We are 4 and 5. Where do we go from here?

WillParks · Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 291

Our playoff chances are pretty much toast. What happens now? Here are some things I think need to happen:

1. Riley Reiff needs to start. Could be at RT or LT but he needs and deserves to start

2. Ryan Broyles should be getting more snaps and passes thrown his way.

3. I think we let Cliff Avil walk unless he signs a very cap friendly contract

4. The interior of our O-line needs to be re-tooled. Sims is solid. Raiola and Peterman are terrible run blockers. Cherilous is decent but not great.

5. We need to give some our our younger players some playing time. Tahir Whitehead and Travis Lewis should get more reps. Ronnel Lewis has been non-existent. Might as well get him some snaps if we can also

6. I don't think we re-sign Durant. He makes some good plays but allows some really bad plays also. He has been regressing as the season goes on.

7. We have to draft a safety in the first or second round unless we can sign a really good safety in free agency. Best case scenario: 49ers decide to not re-sign Dashon Goldston and we do everything we have to do to get him in a Lions uniform.

8. We have some significant holes to fill in the off-season: S, LB, OG, C and CB are all legitimate needs. We are hamstrung by Stafford and Suh's rookie contracts. Unless we do an extension with one of them, we won't be big players in free agency.

9. I think we should trade Sammie Hill to a 3-4 team that needs a NT. He has been a good addition to the team but we need more draft picks. Besides, he is better suited for that position and this draft is pretty deep at DT. It isn't a stretch to think we could get a DT that is a better fit for the 9-wide.

10. We have gone as far as we can go with Scott Linehan. We need to make a change at OC.

11. Unless Burleson comes back at a reduced salary we could probably use another WR who is 6'0" or taller besides Calvin Johnson.

12. CB is a need but I think we may have filled a couple of holes with our draft this year. Unless Bill Bentley gets stronger, he is best suited to covering slot receivers. Jonte Green continues to slowly improve. He has tons of physical talent. He has high upside. Hopefully he will continue to get better. Chris Greenwood is the wildcard. He has ideal size and speed. With a full training camp under his belt he could be a welcomed addition to our secondary. I get the feeling we will be taking another 3rd or 5th round CB to develop and continue to develop our young CBs from this years draft.

What moves do you think should happen?

vikingsrule · Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:02 pm Post subject:

WillParks · Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 291

Sammie Hill is a restricted free agent. I think we should sign him to a decent contract and trade him to a 3-4 team. I see him tying up two line all the time anyway. I think that is his best position. There is no way I would allow him to go to the Vikings. Do you really want us facing him twice a year?

Nnivolcm · Joined: 07 Aug 2008 Posts: 5269 Location: Montana

WillParks · Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 291

Under ideal circumstances, that would be what I want also. With our salary cap headaches due to Stafford and Suh's rookie deals, we may be hard pressed to find the cap space. Sammie Hill could start on a fair number of teams in the league. We have to sign Chris Houston and DeAndre Levy. We have a whole slew of other free agents. I am in favor of letting Corey Williams go after this season. I think his best days are behind him. We just have to find replacements.

Nnivolcm · Joined: 07 Aug 2008 Posts: 5269 Location: Montana

stylish313 · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 13742 Location: Flat Rock, Mi

Sammy will be a URFA after this season is complete
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WillParks · Joined: 24 Feb 2009 Posts: 291

If he is an unrestricted free agent then that would put him in the must re-sign category along with Houston and Levy. I think there is a good chance that another team will make him an offer that we can't match. Like I said before, Sammie Hill could start for a number of other teams.

diehardlionfan · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 21503 Location: Ottawa

carlande · Joined: 21 Jan 2007 Posts: 1410

I wonder about Houston. He was carted off the sidelines to the locker-room. If the guy is out for a considerable amount of time this secondary is going to nosedive and crash. Green Bay will tear the guts out of the Lions secondary next week. It won't get any better in Lambeau. This will punctuate the end of any playoff hopes and leave the team with more questions.

After that, who knows? It sort of changes week to week. If the season ended today the question would be how to stop Adrian Peterson as the Vikings snuffed the Lions twice and AP had his way with this team in both meetings.

I forgot to mention the Bears. An answer for the Bears defense will also be needed heading into the next off-season. Scoring only 10 points against any football team is a fail.

So in summation: I predict 0-6 against the Vikings, Bears and Packers...which means alot of soul searching, not just talent searching.

tytalton · Joined: 12 Jan 2010 Posts: 844

I for one and so glad that Mayhew didn't cave and give in to Avril's demands - I for one feel like a total sucker for saying we ought to keep trying to sign him. What you see right now is pretty much all we would have gotten the moment he got his check.

SadLionFan00 · Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 12:48 am Post subject:

Good lord, is our entire defense going to be UFA's this offseason? Seems like every thread I find out another one of our guys is an impending FA.
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diehardlionfan · Joined: 12 Mar 2007 Posts: 21503 Location: Ottawa

stylish313 · Joined: 17 Jan 2009 Posts: 13742 Location: Flat Rock, Mi

LionsFan630 · Joined: 13 Mar 2007 Posts: 11148