Detroit Lions new regime will pay for this draft mistake

Built by good management, the Lions can win

Not to be forgotten in the midst of the whole Matthew Stafford conundrum is the fact that the Lions defense is historically bad and needs to be completely overhauled regardless of who is lined up at quarterback next season.

As of the moment, the Lions own just five picks in the 2021 NFL Draft. That’s not a lot to overhaul an entire defense, let alone if they use Detroit’s top pick on their quarterback of the future if they like who is still available.

This is why it will be very important for whoever is hired to run this franchise to have a decided plan that doesn’t attempt to pry open a playoff window for one or two years, like Bob Quinn and Matt Patricia tried and failed to do.

In today’s NFL things can change quickly. With the right people in charge, rebuilds can be relatively fast while free-agency and rising contracts can cripple a team.

Teams that have any kind of prolonged window of championship opportunity in the NFL are built through the draft, with a sprinkling of free-agent signings to finish the job. This is one of the biggest reasons that a new general manager with a keen eye for talent is needed.

While the whole idea of ‘retooling’ has never worked in Detroit, in today’s NFL where responsibly managing the salary cap is every bit as important as any other aspect of the game, this is why the new regime has to be ready to cut ties with the past, sell off every veteran player of worth for draft capital and take full advantage of those picks.

If the new regime lays out a plan of ‘retooling’, then it will be my belief that this is nothing different than what the Ford family has always done; find some puppets to try to build a ‘win now’ hope amongst the fan base, then watch it crumble like always.

A successful future for the Lions won’t be easy. Especially given that they will have to pay for the mistakes that led to missed opportunities last offseason, but a good general manager, given the chance to build a winner will do so. Just like a good head coach given talent will field a competitive team.

If Sheila Ford Hamp wants to put her own personal stamp on the Lions, this is her chance by not only hiring the right people to lead this franchise but allowing them to actually do the building necessary to finally create a winner for the Motor City.