How much urgency are the Detroit Lions really feeling?

What the Lions have said and what they are doing are all one and the same. Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia are on the same page with the idea of becoming champions, but they have never formally told us their goals.

Do they intend to ‘win now’ or is there some greater game plan they are working on which may require more time?

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Let’s start the analysis with a trip back to when Bob Quinn was hired. At that time during a town hall meeting with Lions season ticket holders, he answered the question about where he felt like the team was at by saying he ‘didn’t believe they were a playoff team’.

He followed that up by answering the question of how close they were by saying he wouldn’t cut corners and that the team will be built through the draft. Expressing the ideas that all shortcuts are simply dead ends and that if a team doesn’t draft well and build depth through the draft, then it is extremely hard to become consistent contenders.

So right from the get-go he told us how he would approach building the Lions into champions; draft well and don’t overspend in free agency. In the three free agency periods since he has taken over the Lions, he has signed only three players to ‘big’ contracts and none of those contracts are adversely affecting the Lions salary cap.

First was receiver Marvin Jones, whose contract now looks like a bargain the way the price tags on receivers are escalating and the other two were for guard T.J. Lang and tackle Rick Wagner. Both of which spent too much time being injured last season, but when healthy played well and Lang was even voted to the Pro Bowl.

So the idea of building through the draft and not free agency first means that the building timetable will be longer. Especially when the cupboard is bare like it was when Quinn was hired.

Now the Lions are starting to show quality depth on the roster which hasn’t been the case in far too long. A sign that the philosophy is bearing fruit.

But is it enough fruit to win this season?