A tall order for Bob Quinn
Meanwhile, Graham Glasgow has been one of the Lions’ most underrated players. The former third-round pick out of Michigan in 2016 has been a steady contributor on an offensive line that has often struggled to open holes for the ground game and protect Detroit’s franchise quarterback, Matthew Stafford.
Yet even with the inconsistent play on the line, Glasgow was still one of the few bright spots. He has actually outplayed tackle Taylor Decker who was the Lions first-round pick that same year. Now he will be leaving without any resistance.
However, there seems to be much more here than meets the eye here. This would seem to go back to how the Lions treat their players. Something Calvin Johnson has mentioned since his retirement after witnessing first-hand how some other teams treat their players.
It’s disappointing to Glasgow as he shared in a recent Sports Illustrated article, but it’s also is a reminder that sports are a business.
If everything goes as it appears it will right now, Glasgow will leave as a free agent and the Lions will get nothing in return while Darius Slay, if traded, will probably bring in a second or third-round draft pick.
For a rebuilding team, those moves could help by cutting cap space and getting an extra pick to add young talent. For a team trying to win now, it sends a mixed message.
Detroit is not a free agent destination. That means Bob Quinn will pretty much have to overspend on any free agents they sign, which also means that they will have plenty of needs left to fill when the frenzy of free agency dies down. This puts a premium on the Lions seven draft picks, which could become more if Slay is traded and they decide to trade down from the number three pick.
It also puts a premium on draft picks coming in and contributing from week one. At last count they still need help on the defensive line, offensive line, linebacker, running back, receiver, the secondary and a backup quarterback that can actually win games if called upon.
That’s a lot of holes to fill. Two of which could be filled by Glasgow and Slay.
So in the end what Bob Quinn has to accomplish is a tall order for a general manager that has drafted very few game-breakers so far and signed even less as free agents.
If things turn out as expected and Glasgow and Slay are gone, then how much money is tied up in their replacements will be highly scrutinized, but how those replacements perform will be under even more scrutiny.
Bob Quinn has to swing for the fences this offseason and hope to hit a home run. Ultimately what you or I think about the moves he will make really doesn’t mean anything, because if we have to watch the Lions go through another abysmal year, then it’s Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia who will pay the price.