2014 Detroit Lions

**Thruster315** · January-19-15, 02:12 PM

It's official. Dom Raiola's not coming back.

No biggie to me as he was on the clock with this team. See ya.

**Smirnoff** · January-19-15, 04:55 PM

Let the housekeeping begin, hope they have enough brooms......

**Pickford-Bentler** · January-19-15, 05:30 PM

They can draft another center, guard or tackle.

A center to provide depth and, because Swanson can back up at guard, more ability to adapt to injuries.

A tackle, because Reiff can move to one of the guard spots, and right tackle is loaded with guys who can't stay healthy.

A guard to either supplant or replace Sims.

My guess is that Sims will stay signed and a draft pick will be used to add talent.

My prediction for starting offensive line:

Reiff - Sims - Swanson - Warford - Waddle

One or maybe two back ups drafted.

Why would they keep Sims?

He got better as the season went on and he stays healthy.

**emu steve** · January-19-15, 08:16 PM

Originally Posted by Pickford-Bentler

They can draft another center, guard or tackle.

A center to provide depth and, because Swanson can back up at guard, more ability to adapt to injuries.

A tackle, because Reiff can move to one of the guard spots, and right tackle is loaded with guys who can't stay healthy.

A guard to either supplant or replace Sims.

My guess is that Sims will stay signed and a draft pick will be used to add talent.

My prediction for starting offensive line:

Reiff - Sims - Swanson - Warford - Waddle

One or maybe two back ups drafted.

Why would they keep Sims?

He got better as the season went on and he stays healthy.

I say sign them [[FA) or draft them [[draft) because without a good OL not only does the offense not click, causing CJ to be wasted, but Stafford could get killed back there.

Nothing worse than having your QB sacked or injured.

**Hypestyles** · January-19-15, 09:35 PM

so now what? how many people are they going to lose in the off-season? Will Jim Caldwell be on the hot seat if he doesn't have at least 12 wins in 2015?

**Thruster315** · January-19-15, 11:35 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

so now what? how many people are they going to lose in the off-season? Will Jim Caldwell be on the hot seat if he doesn't have at least 12 wins in 2015?

It's too early to say. Let's see who they retain. They got a long ass list of these guys to sign or scuttle:

Ndamukong Suh, DT
Nick Fairley, DT
Rob Sims, LG
Matt Prater, PK
Rashean Mathis, CB
C.J. Mosley, DT
George Johnson, DE
Darryl Tapp, DE
Dan Orlovsky, QB
Jed Collins, FB
Kellen Davis, TE
Corey Hilliard, T
Garrett Reynolds, G
Andre Fluellen, DT
Ashlee Palmer, LB
Cassius Vaughn, CB
Josh Thomas, CB
Isa Abdul-Quddus, S
Don Muhlbach, LS

**Thruster315** · January-19-15, 11:38 PM

Let's also see what the schedule for the next year is gonna look like [[has anyone see the commish- smogboy?) before we come up with a reasonable total for Caldwell to reach. Besides if the Teryl Austin saga takes him somewhere else, that could also affect this team too.

And hardly anyone would've guessed that a first year coach with this team was going to do so well. Caldwell shocked the snot out of me with what he got out of this team.

**emu steve** · January-20-15, 03:52 AM

Originally Posted by Thruster315

Let's also see what the schedule for the next year is gonna look like [[has anyone see the commish- smogboy?) before we come up with a reasonable total for Caldwell to reach. Besides if the Teryl Austin saga takes him somewhere else, that could also affect this team too.

And hardly anyone would've guessed that a first year coach with this team was going to do so well. Caldwell shocked the snot out of me with what he got out of this team.

I agree. The expectations should start maybe at 9 or 10 games.

Lion fans aren't used to having 12 wins as their baseline? Correct?

It is a long ways from 0 wins...

**rb336** · January-26-15, 12:25 PM

Stafford Offensive MVP of the Pro Bowl

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nf...bowl/22330125/

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-26-15, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by rb336

Stafford Offensive MVP of the Pro Bowl

http://www.freep.com/story/sports/nf...bowl/22330125/

Too bad he can't play like that in a game that means something.

**rb336** · January-26-15, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

Too bad he can't play like that in a game that means something.

too bad he doesn't have an O line that actually creates a pocket instead of a funnel

**Cincinnati_Kid** · January-27-15, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by rb336

too bad he doesn't have an O line that actually creates a pocket instead of a funnel

It's the same O line he had the prior season, minus a injury or two, and he was sacked a career high 45 times, almost double from the previous year. Still, they shouldn't have regressed as bad as they did this year. I would hope they draft a couple of stud O lineman this year, along with a CB.

**Thruster315** · January-27-15, 01:39 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

It's the same O line he had the prior season, minus a injury or two, and he was sacked a career high 45 times, almost double from the previous year. Still, they shouldn't have regressed as bad as they did this year. I would hope they draft a couple of stud O lineman this year, along with a CB.

Same O line but with a new system too. And I'd say they had more than an injury or two. That right side was never solidified at all this year. Rob Sims was the only guy on the O line who played every game this year.

So there's plenty of blame to go around for Matt Stafford getting sacked so much. Injuries and lack of cohesion on the offensive line. Stafford hung onto the ball too long [[he did reduce his interception rate though). Lombardi tried to impress his game plan onto the team and he might not have had the right talent to do so. Caldwell didn't want to stretch the field vertically. Again, LOTS of reasons why this team struggled offensively. Plenty of blame to go around and I wouldn't pin it so simply on one thing like the offensive line.

**Thruster315** · January-27-15, 01:51 AM

Pro Bowl? Who even watches that any more??

