Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers ended their month-long feud on Tuesday when the “Jeopardy!” The host and all-pro quarterback signed up for work. As illogical as it sounds – a three-time MVP making (likely) one final run at a Super Bowl with its division rival – that’s good news for the Detroit Lions.
Rodgers’ presence makes the Packers an unaffordable favorite in NFC North, eliminating a potential shortcut Lions could take in a thorough rebuilding.
If the Lions somehow manage to fight for a division title and a playoff spot this fall, it will be on their own merits, rather than competing because of the drama that is going on over Lake Michigan .
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The Washington Football team was in a similar position, with a new coach and new direction, a year ago when all hell broke loose at NFC East.
Washington was right to land a playoff spot when the opportunity presented itself. After all, that’s why they’re playing the game.
But the Smoke and Spiegel division title – made possible because of putrid NFC East and a string of injuries in Dallas, New York, and Philadelphia – made achieving the ultimate goal of being a multi-year Super Bowl contender much tougher.
The Lions are holding their first training camp on Wednesday and appear to have a comprehensive long-term plan for the first time in years. They have assembled an impressive collection of talent across their offensive line, acquired a plethora of future draft picks to build with, and have the flexibility to properly manage their roster.
For this reason, both this season and its participants should be judged on their progress rather than on the results they have achieved.
Everyone in the Lions organization wants to win and realizes that the clock for their time in Detroit starts ticking the moment they don’t. But winning without considering the future is not sustainable and building properly is the only way to lasting success.
While a 10-win season and wildcard placement would be nice, those likely aren’t in sight for the Lions this fall. Instead, the goal must be to decipher who should be part of their core in the future and quickly build around those players.
This will be an illuminating year for Jeff Okudah, Tracy Walker and D’Andre Swift in particular.
Okudah, last year’s number 3 overall, should be an anchor in secondary school for the next decade but has a lot to prove after a disappointing rookie season. He struggled to cover good receivers last fall, missed seven games due to injury and was reportedly rejuvenated by the regime change in the off-season.
If Okudah shows up as a reliable cornerback, not even a shutdown, the Lions suddenly have good prospects for 2022 and beyond defensively. If he doesn’t, it’ll go back to the drawing board next spring.
Walker could similarly be a long-term anchor for Lions secondary education – or a piece that needs to be replaced in 2022. He’s played lightning fast in his first three NFL seasons, but for a variety of well-explained reasons, his game degenerated last fall. At 26, it’s now or never in Detroit.
Swift isn’t in the swim-or-cut-bait category just yet, but given the short shelf life of running backs and the importance new head coach Dan Campbell has placed on the position, he has a chance to establish himself as a cornerstone.
Swift struggled with migraines as a rookie and had a few premature and memorable drops, but outside of TJ Hockenson, he’s the talent player most likely to contribute to the Lions’ long-term success.
From a position group perspective, Lions will rely heavily on their offensive line in the future. They’ve got three first-round picks banned for at least the next four seasons at Left Tackle Taylor Decker, Center Frank Ragnow, and Right Tackle Penei Sewell, and it’s imperative that the group – and Decker and Sewell in particular – do their tremendous head in this fall. (Ragnow, for what it’s worth, it seems like a lock on it.)
Freshman Lions chief executive Brad Holmes has compared his investment on the offensive to that of his old team, the Los Angeles Rams, on the defensive years ago. The Rams spent three first-round picks on pass rushers in four years, and that unit helped them propel them to a Super Bowl in 2018.
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Nobody predicts the Lions will be on a similar Super Bowl timeline, but the reality is that Ragnow, Decker and Sewell are the biggest reason to believe this can happen.
Jared Goff, the Rams quarterback three years ago and Holmes’ first real takeover as Lions GM, is the final and most important piece of the Lions evaluation puzzle this fall.
The Lions took advantage of a free spin to get Goff for Matthew Stafford and it won’t be any worse for the wear if it isn’t successful. However, at just 26 years old, Goff has a chance to reinvigorate his career. If he can conjure up the semblance of success, the Lions could suddenly have the luxury of using their four first-round picks in the next two drafts to build a competitive list around him.
Make no mistake, Goff’s evaluation is the hardest part of this whole equation. Goff struggled after his early success in LA, is blessed with mediocre supporting actors in Detroit, and poor quarterback decisions can destroy a franchise.
Lions have five months to find out who Goff is, what he can become, and how quickly that can happen in Detroit.
That assessment, along with the evolution of Okudah, Walker, Swift, and the offensive line, is more than important than how many games the Lions win or lose this fall.
Contact Dave Birkett at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett.
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