Detroit Lions: Victory in the fall starts with winning the offseason

The Detroit Lions have had a good start to their offseason, but much like a game in the fall, they need to keep their focus to the finish line.

The Detroit Lions struck early in free agency, but they need to remain true to their game plan as they sift through what is left out there.

There is a fine balancing act that takes place for teams in the offseason. They weed through free agency trying to find pieces to add to their team then prepare for the draft to fill the remaining holes. Sometimes it works. Other times it doesn’t.

The key to success isn’t a matter of getting splash signings, it’s about improving your team. There are those, including some general managers, that don’t know or understand the difference. The whole goal is to improve the team’s talent level and see it translate to Sundays in the fall. Not just be headlines because they happened to sign a big name.

Because along with talent, the other factors that have to be weighed into the equation are how well these players that are being signed fit the system and locker room.

I tend to not like to make comparisons to the New England Patriots simply because their dynasty has been very unique. In the history of sports, there has never been a dynasty that ran longer and had more change in personnel than the Patriots. Especially since it seems every year they lose some really good players in free agency because they won’t pay them.

However, having said all that, when you look at their success, they absolutely plug in players that fit their system, they have about as cohesive a locker room as there is in the NFL and are extremely well coached.

Plain and simple Bill Belichick knows how to run an organization and make no mistake about it, that’s what he does. Of course, having Tom Brady doesn’t hurt either. As far as the Detroit Lions go, the question is simple; have they finally figured out how to build a contending franchise?