Ask Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes, and he will tell you definitively he doesn't buy that the team is any kind of "Super Bowl window." Evidence may suggest otherwise, especially as this season moves toward not even extending to the playoffs, but the conviction can be appreciated to a certain extent.
That conviction may have also led to a certain level of confidence, or arrogance even, leading to a lack of notable (of at least sufficient, in hindsight) offseason moves. Those who call that part out to any degree will meet some resistance from Holmes.
Oftentimes, a rebuild like the one Holmes and Dan Campbell took on has distinct phases. There's the build from the ashes of previous regimes to respectability, and part of that is a move to consistent contention. The Lions are there as a consistent contender, even as this season seems destined for complete disappointment, and there are no signs of that ending anytime soon.
But the next phase is looming, and the Lions have to nail it.
Dan Orlovsky outlines the clear next phase for the Lions
On Monday's edition of "NFL Live", amid the panel's discussion about the Lions loss to the Steelers in Week 16, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky pushed the conversation forward.
"I think the question is, what was the cornerstone for this rebuild, (that has) become a weakness, that's that offensive line. And then, what's version 2 of this rebuild? Because version 1 seems to have closed, this window right now."
"I'm not saying this Super Bowl run isn't going to be a big window. With a general manager in Brad Holmes and a head coach like Dan Campbell, you have a window. But they have to graduate from this version."
"They didn't get it done in this three-year span. And so, now, who do they pay and how much? I think that's the next step."
As, in particular, Jahmyr Gibbs and Jack Campbell get closer to notable, top of their position second contracts, Orlovsky reinforced an obvious note.
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"The drafting will have to continue to be a home run. But I just want to see what's gonna be the next steps, of version 2 of this rebuild in Detroit, this retooling in Detroit."
If we're being totally honest, the Lions' last two drafts haven't yielded a whole lot yet. Sometime it takes time, due to a number of reasons on an individual player level, but keeping the talent pipeline full of young contributors on rookie contracts has already started to wane a bit.
As the last of the 2021-2023 draftees make their case to get paid, and rewarding their own surely continues to be the top priority, getting the draft back on its previous track is going to be critically important for the Lions. Otherwise, the "Version 2" Orlovsky talked about will land more like "Caddyshack 2" than "The Godfather, Part II."