Monday, May 20, 2024

Lions Links for Monday Evening 5-20-24

Articles:


Rookie Mahogany working to become a contributor on Lions' o-line:  https://www.detroitlions.com/news/rookie-mahogany-working-to-become-a-contributor-on-lions-o-line




Ranking all 32 teams (including the Lions) by the amount of miles traveled during the 2024 season:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024/05/19/detroit-lions-frank-ragnow-retirement-rumors-latest-update/

Frank Ragnow feeling 'really good', shoots down any talk of retirement:  https://lionswire.usatoday.com/2024/05/19/detroit-lions-frank-ragnow-retirement-rumors-latest-update/


Jared Goff: Kalif Raymond Gets 'Forgotten' Sometimes:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/jared-goff-kalif-raymond-forgotten-sometimes


Why Brodric Martin Could Be Game-Changer for Lions' Defense:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/brodric-martin-could-be-game-changer-lions-defense


Former NFL GM Links Popular Former Safety to Lions:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/former-nfl-gm-links-quandre-diggs-to-lions

NFL Roster Rankings: Is Lions Roster Better Than Chiefs?:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/nfl-roster-rankings-lions-roster-better-than-chiefs


Who Are Lions Key Free Agents in 2025?:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions/news/lions-key-2025-free-agents

Lions Mailbag: How big of a problem is losing front office employees?:  https://www.prideofdetroit.com/2024/5/20/24160731/detroit-lions-mailbag-front-office-poaching-problem-sosna




Ranking the top 25 players under 25 entering the 2024 NFL season: Sauce Gardner, C.J. Stroud and more (1. T PENEI SEWELL, DETROIT LIONS - Although Sewell has already played three seasons in the NFL, he is still only 23 years old and will not turn 24 until October. His 3,359 regular-season snaps over the past three seasons rank second among all players, and he is on his way to becoming the best offensive lineman in the league.  The Oregon product's 92.8 PFF overall grade and 95.1 PFF run-blocking grade both led all NFL offensive linemen in 2023.  6. EDGE AIDAN HUTCHINSON, DETROIT LIONS - Hutchinson flashed potential in his rookie season in 2022, but he brought his game to a whole new level in 2023. His 91.2 PFF pass-rushing grade placed fifth and trailed only an elite group of four players: Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa and T.J. Watt. Hutchinson's 110 total pressures during the regular season ranked second among edge defenders.  19. TE SAM LAPORTA, DETROIT LIONS - Multiple first-round tight ends have faced high expectations in recent years. LaPorta, a second-round pick last year, was not one of them, but he arguably outplayed all rookie tight ends over the past decade.  His 981 regular-season snaps as a rookie led all tight ends over the past six seasons by a significant margin. In addition, his overall and receiving grades are second to only Kyle Pitts’ rookie season over that span.  21. RB JAHMYR GIBBS, DETROIT LIONS - While he had a limited role initially, Gibbs got more and more playing time as the 2023 season wore on and became an electric playmaker for the Lions in the second half of his rookie campaign. Following Week 7 — after his return from injury — he earned a 78.0 PFF overall grade, which ranked 11th among running backs, while his 82.0 rushing grade tied for seventh at the position.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-ranking-top-25-players-under-25-2024-nfl-season-sauce-gardner-cj-stroud 

Ranking the NFL divisions by strength heading into 2024 (4. NFC NORTH - The Detroit Lions asserted themselves as big players in the NFL in 2023 and will hope to go one better than the NFC Championship game in 2024. Jared Goff finished the season with an 84.4 grade, his best since 2018, and had the lowest turnover-worthy play percentage of his career (2.5%).  The Green Bay Packers transitioned into the Jordan Love era with consummate ease, and the former first-round pick tossed 32 touchdowns en route to an 83.0 grade. With another year under the belt, Love should look to improve even further.  The Chicago Bears will feel hopeful for the present and the future. They drafted Caleb Williams with the No. 1 overall pick, and there might not be a better scenario for a rookie quarterback to walk into. The Bears are stacked with weapons on offense and will have, at least, an average defense. The path to the postseason isn’t too murky.  The Minnesota Vikings will have a rookie quarterback of their own in J.J. McCarthy, and he’ll be paired with Justin Jefferson, the best receiver in football, who earned a 91.1 grade in 2023.):  https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-ranking-nfl-divisions-by-strength-2024

Lions GM Brad Holmes Holds the Key to Detroit’s Title Window:  https://www.si.com/nfl/lions-gm-brad-holmes-holds-key-title-window-takeaways

One thing we learned about every NFL team in offseason (Detroit Lions - They're buying their own stock as title contenders. As they should, by the way. One win away from reaching the Super Bowl in 2023, Detroit handsomely rewarded its core leaders, including Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown, with new deals. They still register as one of the NFL's boldest and most balanced.):  https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/one-thing-we-learned-about-every-nfl-team-during-2024-offseason-cowboys-eagles-eyeing-big-game-results/

