Purging everything we thought Detroit Lions fans got wrong this offseason
Detroit Lions training camp is almost here, and I needed one final offseason purge. Here are the biggest narratives I think fans and media have gotten wrong over the last few months.
The Detroit Lions are a week away from training camp, so before we get there, I thought now would be a good time to get a final purge out. I’m going to just purge out all the things I think people got wrong about Detroit this offseason. From Kerby Joseph’s knee to Drew Petzing’s hiring to the idea that the Lions’ championship window is closed, there are a handful of things some Lions fans need to pump the brakes on. Let’s break it down.
The Kerby Joseph panic is not rooted in facts
I get it. Lions fans have been burned before by injuries to good players. But the Kerby Joseph situation has been driven almost entirely by internet speculation, and none of the facts support the doom-and-gloom narrative.
We don’t know what the injury actually is. The Lions have never told us. Detroit has never said at any point that this is career-altering or that Joseph will never heal. Joseph himself has never said that. He may have said something about not being able to get surgery to fix it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the pain is permanent.
The Lions had every opportunity to place him on injured reserve last season and chose not to until the very end of the year, when it didn’t matter. He’s been dancing, going to his friend’s wedding, and posting videos of himself working out in the Lions training room. There is nothing about him that says it’s over.
On top of that, Detroit has continued to pay out his bonuses. They could have restructured something or taken any number of steps to stop paying a player they supposedly believe will never play again. They didn’t. It’s because they know what I think I know: he’s fine.
Is it worrisome? Of course it’s worrisome. But basing a career obituary on internet doctors who never treated the man, never looked at his X-rays, and are barely going off hearsay is absurd.
Drew Petzing is the right hire, and it’s not even close
The idea that nobody wanted to work for the Lions and they had to settle for Petzing is laughable. Detroit interviewed more candidates for the offensive coordinator job than they ever have. Everybody lined up for it.
I didn’t love the John Morton hiring when it happened. I said that at the time. But Petzing is different. The Lions want to run the ball more than anything in this world. They want to run it to set up the pass, use heavy gap scheme concepts, and utilize tight ends in 12- and 13-personnel packages. Petzing was the guy to do that. Bringing in Mike Kafka to help attack the deep passing game makes the whole thing click even further.
And this idea that Jared Goff can’t throw the ball deep has never been true. Anytime they called deep shots, he was one of the more accurate deep passers in the league. They just didn’t dial those plays up often enough. The gap scheme system brings the defense forward, keeps them honest against the run, and opens up huge opportunities downfield. It just makes all the sense in the world for this roster.
The window is not closed
When ESPN polled executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the top 10 players at every position, no team had more players ranked than Detroit, with 9. Those players are young and under contract for at least 3 to 4 seasons. The Lions are the 6th youngest team in the league. Don’t tell me the window is closed.
The Lions don’t need a blockbuster trade to win
You see other teams trading for big names and think those squads are automatically Super Bowl contenders. But when has that actually worked? The Packers traded for Micah Parsons last year. Great player. But when he got hurt, Green Bay fell out of first place, limped into the playoffs, and lost in the first round. The Ravens traded for Max Crosby and then decided he wasn’t healthy enough to play for them.
The Lions had a spectacular free agency. Cade Mays was one of the biggest free agents on the market. Roger McCreary, Ben Bartch, Juice Scruggs, and Tyler Conklin all filled real needs. They just didn’t do anything sexy. And that’s fine, because the Pro Bowlers and All-Pros are already on this roster.
Trading for a Crosby or a Myles Garrett gives you a dopamine hit. But it also means you can’t keep Brian Branch or Sam LaPorta down the road. You have to cut somebody. And it’s all for a maybe. Maybe just doesn’t move the needle.
The draft was exactly what this team needed
For the first time in a while, Detroit picked players at positions of need and picked them early. Tackle in the first round. Edge rusher in the second. A cornerback steal in the fifth. The Lions were 4th in sacks and 6th in pressures last season. The problem wasn’t that they couldn’t get home. The problem was depth beyond Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill, and third-down struggles tied to losing their entire secondary. Derrick Moore, DJ Wonnum, and Skyler Gil-Howard should help. This draft has everything the Lions need to get over the hump. Let’s see how it plays out in camp.
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