OT - Suh Watch

Submitted by Va Azul on

Cleveland and Tampa both won today, moving the Lions into the #2 draft position. (Prior to this weekend's games, Tampa's opponents had 117 wins compared to the Lions 111)

St. Louis has remaining games against Arizona and San Francisco.

DoubleMs

December 20th, 2009 at 10:12 PM ^

It's entirely possible that the Lions will lose out and get Suh on account of the Rams maybe winning something, or deciding to go with a QB.

However, I fully expect the Lions to somehow fuck this one up, too, possibly by winning another game or two.

Michigan_Mike

December 20th, 2009 at 10:13 PM ^

The good thing is if the Lions lose out chances are the Rams are going to pick a quarterback so we could be in line for Suh. I just hope we can get him and find a left tackle, because Stafford needs protection or he isn't going to stay alive.

Tater

December 20th, 2009 at 10:19 PM ^

I would love to see the Rams screw up this pick, but there isn't a QB whose play justifies risking the first overall pick. Of course, like the Lions, the Rams didn't get where they are by making smart picks, so there is a chance.

I think if Suh isn't there at two, they should try to trade the pick down for two first-rounders if they can. This looks like another draft that is decent, but I don't see a lot of difference between two and ten right now.

Va Azul

December 20th, 2009 at 10:31 PM ^

is a financial albatross... I agree that this is one of the deepest drafts in recent years on the defensive side of the ball (and getting deeper daily via junior entries). The problem is that without a bona-fide #1 QB its going to be hard to find a dance partner willing to move up 5-6 spots (or at least one who's willing to pay anything to make it worth it). If you can get out of the 8-10 million per year region of the draft and pick up another 1st round pick, I agree you make that deal in a heartbeat.

(I do think Eric Berry is going to be a phenomenal player in the NFL, not a bad consolation prize at #2)

MMarchingband243

December 20th, 2009 at 10:41 PM ^

Suh is all fine and dandy, but i think that if they could get him AND Graham they'd be really good given a year or two. if they trade maybe a 3rd and a 4th round pick for him then they'd be in pretty good shape. Then again we all know the Lions, so they'd probably screw it up.

spacemanspiff231

December 21st, 2009 at 12:37 PM ^

And neither does anyone else. All anyone knows, and what I know, is that in the first year of a team with a new head coach and staff, new GM, and 60% new roster, the Lions had an excellent draft finding starters in rounds 1-4. Deandre Levy (3rd round pick) is a future standout, Sammie Lee-Hill (4th round) was supposed to be a project but has turned out to be pretty darn good as a starter, and Louis Delmas is a future pro-bowler. Additionally, both Stafford and Pettigrew have tons of potential in them, and have both shown glimpses of greatness this year. To say that "we all know the Lions" is just a moronic statement to make considering pro teams are not college teams. A pro team that's bad doesn't have to stay bad like a college team does. There's no recruits to decide whether or not they want to come to a team. Every team has the same chance to be as good as the next team with the NFL salary cap. And when a team is overhauled like the Lions were this past year, it is impossible to make the claim that they are the "same old Lions" as they're not the Lions of last year at all. Yes they're still bad, but they have YEARS of bad drafts by Millen to overcome. If they can have another couple of drafts like this past years, they'll be a playoff team. That, of course, remains to be seen. But to just say that they won't do it, considering that everybody making the decisions now is a new hire, is just stupid.

clarkiefromcanada

December 20th, 2009 at 11:07 PM ^

...what are the implications for the draft in terms of up front money etc. for the top end of the draft? I am thinking how much cap space would be utilized by the Lions for Stafford/Suh/Berry.

As a Browns fan I can empathize with incompetence in management.

Michigan_Mike

December 20th, 2009 at 11:16 PM ^

If we get Suh in the first and Graham somehow drops to us in the second we could have an elite young combo on the Dline. Only problem is Stafford still needs to be protected.

MGOSAIL

December 20th, 2009 at 11:53 PM ^

true. I am also one of them, but the hope we somehow dredge up every season is pretty sad. The lions haven't won a championship since before my dad was born...