Tony Pauline's Top 50 NFL Rookie Power Rankings: Cardinals WR Marvin Harrison Jr. reigns supreme, Raiders' Brock Bowers at #4 (18. Terrion Arnold): https://www.sportskeeda.com/nfl/tony-pauline-s-top-50-nfl-rookie-power-rankings-cardinals-wr-marvin-harrison-jr-reigns-supreme-raiders-brock-bowers-4

The NFL's most improved position groups on defense (Lions Cornerback: The 2023 Detroit Lions were perhaps the NFL’s most fun and fascinating team last season, and they very nearly made it to Super Bowl LVIII despite a cornerback group that allowed 172 completions in 291 targets for 2,583 yards, a league-high 24 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 104.4. Among cornerback groups last season, only the aforementioned Cardinals (107.8) were worse. So, when general manager Brad Holmes and his crew went into the 2024 NFL draft, it was pretty clear what needed to happen. First, the Lions simply needed better cornerbacks. Secondly, they needed cornerbacks capable of playing press coverage and man coverage. Defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, who was a cornerback in the league from 1994 through 2008 with three Pro Bowl nods, and spent his pre-Lions coaching tenure as a defensive backs coach with the Browns and Saints, would prefer that his secondary be more aggressive than it was in 2023. But when your cornerbacks allow 77 catches on 140 targets for 1,250 yards, 12 touchdowns, one interception, and an opponent passer rating of 110.7 in man coverage… well, let’s just say that Glenn’s options were limited in that regard.  Step 1 was to take Alabama cornerback Terrion Arnold with the 24th overall pick. Step 2 was to add to that with the second-round selection (69th overall) of Missouri cornerback Ennis Rakestraw, Jr. I’m a bit of two minds about Rakestraw, because I can’t get the image of Florida receiver Ricky Pearsall beating him badly in coverage more than once last season. But when you watch Terrion Arnold? That’s a different breed of cat, and his attributes should allow Glenn to better match his personnel to what he wants to call on the field. “Yeah, he’s sticky,” Holmes said of Arnold. “He can play man coverage. The thing about Terrion, what’s great about him – some of these guys, they are what they are or you might say, ‘Well, the ceiling might not be as high.’ The thing about him is you go back to his ’22 film, you go back to earlier this season, and you saw an incremental improvement just every single game. So I think the first time I watched one of his games was I think it was the LSU game, that’s when I first kind of saw him and I was like, ‘OK, I see skillset.’ But then you start getting down – you start getting to those late games in the college football playoffs and you see him against Georgia and you’re like, ‘OK, it’s on the come.’ And that as well with the skillset. We feel really good about his floor, but we feel even better about his ceiling.” He’ll get in your face. He’s got a challenge mentality. He will tackle. He’s got the right mindset that we’re looking for. He fits us like a glove. He fits us to a tee exactly how we want to play. We couldn’t be (more) thrilled. Like you guys know, it’s kind of a – when guys don’t play hard, when guys aren’t physical, it’s hard to play here when those guys aren’t wired that way, but he’s one of those guys that are wired that way.” Arnold doesn’t have to be as wired that way as a lot of cornerbacks do, because when he’s pressed up on a receiver, that receiver is going to have a terrible time dealing with Arnold’s quickness, ability to match step for step, and scalding playing demeanor to the ball. Arnold’s closing speed was a primary ingredient in his five interceptions and 13 pass-breakups last season. Some of the NCAA’s best receivers found it too much to deal with. And yes. if you catch a ball underneath, good for you, but Arnold will be on his way quickly to make you reconsider.Every NFL team needs at least one cornerback who becomes frighteningly offended at the thought of any receiver daring to catch the ball against him. The Lions haven’t really had that guy since Darius Slay in 2019. But in Terrion Arnold, they might just have that guy who can make 2024 just a bit more Super Bowl-conversant.  In the most recent edition of “The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell,” Greg was more convinced of Rakestraw’s viability in that secondary, and that’s something to be taken seriously.):  https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/lists/nfl-postion-groups-eagles-lions-vikings-seahawks/

NFL OTAs: Examining the Burning Question for All 32 Teams as Spring Practices Begin (Detroit Lions
Burning question: Can Jameson Williams step up?  Injuries and a gambling suspension have prevented Williams, the No. 12 pick in 2022, from living up to his pre-draft hype. But with Josh Reynolds now in Denver, the Lions need Williams to step up and establish himself as the No. 2 wideout behind Amon-Ra St. Brown. Williams showed flashes last season; now it’s time for a real breakout.):  https://www.profootballnetwork.com/nfl-otas-top-burning-question-32-teams-spring-practices-begin-2024/

Video:

SportsWorks - 5-19-24 -- Dan talking Tigers, Lions and NBA Playoffs with John Niyo & Bob Wojnowski:  https://www.fox2detroit.com/video/1458267
Posted by LionsFan at 9:51 PM

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