Early 2018 Mock.

[SimbaWho]

Cut:   

 

-          TE Eric Ebron, 5.6 million (EST).

-          RB Dwayne Washington, 600k

-          OL Joe Dahl, 600k

 

 

Signings:

 

-          Lions sign CB Kyle Fuller to a 4 year deal worth 25 million dollars, 5 million dollar signing bonus, 5 million dollar salary.

 

-          Lions sign WR Jordan Matthews to a 4 year deal worth 20 million dollars, 6 million dollar signing bonus, 3.5 million dollar salary.

 

-          Lions sign WR Jarvis Landry to a 4 year deal worth 20 million dollars, 6 million dollar signing bonus, 3.5 million dollar salary.

 

-          Lions resign LB Tahir Whitehead to a 3 year deal worth 15 million dollars, 4.5 million dollar signing bonus, 2.5 million dollar salary.

 

-          Resign DT Haloti Ngata to a 2 year deal worth 10 million dollars, 3 million dollar signing bonus, 3.5 million dollar salary.

 

-          Lions sign DE/LB Connor Barwin to a 3 year deal worth 10 million dollars, 2.5 million dollar signing bonus, 2 million dollar salary. *2019 500k Roster bonus.

 

-          Lions sign TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins to a 2 year deal worth 8 million dollars, 3 million dollar signing bonus, 2.5 million dollar salary.

 

-          Lion sign OL Byron Bell to a 2 year deal worth 3.5 million dollars, 1 million dollar signing bonus, 1.25 million dollar salary.

 

-          Resign TE Darren Fells to a 2 year deal worth 3.5 million dollars. 500k dollar signing bonus, 1.5 million dollar salary.

 

-          Sign DE Chris Smith to a 1 year deal worth 1.5 million dollars, 500k dollar signing bonus, 1 million dollar salary.

 

-          Resign CB D.J. Hayden to a 1 year deal worth 1.5 million dollars, 500k dollar signing bonus, 1 million dollar salary.

 

-          Lions sign FB/RB Mike Tolbert to a 1 year deal worth 1.25 million dollars, 250k dollar signing bonus, 1 million dollar salary.

 

-          Resign LB Nick Bellore to a 1 year deal worth 1 million dollars.

 

-          Resign LB Paul Worrilow to a 1 year deal worth 1 million dollars.

 

-          Resign LS Don Mulbach to a 1 year deal worth the league veteran minimum.

 

Draft:

 

1^st- Quenton Nelson, C/G. Norte Dame. ( 6’5, 325lbs. )

 

2^nd- Nick Chubb, RB. Georgia. ( 5’10, 220lbs. )

 

3^rd- Isaiah Wynn, OL. Georgia. ( 6’2, 305lbs. )

 

4^th- Jamar Summers, DB. Connecticut. ( 6’0, 190lbs. )

 

5^th- B. J. Hill, DT. N.C. State. ( 6’4, 315lbs. )

 

7^th- Aikeem Coleman, DE. Idaho. ( 6’3, 275lbs. )

 

 

Roster:

Offense:
OT: Ricky Wagner, *Byron Bell*

OG: T.J. Lang,
OC: Quenton Nelson, Graham Glasgow
OG: Isaiah Wynn, Corey Robinson

OT: Taylor Decker, Brian Mihalik

TE: *Austin Seferian-Jenkins*, *Darren Fells*, Michael Roberts

WR: Marvin Jones, Golden Tate, *Jordan Matthews*, *Jarvis Landry*, Kenny Golladay

RB: Nick Chubb, Ameer Abdullah, Theo Riddick, Tion Green

FB: *Mike Tolbert*
QB: Matt Stafford, Jake Ruddock

 

 

Defense:
DE: *Connor Barwin*, *Chris Smith*, Aikeem Coleman
DT: A’Shawn Robinson, Akeem Spence, Jeremiah Ledbetter

DT: *Haloti Ngata*, B.J. Hill
DE: Anthony Zettel, Cornelius Washington
OLB: Jalen Reeves-Maybin, *Paul Worrilow*

MLB: Jarrad Davis, *Nick Bellore*
OLB: *Tahir Whitehead*, Steve Longa
CB: Darius Slay, Quandre Diggs, Jamal Agnew

S: Glover Quinn, Miles Killebrew

S: Jamar Summers, Charles Washington

CB *Kyle Fuller*, *D.J. Hayden*, Teez Tabor

Special Teams:

K: Matt Pratter
P: Sam Martin
LS: Don Mulbach

KR/PR: Jamal Agnew

[Karnage84]

I have a tough time seeing the Lions investing that much money into WR's. I also have a tough time seeing both of those guys coming when we already have Tate and Jones on the team. I'd like to see a veteran brought onto the team that can push Golloday who has some size. Landry, especially, is going to command about $10M from some team alone. I also feel Ngata is more likely to retire than return. Even if he does, I don't know if you can rely on him to be your starting guy. I like the Fuller and Ogletree signings.

