OT: Lions trade up, draft Jahvid Best
Interesting pick!!
I like it a lot.
I had actually been hoping we'd take Toby Gerhard in the second round, but trading up for Best, I'll take it.
With him, Johnson, and Stafford, our offense could be pretty good. We just need to improve the O-line now.
And our defense got a lot better w/ Suh.
Things are looking up for the Lions. Improve the O-line and we could maybe (knock on wood) make the playoffs in a couple years.
What does everyone think about the pick?
(And btw, the video of his injury still makes me cringe.)
Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't call Kevin Smith a power back.
Kevin Smith is a pretty balanced back. However, I believe things like ACL tears impact NFL players, especially running backs, more than college players. I don't like relying on Smith this fall.
I think Schwartz wants an explosive gamebreaker in the backfield. Look at Baltimore...would their offense be half as scary without Ray Rice? I know you're a coach; are defenses not more susceptible to things like play action if you have a guy who's flat out faster than all of them on the field?
In a tandem of smith and best u would say that smith is the power back. Sure he's not the best option at power back but I feel that smith/best makes a better combo than smith/gerhart simply because smith fits the role of power back more than speed back.
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:26 AM ^
with a late pick, 6th or 7th rounder?
I hate to say it but I don't think Minor gets drafted. I think Carlos Brown gets picked before Minor. I hear the Carolina Panthers absolutely love Carlos.
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:26 AM ^
not a problem, I have no problem with the move. As stated, if this is the guy they really wanted, then go ahead and get him. At first I heard they had given up their fourth round pick as well as the second rounder to get him, and I didn't like it. But after hearing they only swapped fourth rounders, it seems they really didn't give up that much. Best will not have to carry the load, and he fits well into a single back, two TE set. With the acquisition of Scheffler, I think this is what Linehan had in mind. Plus, Tedford has put out some nice offensive players...Rodgers, Desean Jax, even Marshawn.
They do need to find a replacement for Backus as he is aging(34)and he isn't an elite OT. The OL is certainly not great and needs improvement, but the Lions have bigger needs.
CB and S are hurting right now. OLB is also a question mark.
Between Michigan and the Lions, I haven't watched good defense in YEARS. Hopefully, the Lions keep adding to the defense.
Still, this is a long term rebuilding process. Millen's ineptitude at player procurement means we have to be patient with Mayhew/Schwartz.
You don't build a team from the outside in. Stafford, Johnson, Smith, Pettigrew, Scheffler, Best, etc. can't do their jobs properly without a good offensive line.
I like the Suh pick, but the Best pick was silly, IMO. They need linebackers and offensive linemen. Backus has been a revolving door at LT for a long time, and they haven't had a solid RG in a long time, either. I also thought the Cherilus pick was retarded a couple years ago; there were better linemen on the board when they had a chance to pick.
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:23 AM ^
Cherilus left me scratching my head, he was a big-time reach at #17 (I think that was the pick) and IIRC he wasn't even the best lineman on the BC squad.
I'm with you on Best as well. Kevin Smith is not the answer at RB, but I think you could have waited 'til the later rounds to get an RB. Seems to me there were still some good OT and LB guys at #30. Oh well.
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:10 PM ^
It was definitely a need pick. The Lions have Maurice Morris,Aaron Brown, and Kevin Smith coming off an ACL tear. Not good at all.
The Lions ol is not as bad as people want to think. The 43 sacks were a marked improvement from the previous year. It still isn't good, but a couple of things factor into that. Stafford holding onto the ball as a rookie tends to do, mediocre WR's not getting open and the Lions having to pass alot because they are always behind.
The OL definitely needs help, but because the Lions have so many holes thanks to Millen--taking a RB is actually a sound decision. They added Rob Sims which strengthens the interior line and they have a chance to add OL either through the rest of this draft or in FA.
Besides you shouldn't take a lessser talent over a superior one wshen both fill needs. No OL was available who held a grade equal to Best's.The Lions did the correct thing which is why they have drawn praise for the Bestg selection.