That damn game is a joke. Back in the day it was a joke but it was also in the era when a free trip to Hawaii was a nice reward. Nowadays some of those guys can afford to buy a damn island now with their contracts.

The Pro Bowl is a neutered form of football. It's not even close to the real game. I've seen more contact from powder puff and flag football teams in the neighborhood. The only twist to bring back any sort of viewership this year was to have Michael Irvin & Cris Carter do a draft. Snore. If I was a player I'd take the honor of getting selected to the Pro Bowl but I sure as hell wouldn't want to play in such a lackluster exhibition. It so cheapens the game.

I say do away with ALL All Star games in pro sports. They're all pathetic shells of the real game. In hockey they score a record 29 goals the other night in their All Star game. Baseball's All Star exhibition game actually impacts the real game in the sense it give home field advantage to the winner- how pathetic is that where an exhibition game can give an advantage to a team who might or might not deserve it? The NBA All Star game has absolutely no defense whatsoever; my best recollection of the NBA All Star Game was the one year they had four Pistons come out on the floor, played their lockdown defense and held the opponents to no points. What a shock that they almost played what I thought was a very integral part of the real game!

But I hate any and all All Star Games. They're all jokes. I'd almost settle for skills competitions in each of them but who'd watch that???

**smogboy** · February-01-15, 11:24 PM

My apologies to all. I've been overseas and haven't exactly had the world's best access to the internet. You never want to "watch" the Lions' two games via the internet overseas. All I could do was click on refresh at the scores and that was about it. The Dallas game was painful seeing the scores ramp up and then the final.

But now that the Super Bowl has been played, we can move onward to the 2015 Detroit Lions thread before long. Kudos to the Patriots and shame to Pete Carroll for that goal line call; it's going to haunt him and the team for a very long time.

But back to our Lions- I think we were all pleasantly surprised at the results. Who would've thought Jim Caldwell and his coaching staff could've worked an 11 victory season out of this team? Who would've though the defense would be so strong? Who would've thought the Offense would be so electric in some of those last minute victories and fire blanks at other times? As with many other years, we went through some thrills and some heart aches- but I'd have to tip the ledger to the more thrills side this season. We had a team that nearly made it to the big dance and stands to improve some more over the next few years.

A lot will depend on free agency and the upcoming draft. Mayhew will have his work cut out for him now and let's pray that his draft will pay dividends a little quicker in 2015 than it did in 2014.

Any thoughts Super Bowl, the 2014 season and where this team goes before we lock this thread down and move forward??

**smogboy** · February-01-15, 11:27 PM

And lest we forget to rain praise and salutations down upon rb336 for his prophetic pick of an 11-5 season. The team didn't get the playoff victory like he predicted but we don't count that here. So kudos to rb336 for being so accurate.

Bravo!

**softailrider** · February-02-15, 04:46 AM

Originally Posted by Thruster315

Let's also see what the schedule for the next year is gonna look like [[has anyone see the commish- smogboy?) before we come up with a reasonable total for Caldwell to reach. Besides if the Teryl Austin saga takes him somewhere else, that could also affect this team too.

And hardly anyone would've guessed that a first year coach with this team was going to do so well. Caldwell shocked the snot out of me with what he got out of this team.

Great regular season but it's too bad it didn't result in the 2nd playoff win in 57 years. I don't think it was a season that accomplished much. To me, a big question is are they going to waste Calvin Johnsons career like they wasted Barry Sanders?

**rb336** · February-02-15, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by smogboy

And lest we forget to rain praise and salutations down upon rb336 for his prophetic pick of an 11-5 season. The team didn't get the playoff victory like he predicted but we don't count that here. So kudos to rb336 for being so accurate.

Bravo!

Thanks, but I am still bummed that they didn't get the playoff win. I still blame the refs [[WTF was with that wrong call on the roughing the kicker thing? hit the planted leg = roughing the kicker, not running into the kicker.

**Downriviera** · March-09-15, 07:06 AM

See ya Suh. Lions made a good offer but money dictated for you. Time to start talking about draft and free agents, so waiting on smogboy to close this one out and start the new thread.

**Smirnoff** · March-09-15, 10:31 AM

He will be crying allot more playing for those Dollphins......

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-09-15, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by Downriviera

See ya Suh. Lions made a good offer but money dictated for you. Time to start talking about draft and free agents, so waiting on smogboy to close this one out and start the new thread.

The Lions bungled this from the start. They should have made him a higher offer right after JJ Watt signed his deal. Now I hear everybody and their mama is after Nick Fairley now.

**Hypestyles** · March-09-15, 03:56 PM

I wish I could just tackle people for some good money. I wouldn't be broke. Life is unfair.

**Downriviera** · March-09-15, 06:09 PM

I won't knock him for taking the best deal. But, many pro athletes take less money to stay with something they are a part of, stay with teammates and a city. Like Bud Fox said to Gordon Gecko; How many yachts can you ski behind?

**rb336** · March-10-15, 11:35 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

The Lions bungled this from the start. They should have made him a higher offer right after JJ Watt signed his deal. Now I hear everybody and their mama is after Nick Fairley now.

yes, they bungled it. fortunately, bungling it means they don't have to pay an obscene amount for a DT. Suh was NEVER going to stay without the franchise tag, and even if they hadn't driven that price to $26 million, it would still be too much.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · March-10-15, 03:45 PM

Well... they kinda made up for Suh's loss by making a trade with the Ravens for Haloti Ngata, one of the best run stopping DT's in the league when healthy. He's on the wrong side of 30 and been injured, so we'll see if he can remain a force for the next couple of seasons.