go all out in 2016.

That’s about all I’ve got on my mind right now. This has been therapeutic. Good night, or good morning I guess.