stephenrjking

March 4th, 2017 at 8:47 PM ^

That's some serious character questions... but also, possibly an incredible value haul, depending on how they respond to their problems. McDowell's issue raises the question of how he will develop and work on the field; the other two have questions about how they will cope off of it.

I don't mind teams taking a flyer on one guy with those kinds of questions. You can't hang your whole draft on it, because sometimes things go wrong, but sometimes a guy with character issues is Randy Moss.

war-dawg69

March 4th, 2017 at 9:07 PM ^

Have no idea why you always dog the lions. 9-7 with your whole backfield out. The lions have a decent coach and a pretty good gm. There are a lot of teams that wish they are where the lions are. When rogers starts his decline the lions will dominate this division, so don't bother being a band wagon fan. I will just watch Detroit have another good draft and you can take your negative shit to another team.

Hotel Putingrad

March 4th, 2017 at 9:23 PM ^

my comment was mostly tongue in cheek with regard to Quinn's "evolving" position on bringing guys in with questionable character. However your professed certainty about the Lions being poised to dominate the division makes me think you haven't been paying very close attention the past 60 years. Regardless, I admire your optimism, wish I could share it, and will gladly eat crow when they win another playoff game, preferably on the road. In the interim, well, let's just agree to disagree, shall we?

Magnus

March 4th, 2017 at 9:27 PM ^

The Lions haven't dominated anything in the lifetime of virtually anyone who visits this site. They're almost certainly not going to dominate the division whenever this decline of Aaron Rodgers occurs that you're predicting.

Another good draft? The Lions' drafts have been questionable. Taylor Decker was okay. Laken Tomlinson was a reach. Eric Ebron has been a disappointment for where he was taken. Ansah and Reiff have been solid. Fairley was good but an idiot. Jahvid Best barely played. Ndamukong Suh was great but an idiot.

It's a real roller coaster with these drafts. And considering Decker seems to have been a good pick in 2016, it seems like the Lions are due for a mistake or disappointment this year.

Wolfman

March 4th, 2017 at 9:40 PM ^

On Fairley:  "Was good but an idiot."

Suh: "Was great but an idiot." 

When you tell the truth, you never have to be worried about being accussed of anything but being honest. 

I don't know if this is a send-off and goodbye to the Spartan staff for one bad year, and i hope that's all it is, merely venting. I'd haet to see a talent like his even so much as sidetracked for possibly beleving his claims are anything but just that; venting displeasure over a bad final season. Would hate to see him lasted to your idiot list; one that simply can't be argued against. 

NRK

March 5th, 2017 at 12:22 AM ^

The hope is that the front office is competent enough not to fall into the same old pattern. Before last year they had some really suspect picks.

2016 Draft was relatively productive for establishing a base. Decker should be a starter for years. Robinson and Killebrew should force more playing time, and Washington and Glasgow can be role players. 

Lions were in seirous need of an influx of depth as well, so have to start from there.

Wolfman

March 5th, 2017 at 5:17 AM ^

in your brief summary of what the Lions have been, are and will continue to be, but you and I both are fully aware this is a franchise unlike any other. I was 5 when Bobby Layne led the Lions to their last championhip. Of course, I only know this through the stories that have been passed down through the years. This franchise continues to repeat itself, if not identical on a yearly basis, pretty much the same results when taken tin 3 to 5 year periods. IMO, it would take a change not unlike the house cleaning at UM, and a few other schools and NFL teams that first of all, desired change, verbalized a desire for a winning team, always competitive and hitting full stride at playoff time. It's so bizzare - the accepted "sometimes we play decent football mentality - that forced me to cut allegiances to the Lions in '78 I believe.

I really know of no other fan base, at any level, especially the very highest level, where it takes a substamtial portion of the weekly paycheck to pay for the family to attend a game, that seemingly accept the outcome without really much noticeable change, be it a W or L. Very strange, indeed. 

Michigan Philosophy

March 4th, 2017 at 9:07 PM ^

I would love to see Johnny Manziel become wildly successful in a come back. I doubt it happens. I do think he will be on an NFL roster again before he officially calls it quits. I feel for him. If i became a twenty something multimillionaire quasi-celebrity I would most likely blow it all on beautiful women, booze and the best drugs while neglecting what got me there. I'm amazed it doesn't happen more often with pro players. I think that just goes to show what kind of dedication and drive you must have to even get into that position.

 

 

Magnus

March 4th, 2017 at 9:22 PM ^

It's funny how he was considered to be a nice, humble, respectful kid in high school...

...and then after a few years in East Lansing, he's a selfish, uncoachable prima donna.

alum96

March 4th, 2017 at 11:47 PM ^

I'll check in with Lynn Henning.

But look at that locker room of "high character" last fall- one guy sleeping with another guys girlfriend, that guy then calling him the N word, senior captain kicked out before PSU game in his home state, your most talented D line a cancer in the locker room AND not going to school, and who knows what else was hidden.  It's a lot closer to 9 than 3 problems over there.  What a disaster.  And that was before all the stuff this offseason.  Yikes.

alum96

March 4th, 2017 at 11:44 PM ^

The horrible DL of MSU played better when he quit on the team with 4 games to go.  And that was mostly a bunch of freshmen.  That says a lot about him. 

That said he was VERY talented, but who knows how he would have turned out elsehwere.  He probably would have been a disaster in the Hoke regime and with Harbaugh in his 2nd year either been in the doghouse and fixed himself or been a transfer.  No one knows.

And yes we all wanted him here and his sophomore year he was an absolute beast.  He had no talent around him this year but obviously didn't care.  Even the RCMB said he stopped going to school in fall and Dantonio ("Family values") still played him until very late in the year.

babarblue99

March 5th, 2017 at 8:12 AM ^

Doesn't State claim to hate us predominately because our players and fan base are "unbearably arrogant"? I love their 15 minutes of fame when the B1G was at an all-time low (low low low low) turned them into that which they can't stand.

Wendyk5

March 5th, 2017 at 10:49 AM ^

We live in Evanston, and there's a program where you can have Northwestern students over for dinner. So last night, we had two students over, one of whom was on the football team. I asked him about Michigan State and what went so wrong this year, and he said don't understimate team chemistry, and I assume that means locker room stuff, too. But he said that unless you're  really tight, one loss can start undoing the team. Some guys aren't into working that hard to right the ship, others blame their teammates, etc... and then things can unravel from there.