But I agree that they need a lot of talent. I would rather have 2-3 1st round picks than 1 top 5 pick, and hopefully help on both the O-line and D-line and give us a foundation to build on. We will probably take a WR tho...

mblood7

December 21st, 2009 at 4:53 AM ^

Yep that's why Ford field sells out every home game. Oh wait they don't. I went to the game today against Arizona and I felt like i was at a high school game the stadium was even halfway full. Don't get me wrong I pick the lions to win 8 or 9 every year. (even put money on it) but our fandom is sad. they let us down year in year out.

Magnus

December 21st, 2009 at 7:06 AM ^

You would be hard pressed to find a fan base that would still buy every ticket to every game when their team has the history the Lions do. Packers and Steelers fans might be very loyal, but they've also won a bunch of Super Bowls. The Lions have never even been to a Super Bowl and have only won one playoff game since 1957.

Also, Detroit is being hit harder than anyone with the economy the way it is. And this economic downturn has been going on for basically the entire existence of Ford Field, so it's hard to say that Lions fans aren't loyal - they just can't spend their entire savings on tickets when they might not have a job next week.

Ernis

December 21st, 2009 at 11:32 AM ^

And how long had it been before they stopped selling out the games, anyway? IIRC that was a relatively recent thing... like last season or maybe the one before?

There's no harder team to root for in the NFL than the Lions. Buffalo and Cleveland fans try to tell me otherwise; I just laugh at them. To be a true Lions fan, you've got to have guts, grit, and be happily divorced from reasonable expectations.

mblood7

December 21st, 2009 at 10:59 PM ^

Yeah neg bang me cause i'm telling the truth. Me and 3 of my friends went to the game and bought tickets for $20 a piece and ended up sitting in the lower bowl i'd say no more than 25 rows back. I'm saying the lions may have a strong and surprisingly large fanbase but not a loyal one. I can't tell you how many family and friends have discontinued their season tickets due to what they say as "the team and organization just don't seem to care enough to put even a decent team on the field." I'm sorry but if a broke college student and friends can put together say 40 bucks to go to a game. I'm sure most of the general public can as well. go talk to people around the Detroit area. Once you leave Detroit's city limits people are choosing new teams like the San Diego Chargers. My grandfather a lifelong Lions fan has recently changed his fandom to "Da Bears". It's happening until the management cares about the team the fans won't. Changing the coaching every couple of years doesn't show you care it shows you want to put the blame on someone else. Just face it the Ford family doesn't care about the lions and until they sell the team the lions are going to be bottom feeders at best and usually totally irrelevant!

Magnus

December 22nd, 2009 at 12:35 AM ^

Okay, most of this post is irrelevant to your original post. What does the Ford family's ineptitude have to do with your claim that the fans aren't very loyal?

Also, do you not see the disconnect between your purchase of $20 tickets and families who have discontinued their season ticket purchases? Your decision to go to ONE football game doesn't mean that a family can afford tickets for EVERY football game.

mblood7

December 22nd, 2009 at 3:07 AM ^

First: I was stating that the Ford family's ineptitude was the cause of the fans lack of loyalty/because of them and ,yes the economy, the lions can't give tickets away.

Second: I was only staying that individuals can afford a $20 ticket and never said families should go to even game yet said families were selling off their season tickets more often than they buy them.

Third: The Pistons attendance in only dropping because the team isn't as good but the Red Wings do good in ticket sales as do the Tigers. So the economy is the only culprit here.Lions fans would rather spend their money Red Wings or Tigers tickets than watch the Lions lose week after week.

Magnus I respect you a lot but I feel as though you are fishing for this one. You are rewording what I'm saying to make things irrelevant. So you can neg bang me as you please but I'm here for Michigan sports not MGoPoints

Magnus

December 22nd, 2009 at 8:21 AM ^

You CHOSE to spend $20 on Lions tickets. That's fine. You either a) have plenty of money or b) spend money unwisely. That doesn't mean everybody's in the same boat. When money is tight, Lions tickets should probably be something that people cut out of their budgets. And even though the tickets only cost $20, there's also gas, parking, and concessions to consider. So $20 tickets for a family of four probably turns into an expenditure of $150 or so.

If my job is on the chopping block, I'll rent "Up" from the Redbox, make some microwave popcorn for my kids, and call it a day.

