Detroit Lions Mailbag: Did the Lions make a mistake releasing edge rusher having a decent season?
Did the Lions make a mistake letting James Houston go? We answer that and more
The Detroit Lions have completed the first leg of their two-week road trip, and they did it with a win. The Lions are now 4-1 and are gearing up to head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs. Lions fans have some questions ahead of the matchup. Let’s answer them.
What is the plan if Taylor Decker can’t go?
When we asked Campbell about the possibility of Manu starting against the Chiefs, he seemed to name every other tackle on the team and never really committed to anyone. Campbell did say that Dan Skipper is back from injury. So that move makes the most amount of sense since he’s done it before, and Manu shouldn’t start again for a while. As for Devin Cochran, he’s an option too, but he’s mostly played right tackle in the NFL.
Are the Lions likely to make any big trades for starting cornerbacks?
It seems pretty unlikely that they would jump into the trade market for anyone of note, knowing that both Reed and Anrold are expected to be back this season. Plus, there just aren’t a lot of teams that are willing to trade away legitimate starting cornerbacks. They have a chance with guys like Riq Woolen and Greg Newsome if their teams decide to move them. But that’s the top of it for the Lions. Don’t expect them to jump in the pit for Sauce Gardner or something like that.
The more likely outcome is the Lions go with Amik Robertson, Rock Ya-Sin, and Avonte Maddox as their starters and then sign some other guys off the street or maybe poach someone here or there. But that’s about it. That’s a good group, though, and they deserve a shot to show it.
As for the other question, that’s a pretty in-depth thing that should probably get its own article. I’ll look into that stuff.
Was it a mistake to let James Houston go?
No, it wasn’t a mistake, and yes, it was wise to let him go. Houston has four sacks this year, and that’s awesome for him, but when you look at what he’s doing in Dallas, you’ll see it’s really the same thing he was doing here. He’s a NASCAR package guy who does one thing fairly well, and the Cowboys only seem to be using him for that one thing.
He doesn’t play a lot of snaps, and he’s still struggling against the run. So much so that Dallas barely ever has him playing on run snaps. This was the issue for Houston in Detroit. The Lions wanted so badly for him to evolve his game and get to a point where he could stay on the field at all times. He never did, and he still hasn’t. The four sacks would be cool, but not at the cost of everything else.
What is the floor and ceiling for the Lions after the injuries?
The ceiling is still winning the Super Bowl, and these injuries don’t change that. The Floor is winning the division and making a run in the playoffs, but not going all the way. This team is still very, very good. The defense is still very, very good. They’re currently second on defensive DVOA, and they’re about to get Alim McNeill added back to the group.
As I mentioned earlier, they still have a good group at cornerback. It’s not like 2023, where they were forced to go with guys off the street. These are proven players in he league and all have more than just a little bit of starting experience. Obviously, you don’t want any more injuries, but the Lions are in a good spot right now.
What free agent cornerbacks are out there and worth looking at?
Well, in my opinion, the smartest choice is to go get Stephon Gilmore. He’s a future Hall of Famer and is still a good corner. Fits what the team loves to do as well. Outside of him, there’s former first-round pick Kendall Fuller. He worked out for the Colts on Monday. We’ll see where that goes. There’s also Tre Herndon, who was with Deshea Townsend in Jacksonville, and then there are younger guys like Trayvon Mullen and Caleb Farley. There aren’t a ton of options right now.
Detroit Lions News
The smartest thing the Lions can do right now is just call the future Hall of Famer sitting on his couch waiting for the phone to ring
I mean, he’s just sitting right there. Call him
