Brad Holmes and the Detroit Lions played a big role in Saquon Barkley's huge pay day
I know the title sounds crazy because obviously, Saquon Barkley does not play for the Detroit Lions and his play in 2024 definitely was the biggest factor to him getting paid huge by the Eagles on Tuesday. But the Lions definitely played a big role too. The Lions shocked everyone in 2023 when they picked […]
I know the title sounds crazy because obviously, Saquon Barkley does not play for the Detroit Lions and his play in 2024 definitely was the biggest factor to him getting paid huge by the Eagles on Tuesday. But the Lions definitely played a big role too.
The Lions shocked everyone in 2023 when they picked Jahmyr Gibbs with the 12th pick in the NFL Draft. Draft experts just could not believe that the Lions skipped over positional value and took Gibbs that high.
Everyone said it was the worst move Brad Holmes and the Lions had made, and it received failing marks across the board. Lions fans won't let anyone forget about it, and they're totally right to do that.
The big reason there was such a response like that to it was because the running back position was supposed to be one that no longer held any value. The idea was why take one early when they're a dime a dozen and you can just get them later, and then you can just find a new one when you're done with that one.
The undervaluation of this position got so bad that NFL running backs had a Zoom meeting to discuss the undervaluation and the future of the position.
Gibbs had a big breakout rookie season and then broke the franchise record for most touchdowns by a running back in his second season and also led all running backs in the NFL with 20 touchdowns. David Montgomery joined him and ran for 900 plus yards in two seasons after the Bears just let him walk out the door.
The Lions have completely changed the discussion around running backs and how you should acquire them. The position has gone from an afterthought to something all teams now want to have and properly value.
Just last month at the Senior Bowl, the game's executive director Jim Nagy spoke about how teams attending the game are looking to emulate the Lions.
"Everyone in the league is trying to get to that point where Detroit is where you have a true complementary backfield with Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs"
The Lions' run game may not have just changed the draft, but it may have also changed the valuation of the entire position as a whole. Now teams all want what Detroit and Philadelphia have. Don't be shocked if teams start paying running backs big money again.
Recently released Seawhawks safety Rayshawn Jenkins makes a lot of sense for the Lions and has ties to Detroit’s coaching staff
The Seattle Seahawks have just released safety Rayshawn Jenkins on ahead of next week's free agency period. The first thing that came to mind upon that release is how much sense he makes for the Detroit Lions. For starters, the Lions safety corps is kind of unknown at the moment. There's Kerby Joseph cemented in, […]
