So what makes the 2019 Lions training camp different? I mean, these guys are still wearing Honolulu Blue, they are still owned by the Ford family and are coming off yet the most recent of their more than plentiful disappointing seasons. So how can this season possibly be different?
When it comes to Detroit Lions football, different is a good word. If we said the New England Patriots were different, that would be bad for them, but because of the years of disappointment, anything the Lions do differently is good.
Basically, it means they must be winning games.
Now the season hasn’t begun and they haven’t won anything yet. But the signs of this being different are there, and you really don’t have to look too hard or even squint too much to see them.
You just have to allow that jaded feeling from so many past letdowns go and see this team with an objective eye. Don’t let the pain and misery of being a Lions fans cause you to be biased in what you see.
So what makes this team different? let’s start with the franchise having a game plan. General manager Bob Quinn hired Matt Patricia as the Lions head coach last year for a few reasons. One is that he knew Matt well from their time in New England, but they also have the same vision of how they want to build the Lions.
There are some fans that have complained about Bob Quinn’s early drafts here in Detroit, but as always it should be pointed out that he was drafting different athlete’s that fit the mold of what former head coach Jim Caldwell wanted.
Upon being provided the players Caldwell wanted, some didn’t work out as planned, some didn’t develop as expected and some were productive. Quinn gets only partial credit for the positives and partial credit for the negatives because he was simply supplying Caldwell with what he wanted in his players.
Last year’s draft was one of the most productive in the NFL and while the jury is still out on this draft class, they all fit the mold of what Matt Patricia wants. If they equal the success of last seasons draft, this franchise is well on their way to stocking their roster with the talent needed to win.