Lions Trade for Michael Brockers and Sign Jamaal Williams

[dtroitlionsfan951]

Anyone who is relying on Kerryon did not watch him last year. He was never a burner when he came into the league but he had explosiveness when hitting the hole. Last season he seemed like he was dragging his feet when he was running, his knee has taken away a lot and I?m hoping with his age it will be fixed and we will see a version of Kerryon when he first came in the team. But I?m not willing to take a risk of Swift missing a game and letting Kerryon be the rb for the rest of the year. He?s a great pass blocker but he needs to regain a little bit of what he was.

 

[detroit1811]

I think having good backups are key for a team that is expecting to be a playoff / championship caliber team. Teams that are re-building...good backups are a luxury. Better to spend the cap space on the starting positions that are currently vacant.

Maybe my view is off, but as a team expected to be run heavy Williams essentially profiles as a starter. Very similar to what a nickel CB would be on defense. They play 500-600+ snaps and are very involved week to week. This isn't a back-up OG who might not see the field, or a #4 WR. Williams will see a lot of work this year.

I live in PA about an hour from Philly so I have watched a lot of Eagles games. They rotate their backs quite a bit and usually three sperate guys will be pretty involved week to week. My guess is Duce follows a similar game plan here as he did in Philly.

 

[tomdalton22]

Maybe my view is off, but as a team expected to be run heavy Williams essentially profiles as a starter. Very similar to what a nickel CB would be on defense. They play 500-600+ snaps and are very involved week to week. This isn't a back-up OG who might not see the field, or a #4 WR. Williams will see a lot of work this year.

I live in PA about an hour from Philly so I have watched a lot of Eagles games. They rotate their backs quite a bit and usually three sperate guys will be pretty involved week to week. My guess is Duce follows a similar game plan here as he did in Philly.

If I were running a 2 back offense, then I would draft another back this year. A RB can come in as a rookie and contribute. Spend the money on a CB since they need a starter and a nickel back. Rookie CBs tend to really struggle.

 

[detroit1811]

If I were running a 2 back offense, then I would draft another back this year. A RB can come in as a rookie and contribute. Spend the money on a CB since they need a starter and a nickel back. Rookie CBs tend to really struggle.

I understand your point, but at that price point you are not going to be getting much. I doubt Williams counts more then 2mil against the salary cap this year. Remember his contract is 7.5mil with incentives.

Also to add to that, we are going to suck in 2021. Let a rookie CB take their lumps now.

 

[LKP]

Great signing..all 3 backs can run, receive and pass pro..

And brockers for a 2023 7th..upgrade over shelton in run d

Holes not only being filled but upgraded

Great job so far Holmes. Still work to do at wr, secondary and lb

Oline need depth..could roll with decker jackson,ragnow, vaitai and crosby for 2021. Need more depth than just nelson and stenberg

 

[tigermud]

just need a charger or two and maybe a dolphin and we'll be all set! LOL

 

[grandy]

I wouldn?t really consider Williams to be a backup. With the rise of RBBCs, many teams don?t have a clear starter.

Williams can help lighten Swift?s workload while still being effective, so I?m good with this move. This team is going to be a dumpster fire for the next year or two, no point in overusing Swift.

 

[detroit1811]

Great signing..all 3 backs can run, receive and pass pro..

And brockers for a 2023 7th..upgrade over shelton in run d

Holes not only being filled but upgraded

Great job so far Holmes. Still work to do at wr, secondary and lb

Oline need depth..could roll with decker jackson,ragnow, vaitai and crosby for 2021. Need more depth than just nelson and stenberg

Right now I would rank our needs in this order.

#1 WR
Safety
ILB'er
WLB'er
Nickel CB
#3/4 WR (To compete with Cephus)
Competition/Depth at RG/RT

Nick Williams posted this yesterday to twitter

Nicholas Williams
@NickWilliams_98
?
Mar 16
Let?s see how these kneecaps taste this year

My guess is they either restructured his contract for him to stay or told him they won't be cutting him. That means DT is probably set with Brockers, Hand, Williams, Penisini, Cornell. DE is probably set this year with Flowers, Okwara, Okwara, and Bryant (outside of maybe a depth piece).

I think we should add a starting caliber safety and nickel is FA (Keanu Neal and Troy Hill/Nickell Robery-Coleman?). Then maybe find an option at LB'er (Anzalone?). Also need to find a WR in free agency yet. John Brown signed for less then 4mil and if we could get someone of that caliber yet I would be happy (Keelan Cole/Higgins). Going into the draft we would need a #1 WR for sure, starting LB'er, and competition on the right side of the line. If we could do all that I think we would go into 2021 with a roster in okay shape (4-6 wins). Definitely something we could build on going into the 2022 off-season.

 

[mhughes0021]

Right now I would rank our needs in this order.

#1 WR
Safety
ILB'er
WLB'er
Nickel CB
#3/4 WR (To compete with Cephus)
Competition/Depth at RG/RT

My guess is they either restructured his contract for him to stay or told him they won't be cutting him. That means DT is probably set with Brockers, Hand, Williams, Penisini, Cornell. DE is probably set this year with Flowers, Okwara, Okwara, and Bryant (outside of maybe a depth piece).

Agree with your needs list. Id move LB up above safety as a need only because i think our dline is so weak i think we will need studs at LB to make up for it.

You may be correct that they see the dline as a finished product. But by no means is it good. If theres any silver lining its that they are all big bodied so in theory they should take up space in order for the LBs to fly around and make plays. But as is Flowers, Hand, Brockers, Okwara isnt going to scare anyone. Hand will be out by week 2 with a hang nail and Nick Williams will sub in and stub his toe. Moving flowers inside on passing downs could get interesting with both Okwaras on the field?

