Lions Should Avoid Bowers

Remember back to your younger days where your parents would ask you what you wanted for your Birthday? Let’s say you asked for an iPod touch. Knowing your parents you specifically told them the model, color, and style. You basically gave them all the necessary info which gave you the confidence that they would go out and purchase the exact iPod you wanted. The day comes; you open your gift only to be completely disappointed by the fact that they bought you a Sony Walkman. You told them a million times in clear plain English to get you the cool hip iPod. Instead they bought a Sony Walkman.

With the NFL draft quickly approaching, fans are essentially doing the same thing. They are reading up on prospects, analyzing team needs, and feeding off daily news updates on the draft. All in all, trying to figure out the exact player that would be the ideal fit on their team. With that being said the Lions have a lot of scenarios in this draft. They can go cornerback. Prince is out there or Jimmy Smith. They can go Offensive Tackle. Anthony Constanzo, Tyron Smith if he falls, and Nate Solder are options.

Recently I’ve read that the Lions are gaining interest on Da’Quan Bowers. Remember that nightmarish scenario where you’re parents bought you the wrong gift? This is a similar situation. While the Lions could use a DE, Bowers isn’t someone high on my list. Yes, he has tremendous talent. However when your potential first round pick has been flagged for knee chronic issues, that’s not comforting news. Save the injury/potential picks for rounds three through five, not in round one. With your round one selection you want a player that has a very good chance to maximize their talent in your system and on your team.

There are mixed opinions on Bowers. Some reports suggest that his knee is healthy enough and does not need surgery. While other outlets specify he will need microfracture surgery on the same troublesome knee. His agent has come out and refuted reports that Bowers needs or has had microfracture surgery. Microfracture isn’t your typical ACL/MCL repair where you need about a year to heal, recover, and are back to your old self. While you can recover in that amount of time, you may never regain your skill set again. This procedure is popular in the NBA. If you follow the NBA here are some names that have undergone microfracture surgery: Greg Oden, Penny Hardaway, Chris Weber, Allan Houston, and Tracey Mcgrady to name a few. They were never the same after the surgery and subsequently their careers ended faster than they anticipated.

It’s hard enough to make the transition from college sports to professional sports. Why the Lions are remotely considering taking an individual who not only has to make the jump to professional sports and might need major knee surgery, is beyond me. The uncertainty around Bowers knee seems to outweigh his potential and talent.

Chances the Lions have done their homework with Bowers and his knee Check that, they definitely have a lot more facts than what the public knows. Mayhew and Co have been done a tremendous job in recent drafts by building a nice core of young talent. I would hate to see them take a step back and roll the dice on Bowers and his knee. Stick with the rebuilding plan. Make the right pick; take a CB, OT, or a DE. Just don’t take Bowers.