The Detroit Lions were just one half of football away from making the super bowl, something not many people thought they’d ever be able to do. After a surprising draft no one saw coming, the Lions stormed onto the scene, winning their first NFC North title and ending 30+ years of pain by getting 2 playoff wins.
Even just appearing in the NFC Championship exceeded any expectations anyone had for Dan Campbell and his squad, and vaulted Detroit into “contender” status for the foreseeable future.
As well, they retained OC Ben Johnson, who announced he had unfinished business and turned down offers to become a head coach. This next season has become more exciting for Detroit fans, but first comes the long wait of the off-season. Here’s what I would think they need to do for the next few months.
Table of Contents
Detroit Needs to Fix the secondary ASAP
During the Lions surging finish to the regular season, and their games in the post-season, there was one glaring flaw that had Detroit fans such as myself worried for weeks. This secondary wasn’t just bad, it was terrible. For weeks, Cam Sutton was playing scared and giving up yards by the dozen. Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph both developed well, and Jack Campbell quietly had an efficient rookie season as a do-it-all linebacker, but the big story was how the secondary couldn’t stop a beach ball.
Things got better when CJ Gardner Johnson returned from an injury sustained in week 2, and re-signing him should be seen as a priority. The only thing I don’t like out of him was his trash talk and waving goodbye too early to 49ers fans. Otherwise, I’d like to see him back. However, the safety position must be better about tackling and keeping the ball out of play. If they knocked down the ball on the Aiyuk catch, we would be talking about a Lions Super Bowl appearance. That may be a fluke play, but it shows the weakness of the secondary.
We can’t ignore the Cornerback position. Cam Sutton is not the answer, and finding someone new to actually stop receivers from marching down the field should be the main priority for this defense.
Add to the WR position
Amon-Ra St Brown is one of the best receivers in football, and one of the most beloved players on the Lions. There’s no denying that he will get a hefty extension soon, and will continue to be a star.
But how is the rest of the pass-catching group? Sam Laporta was a home-run pick, as he’s done everything TJ Hockenson didn’t. The rest of the core is sketchy at best. Jameson Williams played a heck of a game against San Francisco, but ultimately wasn’t used hardly at all during the season after an early season suspension kept him off the field. While fast, he’s had mistakes that have hampered his playtime and now he’s entering his third season facing the bust label if he can’t play extremely well this upcoming season.
Josh Reynolds isn’t scaring anybody anymore. Not after his 4th down drops made Dan Campbell look foolish and kill any momentum they may have had. Donovan Peoples Jones was almost exclusively used on special teams, and isn’t going to do anything. Kalif Raymond was a step above, but fits more in the Josh Reynolds category. I don’t think either one is going to strike fear in opposing defensive coordinators. Their room needs to be upgraded. Trading, drafting, signing; anything they can do to get another elite pass catcher.
Add One More Premier Pass Rusher
Aiden Hutchinson is an elite pass rusher and run stopper. His performance so far has been amazing and he’s helped bring the competitive energy that Dan Campbell was looking for. Benito Jones, Alim McNeil and John Cominsky are also great on the pass rush, and stuffing the run. But not everyone can succeed on the line at once, and this pass rush is so close to getting home, but they just need one more guy who forces offenses into tough choices of who to double team, lining up opposite of Hutch.
If this means taking a flier on someone in the mid-round of the draft, or signing a big name known for getting home often, then by all means they should pursue it. Obviously this is below secondary help on the to-do list, but if there’s roster space and cap room, they need to get a guy alongside Hutch to do the dirty work and sack the QB.
Bolster Special Teams
The Lions may not always need special teams considering how much they go for it on 4th down, but finding stability at the kicker position is a priority for Detroit. Jack Fox is an elite punter, he shouldn’t be worried about how this next season will go for him. But Michael Badgley doesn’t have the leg to make kicks from a far distance, nor the consistency to give me confidence he’ll make a kick when it matters.
Collectively Badgley has been 24 of 28 on field goals, and 46 of 48 on extra points wearing Honolulu Blue, and Silver. Badgley has been nearly automatic when kicking from 39 yards or less. During his career he is 56 of 58 from 39 yards or less, but 42 of 61 from 40 yards or further this amounts to a 68% conversion rate for his entire career.
The further the distance, the further his accuracy rate falls. Beyond 50 yards, Badgley has converted just 38.5% of his kicks. Some will say the loss to San Francisco isn’t on Campbell and company, but the truth is there were many opportunities to improve at kicker before the playoffs. Look at the success Brandon Aubrey had after playing in the USFL for two seasons. Perhaps an XFL or USFL kicker could have come in and compete during practice?
Keep the Good Times Rolling Detroit
The last thing I want to mention is that no matter what, the team should do whatever it takes to keep the good times rolling. The Lions being this good, Super Bowl contenders, is something to treasure for as long as possible. If Brad Holmes makes a decision, it’s usually going to be one that will benefit the squad, and if there’s one coach I’d fear more than anyone else, it’s a motivated Dan Campbell.
All in all, everything should get better from here. Any move should bolster this team, even if it’s signing depth O-linemen. Whatever they do, the NFL world has its eyes on Detroit now. Let’s see it happen.
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