Jeff Backus retires

Submitted by cozy200 on
Am i really the first one to post this??? Jeff is an animal and was someone I looked up too in HS football as he was still at the Big House when i was in H.S.

Shaqsquatch

March 14th, 2013 at 4:43 PM ^

we might be able to afford him. However, I think talks are too far along with StL on top of it already being unlikely that we don't have much of a chance. Maybe Reggie can work some magic though?

lilpenny1316

March 14th, 2013 at 5:39 PM ^

Suh and Fairley are a fearsome combo.  You can only double team one of them.  You put a playmaker like Jones on the outside, that gives three young dynamic playmakers on the D-line.

There's so many holes on D.  I'd rather build a strong D and see if Jason Fox can finally live up to the hype.

Gobgoblue

March 15th, 2013 at 8:51 AM ^

a franchise OT or a solid DB we can sign for 5 years.   We've drafted these talented LB's before only to trade them away after a year or two to "invest in our future."

Also, Fairley's been "fairley" underwhelming thus far.  Suh is a nice DT, but I wouldn't call Fairley's addition fearsome.

I'm so funny!

Michigan4Life

March 15th, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^

According to Pro Football Focus, he outplayed Suh last year: https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2012/12/19/pro-bowl-roster-2012-nfc/2/

Fairley have been a huge force and was very disruptive.  He's even better as a run defender than Suh.  Look at the Saints game 2 years ago, he dominated 1st quarter and make Evans and Nicks look like a scrub which is amazing considering both Saints OG are two of the best in the country.  He is getting a chance to start next season and the Lions will have the best DT duos in the league.

buddhafrog

March 14th, 2013 at 4:24 PM ^

wow.  Didn't see that coming.  Good for Backus - great collegate career and put in a lot of work, a lot of years, and went through a lot of pain with Detroit.

Glad you were a Lion.  You probably aren't so glad.

Michigan4Life

March 15th, 2013 at 1:20 AM ^

as long as you can play in the next level.  Eric Fisher has the skill, athleticism and size to be an elite OT in the NFL.  Plus, he's a LT which boost his value more than all but QB and maybe DE.

NFL scouts don't care where you're from as long as you can play.  Would you draft Jerry Rice at #1 overall if you know that he would be the best WR ever to play in the NFL?  He came from a very small school, Mississippi Valley State.

Michigan4Life

March 15th, 2013 at 12:56 PM ^

He is a one speed player who have no moves.  He only has speed rush and he feast on slower feet OT like Fluker.  Throw in that he's undersized and lacks the length and strength to be stout against the POA or set the edge.  Against quicker feet OT, he gets stonewalled.  Xavier Nixon ate him for lunch which is interesting because Xavier Nixon is a model of inconsistencies.

93Grad

March 14th, 2013 at 4:32 PM ^

I can't imagine their starting tackles being Reiff and Fox next year.  As nice of a start to the offseason as Mayhew has had there is still way too many holes to consider this a play-off team.  Off the top of my head they still need to fill the following spots:

1) Starting OT

2) Starting CB

3) Starting S

4) Starting DE

5) Starting WR

6) Starting LB

7) Starting G

8) Backup WR

9) Backup DT

10) Backup S

yoyo

March 14th, 2013 at 4:36 PM ^

Good riddance.  I hated watching this guy play.  I have vivid of any above average defensive end destroying our qb after walking by backus.  That injury to stafford when Peppers jogged past him was the worst.  I know y'all are gonna get upset because he was a michigan grad and some GM probably said backus was very solid but the guy sucked on the Lions and was a huge weakness for us.  I don't remember his college career so I can't base my emotions on anythings besides his professional performance.

Blarvey

March 14th, 2013 at 4:57 PM ^

He also started every single game of his Lions career except the Houston game this year. I also believe he was thought of by many to be a better guard than tackle, and probably should have played there instead of LT. He may not have been an all-pro or anything but he was on some of the most awful Lions teams ever assembled.

Michigan4Life

March 14th, 2013 at 5:15 PM ^

Last year, he allowed 1 sacks and 5 pressure with 1 penalty called against him. That's on about over 680 pass dropbacks.  that is an amazing stats.

Two years ago, I believe he allowed 2 sacks with 4 pressure on over 700 pass drop backs. Another impressive stats.

He may not be a great athlete or technican, but he is a warrior. He fits the blue collar mentality of Detroit and is the toughest player I've seen. He played through ton of injuries including torn biceps which most player would sit out for a month to heal up.  He missed one game out of 193 games which is an amazing stats for a OT.  He had a great career for the Lions and will be missed on the field as well as the locker room.

His retirement will pretty much tells me that Fisher will be the pick at #5 overall.

yoyo

March 14th, 2013 at 5:22 PM ^

He definitely played much better his last two years but the damage was already done.  He inflated the stats of guys like Jared Allen, Peppers, Kabeer BG (packers DE) and our qbs were always running for their lives from the left side or getting blind sided.  In his defense, he was on the Lions and we seem to make every talented player worse or more injury prone (with the exceptions of Calvin, Barry, Dre Bly, and a few others). 

He has been extremely durable which is his most redeemable quality but he put us in a lot of bad situations with sacks and penalties and I think the vast majority of Detroit fans hold a negative opinion of him so I'm sure I'm not alone in this.

Michigan4Life

March 14th, 2013 at 6:20 PM ^

Backus had a revolving door at LG and had to cover for LG so much that he couldn't do 2 jobs at once.  Once Lions traded for Sims, Backus suddenly looked much better in 3 years with him on the team.  You finally see the true Backus in the last 2 years, although he was on a decline.  It is one of the what if for Backus.  What if he had a competent LG next to him for the duration of his career, he would have looked much better for the entire career.  Plus it didn't help that he played on a shitty team for years including the one that went 0-16.

Last season, look who he faced:

Chris Long

Aldon Smith/Justin Smith

Jared Allen (2x)

Trent Cole

Julius Peppers (2x)

Bruce Irvin

Jason Babin

Clay Mathews

Dwight Freeney

John Abraham

All of the good DE/OLB, he gave up 1 sack for the entire season on over 680 pass drop backs. Amazing season for a guy who has been bashed by Lions fans in his whole career.

Naked Bootlegger

March 14th, 2013 at 9:47 PM ^

Backus was a tough SOB.   He had major surgery in maybe his RS freshman year @ Michigan - I think it was adbominal surgery - and came back strong after a major scare.   The dude may not have been an All Pro, but to start as many UM and NFL games for such a long stretch says something good about his skill set.   Sure, I wish the Lions could have drafted Hutchinson one spot ahead of Backus, but he was a legit 1st round caliber NFL tackle coming out of Michigan.   Backus was the least of our worries during the 2000's.   I don't understand the hate.

turtleboy

March 14th, 2013 at 4:42 PM ^

It's easier to rebuild an offensive line in free agency on the cheap. You can spend all your top draft picks on potential starters, or you can trade late round picks for established decent ones. They're generally the best value pickups you can get for a team. 

boliver46

March 14th, 2013 at 4:47 PM ^

Always liked Backus.  One of many offensive line greats from UM.

 

Best of luck to him transitioning to the next phase of his life.

acnumber1

March 14th, 2013 at 10:41 PM ^

I googled 'qb made of glass' and hit images.  I hoped to find a humorous photo/image.

 

Instead, the very first image the search turned up was the following:

 

I do not endorse this google image search, as I recall MS running the ball in for a TD with a dislocated shoulder vs the Browns way back in ... '10?  '09?