4 players the Detroit Lions gave up on too soon

2. S Quandre Diggs

Diggs is one of many former Lions players from the era who have nothing good to say about Matt Patricia. Not that anyone should have anything nice to say about the self-proclaimed (if only symbolically, with his actions) "smartest guy in the room". It's still hard to believe Patricia lasted less than three seasons as Lions' head coach. The insufferableness and bad results made it feel like much longer.

Diggs was traded to the Seattle Seahawks during the 2019 season. All he's done in three full seasons since is earn three straight Pro Bowl selections, with more than 60 total tackles, at least four interceptions and at least seven pass breakoups in all three campaigns. Oh, and he has not missed a game in that time. Over 55 games as a Seahawk, he has has 17 interceptions, 27 pass breakups.

At 30 years old, whether Diggs would still be a Lion today if he hadn't been traded when he was is a question. But he certainly had good years left, and the "astute" personnel man Patricia thought he was had no further use for him. Actually trading Diggs probably had nothing to do with his talent. It was more personal, and Patricia decided to send him elsewhere rather than have his flimsy ego challenged by a player.

But Diggs is not the only player Patricia may have had a personal vendetta against during his tenure in Detroit....