Are the Lions now the furthest Detroit team from a championship?
By Robert Jones
The Lions are the only Detroit team not rebuilding
On the surface, it would appear that the Lions would have the upper hand to be the closest to title contention because they are the only one of Detroit’s franchises that are not rebuilding.
Yet as we take a closer examination, we have to wonder whether the ‘window’ of opportunity for this veteran team that general manager Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia have built is or ever has been open even a crack.
The first two seasons for Quinn and Patricia together produced a veteran team with very little contributing youth or success.
Now in year three they still show no glimmer of being a good team and still aren’t getting much if any younger. That’s a grim picture.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings, are led by former Hall of Fame player Steve Yzerman, who built the Tampa Bay Lightning team that just won the Stanley Cup. He is now in full rebuilding mode as he turns over the roster and is finding young players to build around. This team certainly seems to have a future.
The Tigers are also in full-blown rebuild mode. The farm system is loaded with young pitchers with big-league potential and a couple of exciting young position prospects who will be led by new manager A.J. Hinch, who despite the Astros scandal is considered one of the best skippers in Major League Baseball. They also seem to have a light at the end of the tunnel.
Then there are the Pistons who just started turning their roster over. New general manager Troy Weaver acquired two extra first-round picks and a second-round selection in last week’s NBA draft to start the building process. They have also started to make some moves in free agency.
It’s difficult to comprehend the Pistons plan so far, but with a roster being filled with moveable pieces and a general manager that like to move pieces, the ‘remolding’, as Troy Weaver calls it, seems to have just begun. One thing for certain is that Weaver isn’t afraid to make a change.
The only one of our beloved Detroit franchises that haven’t admitted they need to go in a new direction is the Lions. Will that change after this season?