[Nnivolcm]

Would like to see less focus on WRs and more focus on front 7.

[SimbaWho]

2 hours ago, Nnivolcm said:

Would like to see less focus on WRs and more focus on front 7.

I guess your upset about the money? Cause I only added two WR's, three if you count the TE and five new players on the front seven.

I can understand it a little but who do people love in free agency that they're so very willing to go shell out big bucks for on the D-line? Lawerence/Peppers/Clayborn/Okafor Are the big names and all are expected to remain with the teams they're on currently. I don't see the player in FA to replace Ziggy's 2014 production. There are a few players at DT I like, Star Lotulelei, Sheldon Richardson, Dontari Poe... but that's only three guys and they're likely to resign...

 

As far as the draft, I focused on O-line/run game, I feel like that has lost us more games this year than our defense.

 

[Nnivolcm]

I view our front seven as a bunch of guys I'd happily keep as depth, but we need guys who can make a difference. The guys you added in the front 7 (more specifically front 4) feel like more of the same. I want upgrades, I feel we need a difference maker or two. Ngata looks like our best DL player but he's a year older with another significant injury to come back from. A guy I wouldn't mind getting would be Star Lotulelei. He'd help spell Ngata, open things up for everyone else, and he shouldn't break the bank.

 

I feel like our running woes are more on coaching than they are on personnel. Sure, offensive personnel could stand to be upgraded, but I feel like an infusion of talent would make worlds of difference in the front 7 compared to the running game without coaching changes.

[Karnage84]

11 hours ago, SimbaWho said:

I guess your upset about the money? Cause I only added two WR's, three if you count the TE and five new players on the front seven.

I can understand it a little but who do people love in free agency that they're so very willing to go shell out big bucks for on the D-line? Lawerence/Peppers/Clayborn/Okafor Are the big names and all are expected to remain with the teams they're on currently. I don't see the player in FA to replace Ziggy's 2014 production. There are a few players at DT I like, Star Lotulelei, Sheldon Richardson, Dontari Poe... but that's only three guys and they're likely to resign...

 

As far as the draft, I focused on O-line/run game, I feel like that has lost us more games this year than our defense.

 

I expect that some team will assume the same thing regarding Ansah and be surprised when we let him walk. I had zero expectations that Ngata was going to come here when we signed him. I don't think it's out of the realm to expect a guy like Okafor (as you saw in my mock) to be signed by us for similar money but longer contract than Ansah. Spotrac had a 4 year 9.4 M as his market value. I'd rather see that money tossed out to Matthews and Landry go towards a guy like Lotulelei (and not re-sign Ngata. I don't expect him to come back either). I wouldn't be opposed to getting Matthews at the right price. Just no way that Landry is coming to town for $3.5M. Chicago and Cleveland badly need WR's and there's not a ton of top level talent available.

My main issue with the focus on o-line is that we did that last season. We spent a bunch of cash on Lang and Wagner. It's far too expensive to try and get out from underneath that right now. Decker is back. I think we'll have to wait another year before being able to really go hard at this as priority 1. An improved defense would help us from having to engineer 4th quarter comebacks every week. We can't run the ball ourselves but we also sure as heck can't stop it either. If we can start making some of these teams one dimensional then our playmakers like Quin and Slay can generate some turnovers.

[SimbaWho]

I kinda of don't expect Okafor to pick us over his current team which he's already openly expressed interest in returning to. Team aside New Orleans is a lot better than Detroit in terms of just living... Then you get everything that comes with the Saints right now( Breese/ Shaun Payton/ etc. )

Even Star Lotulelei will cost big bucks, if Carolina even lets him become a free agent. An the money to get him won't equal the production everyone wants. It's not like signing him will equal the production of what Ndamukong Suh gave us which is what most people seem to be searching for. I mean Honestly Star Lotulelei is about on par with A'Shawn Robinson and might not actually be an upgrade over Ngata in run defense. So I'll throw it back at you that you also wouldn't be upgrading the line like you think, your just bringing in a name, when really he's pretty much what A'Shawn Robinson is. For this year there is no real production from Lotulelei to suggest he is anything more than a 4-5 million dollar player per year.

Lions were the 3rd best run defense before the Haloti Ngata injury. I think people are seriously taking that injury way, way to lightly. He was seemingly the one of three players on our defense we CANNOT afford to lose for a season.