Got a lot of work to do at LB if our front 7 is going to be any good.

Not sure of our current cap space but if you could get a guy like Hassan Reddick (who doesnt seem to be high on the radar) for $7-8ish mil a year i think it'd be a steal and exactly what this defense has been missing over the years. A do it all OLB that can cover and bring pressure as needed.

Focus on stud Edge at the top of next years draft when we pick in the top 5.

 

[LKP]

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2021...rs-detroit-lions-free-agency-analysis-profile

Here is rams alignment. Flowers inside, okwaras rush lbs

 

[mhughes0021]

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2021...rs-detroit-lions-free-agency-analysis-profile

Here is rams alignment. Flowers inside, okwaras rush lbs

the downside is $8 mil is too much for a guy that in his BEST year next to the best player in the game he could only muster up 5 sacks. Especially when hes 31. I would have put that money into WR or LB imo.

 

[LKP]

the downside is $8 mil is too much for a guy that in his BEST year next to the best player in the game he could only muster up 5 sacks. Especially when hes 31. I would have put that money into WR or LB imo.

He is a great run defender. That is what he is known for too. Brings both and leasership..rams captain

Good trade considering how weak dt fa and draft are

You can praise Holmes now

 

[mhughes0021]

He is a great run defender. That is what he is known for too. Brings both and leasership..rams captain

Good trade considering how weak dt fa and draft are

You can praise Holmes now

$8mil for a culture signing. I heard alot about those during the Patricia years. Howd that work out. At some point the people you pay need to produce. PS...rookie DTs make about a mil. So for the same production you better be getting a WHOLE lot of culture from Brockers.

 

[dtroitlionsfan951]

https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2021...rs-detroit-lions-free-agency-analysis-profile

Here is rams alignment. Flowers inside, okwaras rush lbs

I don?t get it, were Dan Campbell and Aaron Glenn from the Rams? Why aren?t we looking at the saints alignment lol.

 

[dtroitlionsfan951]

the downside is $8 mil is too much for a guy that in his BEST year next to the best player in the game he could only muster up 5 sacks. Especially when hes 31. I would have put that money into WR or LB imo.

To be fair DT?s don?t get a lot of sacks. They are usually more disrupters. 5 sacks was tied for 9th in the league in DT sacks.

 

[tomdalton22]

You would think that him playing next to Donald that he would have more sacks than the normal DT...since AD gets double teamed on almost every down.

 

[mhughes0021]

To be fair DT?s don?t get a lot of sacks. They are usually more disrupters. 5 sacks was tied for 9th in the league in DT sacks.

Again..thats his best year in a loooong career of being right next to the best player int he game. Next to Hand im expecting 2 sacks....max. Thats $4 mil a sack.

 

[detroit1811]

Agree with your needs list. Id move LB up above safety as a need only because i think our dline is so weak i think we will need studs at LB to make up for it.

You may be correct that they see the dline as a finished product. But by no means is it good. If theres any silver lining its that they are all big bodied so in theory they should take up space in order for the LBs to fly around and make plays. But as is Flowers, Hand, Brockers, Okwara isnt going to scare anyone. Hand will be out by week 2 with a hang nail and Nick Williams will sub in and stub his toe. Moving flowers inside on passing downs could get interesting with both Okwaras on the field?

Got a lot of work to do at LB if our front 7 is going to be any good.

Not sure of our current cap space but if you could get a guy like Hassan Reddick (who doesnt seem to be high on the radar) for $7-8ish mil a year i think it'd be a steal and exactly what this defense has been missing over the years. A do it all OLB that can cover and bring pressure as needed.

Focus on stud Edge at the top of next years draft when we pick in the top 5.

I view the D-Line much different then you do. Do I think they have top 10 upside? probably not, but they can be a solid unit as is granted they can stay healthy which I understand is a tall task. Flowers has been a very good player when on the field, whether it was his time here or NE. He isn't any All-Pro type of player, IMO, but he can be a Pro Bowl type of player. On the other side you have Romeo who, if he can at least maintain his level of play from 2020, is a good edge rusher. Combined I think they can be a solid combo. Behind them you really don't know what you have in Julian. 2020 was essentially a lost year from him, but publications like PFF had him ranked as a first round talent. That guy has better tools then anyone else of the roster and I like his upside as our #3 DE this year. At the end of the day though, all he has is upside as he has put nothing on the field.

At far as DT I think the addition of Brockers makes them an average unit. Brockers is a reliable veteran who has been a solid starter pretty much his entire career. Hand is a wild card as he has shown he has a high ceiling, but also a low floor. I think between him, Williams, and Penisini we can get reasonable production though. All if all I think there is a nice mix of veteran talent and youth with upside.

In saying that Flowers and Hand could get hurt, Romeo can regress, Julian might amount to nothing, and Brockers could struggle in his transition from the only team he has ever known.

On paper though I think we are okay, and I have much more concern at LB'er and Safety.

 

[detroit1811]

Again..thats his best year in a loooong career of being right next to the best player int he game. Next to Hand im expecting 2 sacks....max. Thats $4 mil a sack.

Davon Godchaux and Roy Robertson-Harris both got just under 8mil AAV in free agency. Neither player has produced near what Brockers has. This is the market going rate.

 

[Mitchrapp]

I think having good backups are key for a team that is expecting to be a playoff / championship caliber team. Teams that are re-building...good backups are a luxury. Better to spend the cap space on the starting positions that are currently vacant.

That's why we suck. Sure we need starters at some positions but our depth stinks. Always has.