Blue in Yarmouth

December 22nd, 2009 at 10:47 AM ^

I am not going to question Lion's fans loyalty because I really have no idea about it since I don't follow the team. I would say that if there are loyal lions fans out there (and I can see from this board that there are) then they should be applauded and not made fun of IME.

One of the most loyal fan bases I have ever seen is that of the Toronto Maple Leafs. In the past 40 years they have failed to win a Stanley Cup but hve sold old virtually every game in spite of that.

Not only have they not won the cup, but for the past 20 years have not even been remotely close to winning it, missing the playoffs more often than not.

I have to give any fan base like that a tip of the hat, because it has to be hard to love someone or something, that gives you so little in return.

On a side note some of my favorite teams are: The Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Raptors, Toronto Blue Jays, Man. UTD and the UoM Wolverines (my biggest obbsession). So short of ManU and UoM I haven't had a lot to cheer about over the past decade either.

wishitwas97

December 21st, 2009 at 1:15 AM ^

Lions to get the #1 overall pick for two years in a row. They would have two players who will command nearly half of the team salary. I would much rather have the Lions have #2-4 pick where they can still get elite player plus without the big financial distress that #1 overall is associated with.

Beside, Suh is no sure thing because no one is ever a sure thing. Is he a great talent? Yes he is.

Va Azul

December 21st, 2009 at 7:09 AM ^

I actually almost included something similar to this... but check the delta between a #1 pick and #4 in terms of dollars per year. Glenn Dorsey got 10 mill +. So did Aaron Curry. Its not "Negligible", but I'd rather take my #1 choice for 2 mil more considering its a "lottery ticket" that I'm obligated to buy at either of those slots...

stankoniaks

December 22nd, 2009 at 3:20 AM ^

I'm glad u brought up Dorsey and Curry, bc both were considered "sure things" when they came out, and neither has impressed yet (obviously too early for Curry but you'd think he would have shown more for the player deemed the most NFL ready). Suh is a great talent, and is the most hyped DT coming out since Dorsey (who probably had the same level of hype coming out). I just find it completely fascinating that such a can't miss DT has done nothing in the NFL.

For what it's worth, I might trade down a couple slots and see if I could get McCoy for a little cheaper. I think he'll be a great player too, though it's plausible that he doesn't last much longer than Suh.

mjkaiser09

December 21st, 2009 at 2:06 AM ^

They still close out the season with the Bears, and it is just painful watching them. They're in vast disarray. I couldn't even sit through the third quarter today. The Ravens scored two touchdowns to open the second half without Jay Cutler having the opportunity to throw an interception. As a Chicago Bear fan, I can almost guarantee a victory for Lions in week 17.

uminks

December 21st, 2009 at 2:34 AM ^

Hopefully, Schwartz will help the Lion's draft better over the next several years! May be they will improve enough to make the playoffs in 5 years? Since the Lion's are my hometown team, I will always be a fan!

Bryantdet

December 21st, 2009 at 4:34 AM ^

is a good place to "start" the building process and I think that we should be able to get Suh and BG. One other position that needs to be addressed is a big play rb/kr/pr/slot type of guy. Thats why its good that Joe Mcknight likes to drive around in expensive cars from boosters. He will more than likely lose his elgibility and also slip a round or two in the draft because of "character issues". He has big play potential,great speed and would be a welcomed addition to a Lions team that lacks a big play threat not named megatron.

Double Nickel BG

December 21st, 2009 at 6:40 AM ^

no way that the Lions can move up to grab both Suh and BG. No one wants a top 3 pick because of the cash. Suh is a top 5 pick and BG is a top 20 pick. No way its gonna happen.

And the lions skill players on offense are OK. If the lions ever want to be competitive, they have to draft OL sometime in the near future.

Bryantdet

December 21st, 2009 at 7:17 AM ^

is a moderately undersized de with a load of talent. Due to the depth in this years draft (on his side of the ball), it is possible/probable that he will slip to an early second round pick.
The Lions do have some firepower on offense but the Mcknight pick would help them to generate a dangerous return game.
They do need o-linemen but the best teams know how to assemble a team and are able to draft good linemen in the 3rd round and beyond.
This draft should be all about the defense and the intangibles!!