Friday, February 16, 2024

Running List of Lions Links for Friday 2-16-24

Articles:


Lions free agent has 'unfinished business' in Detroit, wants to return in 2024:  https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2024/02/16/jason-cabinda-detroit-lions-nfl/72612014007/



11 NFL experts answer four questions on next season: Super Bowl, MVP and breakout picks (What's your early Super Bowl LVIX pick?  Mike Clay, fantasy football writer: Lions over Texans. Why not have some fun with two rising teams for this pick? Detroit was one late-game collapse from a Super Bowl appearance and will return nearly its entire core (especially on offense) in 2024, though an improving NFC North will make things tough. Quarterback C.J. Stroud appears to be the real deal, so a strong offseason from the Houston front office could quickly get the Texans to contender status in the AFC.  Dan Graziano, national NFL writer: Bengals over Lions. Obviously, this is a bold exercise at this point, so I'm putting two teams in the Super Bowl who've never won it and banking on someone making history. (Even though the real answer is probably the Chiefs making a different kind of history.) Assuming Burrow is 100% healthy from his thumb injury, Cincinnati has a loaded roster (that went 9-8 in 2023 because Burrow got hurt) and gets to play a last-place schedule. And the Lions, who came closer to the Super Bowl without getting there than many, return with their coaching staff intact and should improve on defense through free agency and the draft.  Jordan Reid, NFL draft analyst: Chiefs over Lions. With everything staying intact for Detroit, the Lions will be a popular candidate to return to the NFC Championship Game, and I think they get over the hump and end up in the big game. But the Chiefs have plenty of motivation to accomplish a three-peat, and Mahomes continues his reign as the best player in the NFL.  Mike Tannenbaum, NFL front office insider: Lions over Chargers. The Lions will benefit from both coordinators returning to Detroit after Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn each attracted head-coaching interest, and this time I expect the team to win the NFC Championship Game and win the Super Bowl. I see them holding off QB Justin Herbert, Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers in a close game.  Lindsey Thiry, national NFL reporter: Chiefs over Lions. It's difficult to pick against the Mahomes and the Chiefs, who navigated a challenging season of growing pains on offense yet still emerged as the victors. Meanwhile, despite Lions coach Dan Campbell acknowledging their run to the conference championship game might be their "only shot," expect them to contend and run it back deeper with the return of key playmakers and offensive coordinator Ben Johnson.):  https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/39524730/2024-nfl-predictions-experts-debate-mvp-super-bowl-lvix-picks-offseason-moves-breakout-candidates


2024 NFL Draft:



2024 NFL Draft: Strengths, weaknesses for the top wide receiver prospects | NFL Draft:  https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2024-nfl-draft-strengths-weaknesses-wide-receiver-prospects

Podcast:

Dungeon of Doom mailbag: Free agency, extensions and Lions’ top offseason priorities:  https://www.mlive.com/lions/2024/02/dungeon-of-doom-mailbag-free-agency-extensions-and-lions-top-offseason-priorities.html



Posted at 9:14 AM


Articles:

Burning Questions: Will Brad Holmes Trade Up in NFL Draft?:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/will-brad-holmes-trade-up-2024-nfl-draft

Bold 2024 Lions Prediction Will Leave Fans Heartbroken:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/bold-lions-2024-prediction-leaves-fans-heartbroken

Quarterbacks Lions Could Target in Free Agency:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/detroit-lions-free-agent-qb-targets-2024

Detroit Lions Players Entering Their "Walk" Years:  https://thegame730am.com/detroit-lions-players-entering-their-walk-years/

Detroit Lions Free Agents, The Draft, And The Salary Cap:  https://thegame730am.com/detroit-lions-free-agents-the-draft-and-the-salary-cap/


FB Jason Cabinda Puts Lions, NFL on Notice: ‘Unfinished Business’:  https://heavy.com/sports/detroit-lions/jason-cabinda-nfl-free-agency-rumors/

One free agent each NFL team should want to sign in 2024 (Detroit Lions: EDGE Brian Burns - The Lions have a great young pass rusher in Aidan Hutchinson, but Detroit’s defense needs a speedy complement on the opposite side. Burns has proven to be a consistent stand-up pass rusher who can finish what he starts. Still just 25 years old, Burns has 38 sacks in four seasons despite an unstable coaching staff and divergent schemes in Carolina. He won’t come cheap, but Burns can be a real building block for the aggressive Lions defense that locks up a premium pass rushing duo for the foreseeable future. – Jeff Risdon, Lions Wire):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-free-agents-teams-should-sign-2024-season/


2024 NFL Draft:


Athletes First puts NFL teams on notice: No cognitive testing for draft prospects:  https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2024/02/16/athletes-first-nfl-scouting-combine-draft-2024/

Video:

Ranking Top 5 teams most likely to win Super Bowl LIX | 'GMFB' (2 have the Lions ranked second, one has them ranked 3rd and one has them ranked 4th):  https://www.nfl.com/videos/ranking-top-5-teams-most-likely-to-win-super-bowl-lix-gmfb

Posted at 1:46 PM


Articles:



2023 NFL rookie grades: Ranking the classes, 1 to 32 (4.  Detroit Lions - Class grade: A-.  EDHOLM: When Bucky Brooks recently assessed the best rookie classes of 2023, the Lions earned the top spot, and it's easy to see why. General manager Brad Holmes and his talented scouting staff found four instant contributors -- Gibbs and LaPorta on offense and Campbell and Branch on defense -- for a team that made a deep run in the playoffs. That they were the only Lions rookies to do much of note in 2023 is not at all a knock when you consider just how significant their influence was.  Gibbs' selection as the 12th overall pick in the draft was questioned, but he backed up that high slot with a terrific rookie season, posting 1,261 yards from scrimmage and 11 TDs in 15 games. He and David Montgomery formed one of the league's best 1-2 RB punches, thanks to their fire-and-ice styles. This offense needed an octane boost, and Gibbs certainly provided one.  So did LaPorta. Tight ends seldom make major Year 1 impacts, but LaPorta practically broke the mold, catching 86 passes -- a rookie record for the position -- for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns. LaPorta caught twice as many TDs in his first NFL season as he did toiling through 46 games and four years in a stagnant passing game at Iowa. He might already be a top-five pass catcher at the position.  LaPorta's college teammate, Campbell, appeared in all 17 regular-season games and started in 12. He struggled at times, especially in coverage, but Campbell's high-energy style and steady improvement throughout the course of the season give the Lions hope. Branch was the real rookie star on defense, setting the tone for the year with a 50-yard pick-six of Patrick Mahomes on the season's opening night. Although Branch missed a few games, he settled in as the team's nickel defender, overcoming a lack of elite traits with tremendous hustle and football IQ. Branch has a knack for the ball and also can deliver the wood as a hitter.  The rest of the Lions' rookie class was a mixed bag. The jury is still completely out on Hooker after what amounted to a redshirt season; the hope is that he can challenge for a starting spot one day down the road. Sorsdal was thrown into the OL mix when injuries crippled that unit. He was overwhelmed at times, but his guard-tackle versatility and toughness are plusses.):  https://www.nfl.com/news/2023-nfl-rookie-grades-ranking-the-classes-1-to-32

2024 NFL Draft:

Wide Receiver with a QB Mentality: Rice's Luke McCaffrey projects as versatile asset in NFL:  https://draftwire.usatoday.com/2024/02/16/luke-mccaffrey-rice-2024-nfl-draft-wide-receiver-qb-mindset/

Posted at 8:15
Posted by LionsFan at 9:14 AM

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