Detroit Lions draft: QB or not QB, that is the question

The Lions will have a few factors to consider

Despite not being able to go into detail about Jared Goff, Brad Holmes was rather candid about the group of quarterbacks coming out in the draft this April.

Holmes thinks this is a good group of passers and generally allowed everyone to know that he has done his homework on them. He did not, however, stipulate whether he felt like the Lions are in the market for a quarterback to groom or not.

So as we approach the draft there will be a few factors at work that will help determine whether the Lions are in finding their future passer mode or not. How Holmes and Campbell feel about Goff will be a big factor to start with and I would dare say that has pretty much already been determined.

Then there is the ‘right guy’ factor. Holmes said that there were many ‘flavors’ of quarterbacks available in the draft, from a quarterback who can do it all to quarterbacks that are dangerous outside the pocket to another that does his damage from within it.

Outside of the fact that Trever Lawrence fits everyone’s offense and will most likely be the first player chosen in the draft, Holmes did say that he and Campbell and their staff need to evaluate which quarterback would fit their system the best. Loosely translated; if there is a quarterback they are sold on, will he be available?

The final factor is the ‘poker face approach’. If Holmes, Campbell, and the rest of the decision-making posse think that addressing other needs in this year’s draft are more urgent, combined with liking next years crop of quarterbacks, then the whole goal is nothing more than to not tip his hand and drive up the value of the Lions first pick at number seven overall.

Something former Lions general manager Bob Quinn had problems with as he made it known to the entire universe last year that he and Matt Patricia were committed to Matthew Stafford. The results? When asked after the draft why they didn’t trade back he said that there was no interest.

Let’s just say that is why the NFL is a ‘covert’ operations league. If there isn’t reasonable doubt in the minds of other teams then opportunities dwindle.