OL can be had almost anywhere. People think that taking OL h9igh is imperative, but I disagree. The Lions have been taking higher for 20n years and what has that gotton them? Looking for more OL.
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:24 PM ^
You can get offensive linemen OR running backs later in the draft.
But you see over and over again that the good teams have a good defense and a solid offensive line. Mediocre running backs can look great behind good offensive lines.
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:33 AM ^
Being a Bears fan, I can confidently say that the Lions have a much brighter future than the Bears. They are developing a nice young core of players (Stafford, Johnson, Best, Pettigrew, Delmas(who I love and I'm not a Lions fan), and Suh). Once you guys improve your line situation, the NFC North might have to watch out. I'd be excited if I were a Lions fan. Getting Millen out of there was the best thing you could do.
I have zero confidence in my Bears right now, we'll see how this Martz move works out. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed.
Was the best player on other teams' rosters.
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:37 AM ^
I was hoping for Patrick Robinson with that pick. You need good line play and corners to win in this league. The defensive line seems to probably be fixed with the VandenBosch and Suh additions. The offensive line could use a tackle but I'm not sure there was a good one available at that point, so corner was what I was hoping for.
The similarities between this pick and the Kevin Jones pick are frightening. I don't think this will work out, and I don't like giving up all those picks in such a deep draft.
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:07 PM ^
We moved up four slots, switched fourth round picks and gave them one of our four seventh rounders. We didn't really give up much at all.
Does anyone remember what the D had to give up to get Kevin Jones?
30. Vikes (AP)
31. Colts (Addai, D.Brown)
32. Saints (P.Thomas, Bush)
33. Rams (S.Jackson)
34. Lions (nobody)
Unless they were worried about another team leapfrogging them to get J.Best by trading up, the teams sitting in front of the Lions' 2nd rd pick are set at RB. Maybe STL getting younger and moving S.Jackson out and drafting Best was a possible scenario, but at this point if I'm STL, I don't want my running and passing game to be based on rookies so I keep SJ. Am I missing something here?
April 23rd, 2010 at 11:41 AM ^
Schwartz and Mayhew said in an ESPN interview that they were worried that given a night to sleep on it, another GM would decide to trade with STL and take Best there. That was their reasoning for trading up.
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:08 PM ^
There was also speculation that Minny might take Best to replace Chester Taylor as the change-of-pace/non-fumbling back in the offense.
Offensive lines in the NFL are not built off of top draft picks, they're developed and molded into quality units. The best lines are developed from tough, smart football players. Look up the lines of the colts and patriots.
I hope the lions trade up again and pick up someone on OL
April 23rd, 2010 at 10:27 AM ^
We have a lot of weapons on offense now and our defense has young talent to work with finally but for the last couple years I think we have made a really bad decision by not drafting a offensive lineman. We can have all the weapons on offense but Best won't have any running room and Stafford won't have time to throw because we have neglected the offensive line. I hope we get a offensive lineman, mainly a tackle tonight.
April 23rd, 2010 at 12:36 PM ^
Kevin Seifert had on his blog yesterday an amazing fact: The Lions currently have 2 (!) players on their roster from every draft from 2000-2006. They are Backus and Raiola, from 2001. No one that they drafted from 2000 and 2002-6 are gone. Sims was the last one from '06, and he was just traded. Thanks a lot, Millen.
Daniel Bullocks doesn't count?
The Lions needed a good running back, Best is a good running back, the price to pay for moving up was one of their many seventh rounders and switching fourth rounders which really isn't that much. I say good move. They still have time to find talent at CB, OLB or (hopefully) Guard or a project Tackle who can sit behind Backus.
They still can't get everything they need, so if they need to wait until next draft while their secondary still sucks then do what you have to do. Really, they still just need talent. I'd prefer they get some O-line help in the Third of Fourth so that Stafford is less likely to be ground into paste this year. Other than that, I'm willing to trust the staff.