Really good signing. Maybe the Lions are serious about addressing their OL issues.
the past five years. The Lions have been serious about upgrading their OL for a good while now.
Really good signing. Overpaid a little bit, but it seems thats the price you have to pay when you are not a top free agent destination
That's why guys opt for free agency, to get more than they are usually worth. The only real issue is how big a signing bonus you can get. No one gets a discount nowadays
Upgrade over Reiff. Lots of $$$$, though. Stafford will be happier.
EDIT: Reported $9 million per year. I thought that number would be higher.
EDIT #2: Thinking LT money, not RT. $9 mil is cool change for RT.
I read that Bulaga had the previous RT ceiilng at near $7 million. $9 million does seem like a bargain for establishing a new ceiling for an elite RT.
This must mean the departure of Riley Reiff, right? His development was not horrible over the years, but shifting from LT to RT, and then not shining? That's a bad look for a first round OT.
I would have to believe his time here is done.
saying goodbye to Larry Warford too, since you probably can't invest that much on one side of the line. So your interior, barring a draft pick, is some cobination of Graham Glasgow, Travis Swanson, Laken Tomlinson and Joe Dahl.
Dahl will get every opportunity to take that other OG slot - I'm assuming Glasgow starts at LG. Also, Tomlinson played RG in college, maybe a fresh start on the right side will help.
He was clearly better on the right side though.
Hopefully Tomlinson can get his act together. With Swanson, Glasgow, Decker and hopefully Wagner, we would have a young and potentially really good OL.
Has such a long way to go. Any time he's on the field, he looks so hilariously outmatched. He can't even stay on for more than a play.
Maybe he'll push Laken. I've always had this perception issue with him. Something about Duke players make me thing he'll be Charmin soft. I hope he proves me wrong.
To make football sound as technical as possible, but in this case I don't honestly think there's a difference between RG and LG. Just knowing who's across from you and learning your place in the plays.
But I'm referring more to switching mostly tackle to guard, or tackle to center. Those feel like completely different positions. Guard to guard shouldn't be that difficult for a professional athlete who lives and breathes the sport to switch over.
LG tends to pull more so you want them to be a better athelte and they tend to face 3T while RG tends to face NT.
Plus switching sides isn't easy because it changes your footwork and hand mechanics. Some struggled with it because you have to relearn how to block from ground up.
"harder" to play, as it is adjusting to an unfamiliar stance and movement. At Duke, Tomlinson was the RG for his entire career. So that's four years of the same stance, the same footwork, the same pass set, and the same first step out of a stance. Some dudes just can't adjust. Some are slower. I do think putting Tomlinson back in a more comfortable and familiar position will help him out, but right now that 1st rounder on him looks baaaaaaad. I still hate that we picked him over Malcolm Brown.
Also, I fucking hate how we traded a 2016 3rd rounder for a 2015 4th rounder that we waived a year later. Thanks Mayhew you fucking moron. At least we have 2013....
They are still sniffing around Lang as well, that would take us from one of the worst OL to one of the best IMO..
be far behind?
LT - Decker
LG - Glasgow / Dahl
C - Swanson
RG - Tomlinson / Dahl
RT - Wagner
draft an OL player in round 4 or 5 for more depth
probably means we go defense or Running Back in round 1
Dalvin Cook at 21 if he somehow fell to us
I think our RBs are good enough with a solid OL, but Cook looks like the next AP. I'd love to see Cook + Abdullah. Maybe use Riddick as a slot WR.
With that being said, I'd want Peppers if Cook is gone. Quin needs a partner at safety and we need someone who can roam the middle of the field where we normally get killed in the passing game. To have someone who can play multiple positions well in the salary cap era is highly desirable.
Swanson, Slappy.... Samsonite!
The Lions have been dead to the world.
signing for Quinn and the Lions.
Hoping he trades out of the 1st round (unless Peppers, Taco, or Cunningham are available) for additional picks in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th and maybe a few next year.
Now send Laken to the bench because.... well he sucks. Promote Dahl to RG and continue to bring in QUALITY depth for later years.