An yeah we did spend money last year, but clearly we didn't get it all right. An the franchise most expensive and important player is Stafford. No matter how good a defense is, if Stafford goes down, we turn into the Denver Bronco's, or Houston. I'm just building this thing similar to Bill Polian and the Colts with Payton Manning. Weapons, Protection, and piece together a defense than can do well with a lead, and create turn overs/pressure.

[flyguy1609]

I would rather us spend more money on Def than Wr's, I also feel that Landry is going to the Gmen to play with his college teammate obj. think Nagata retires.  as far as the Draft I would rather go for more Defense then O. not bad very detailed tho

[SimbaWho]

12 minutes ago, flyguy1609 said:

I would rather us spend more money on Def than Wr's, I also feel that Landry is going to the Gmen to play with his college teammate obj. think Nagata retires.  as far as the Draft I would rather go for more Defense then O. not bad very detailed tho

I'll just ask you again, and I never get an answer but since the consensus is go out and sign a big name defensive player, who do you want, and will they realistically be available even?

Lions have around 60 million to spend, so they can spend if they want to. I'm just not seeing the player.

* Interesting side-note is that Maimi could cut/trade Ndamukong Suh and save money I believe after June 1st. Ndamukong Suh was one of my favorite players ever coming out of college. I'd be highly interested in his return.

[Karnage84]

24 minutes ago, SimbaWho said:

I'll just ask you again, and I never get an answer but since the consensus is go out and sign a big name defensive player, who do you want, and will they realistically be available even?

Lions have around 60 million to spend, so they can spend if they want to. I'm just not seeing the player.

* Interesting side-note is that Maimi could cut/trade Ndamukong Suh and save money I believe after June 1st. Ndamukong Suh was one of my favorite players ever coming out of college. I'd be highly interested in his return.

Not sure he would want to come back here. I have a feeling Detroit was being used as leverage to get a bigger deal from another team like Miami. If he does get cut, I could see Suh going to a team where he feels they have a better chance at being in the playoffs and making a run. The Lions can be that team but if you're looking at it on paper compared to.. the Saints, for example, you're going to lean towards NO (unless Brees retires and/or gets injured).

[flyguy1609]

50 minutes ago, SimbaWho said:

I'll just ask you again, and I never get an answer but since the consensus is go out and sign a big name defensive player, who do you want, and will they realistically be available even?

Lions have around 60 million to spend, so they can spend if they want to. I'm just not seeing the player.

* Interesting side-note is that Maimi could cut/trade Ndamukong Suh and save money I believe after June 1st. Ndamukong Suh was one of my favorite players ever coming out of college. I'd be highly interested in his return.

Malcolm Butler, Demarcus Lawrence, Dontari Poe, Sheldon Richardson, Morris Claiborne. just saw these off nfl trade rumors. I also mean they don't have to spend all that cash as well,

[Karnage84]

7 minutes ago, flyguy1609 said:

Malcolm Butler, Demarcus Lawrence, Dontari Poe, Sheldon Richardson, Morris Claiborne. just saw these off nfl trade rumors. I also mean they don't have to spend all that cash as well,

Agree with your point on the names. There's going to be a bunch of guys available. I don't see a guy like Bell ever making it to FA but there's going to be a few names floating around as usual. A lot can change between now and then. Ingram leaves, Brees is injured/retires.. suddenly the Saints aren't looking like such a lock. Staffords age, skills and production is an attractive piece for future FA's.

[Rockcity2]

There's just to much wrong for me here..

Didn't olgetree just sign an extension? 

Think I'd rather keep Lawson over fuller..

You gave me no hope for this dl

This feels bizarre

You did help the ol but I don't really like how you had to do it. Definitely not a fan of a 2ndrd rb 

We need to find some type of pass rusher that other teams fear imo so either gonna have to spend for one or draft one high jmo

[SimbaWho]

I get everyones point with the pass rusher, I just didn't see a premier pass rusher in free agency that's likely to come here. I mean yea they waive DeMarcus Lawrence name around but the Cowboys will almost surely franchise him, he's the teams best pass rusher, and they're in super bowl contention for the next couple of seasons.

* Olgetree did just sign an extension in October that I didn't see. So that sucks because I did like him next to Jarrad Davis.

As far as the RB, you know you wish we took a RB in the 2nd round last year.

[Nnivolcm]

There are other avenues to add talent than just free agency (although I think there have been several examples of potential FAs we can get mentioned). Had a bigger effort been made to prioritize the Dline in the draft or via trades, I might like this mock.