Detroit Lions mailbag: Who has been the best mid-round NFL draft pick?
Who's the new favorite in the NFC North? This is one of the many questions answered in this week's Detroit Lions mailbag.
Detroit Lions mailbag: Who has been the best mid-round NFL draft pick? Who's the new favorite in the NFC North? This is one of the many questions answered in this week's Detroit Lions mailbag. Check out this story on Freep.com: https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2018/10/17/detroit-lions-mailbag/1669494002/
Dave Birkett, Detroit Free Press Published 11:51 a.m. ET Oct. 17, 2018 | Updated 1:54 p.m. ET Oct. 17, 2018
Detroit Lions receiver Kenny Golladay makes a catch over Green Bay Packers safety Josh Jones during the first half Sunday, October 7, 2018 at Ford Field in Detroit.(Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)
It's mailbag time! Every week, Dave Birkett will answer your Detroit Lions questions. Send them via Twitter to @davebirkett or by email to dbirkett@freepress.com.
Q. Which of DaShawn Hand, Graham Glasgow, or Kenny Golladay is the better mid-round pick and will have the best career? — @BraticLuke
A. Three pretty good options there as Hand, Glasgow and Golladay all play important roles on this Lions team, and all look to have pretty bright futures.
Hand, a fourth-round pick this year, has been the Lions' best defensive lineman as a rookie. He ranks fourth on the team with 19 tackles, has two forced fumbles and has two sacks, but I'm going to eliminate him from contention simply because of the sample size. Five games is not enough for me to judge a rookie on, as impressive as he's been, and not enough for me to pick him over Glasgow or Golladay when comes to duration of their careers.
Detroit Lions defensive lineman Da'Shawn Hand is seen during NFL football practice, Monday, July 30, 2018, in Allen Park, Mich. (Photo: Carlos Osorio, AP)
Glasgow, a third-round pick in Bob Quinn's first draft of 2016, is in his third season and second position as a starter. He can play center or guard, and he's played both well at times. He's a valuable piece on what's been an improved offensive line, but he strikes me more as a solid, dependable player than a future star.
Golladay is my pick because he has star potential. Yes, he turns 25 next month, and that's on the older side for a second-year receiver. But the Lions' third-round pick from 2017 has blossomed into the team's best pass catcher and is on track to be one of the most productive receivers in the NFL at season's end. He's so big and physical on the outside that he's a matchup problem for most defenses, and his big-play ability is something neither Glasgow nor Hand provide.
The Lions have to be happy they have all three players, but if they could only have one, Golladay would be the choice.
Q. Long ways out but don't the Lions need to start thinking about locking up Golladay with a new contract? Any benefit to trying to get this done earlier rather than later? What about the odds Lang plays out his contract....Next years cap hit is pretty spendy - @Markj121
A. Another Golladay question because, well, people can't get enough of Golladay. Per NFL rules, Golladay is not eligible for a contract extension until after his third NFL season, but if he continues on this track, yes, I think it would make sense for the Lions to get a deal done.
Dallas Cowboys' Byron Jones tries to tackle Detroit Lions' Kenny Golladay in the fourth quarter at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 30, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo: Tom Pennington, Getty Images)
First, it's always best to lock your guys up early rather than risk them testing free agency or alienating them with the franchise tag. Second, from a team standpoint, prices are only going up (especially with a new CBA on the not-too-distant horizon) so it would make sense to do a deal early. And third, while that might seem like an impediment to getting a deal done, Golladay is a third-round pick who's yet to cash in big so he might see the value in an early extension, too.
As for T.J. Lang, he's on the books for an $11.7 million cap hit next year, which is far too much for someone with his injury history. It's a long way off, but I would think the Lions would try to force a pay cut on Lang if he wants to continue playing (and plays at a high level the rest of the year), and would have a decision to make if he declines.
Q. What are your overall thoughts on the Lions/NFC North at this point in the season? Have your expectations/predictions changed at all since the start of the season? - @J_Lawnicki
A.I made the Green Bay Packers my preseason pick to win the division and put the Minnesota Vikings as a wildcard team followed, in order, by the Lions and Chicago Bears. All four teams remain in the mix right now, with the Bears (3-2) clinging to a slight lead in the division over the Vikings and Packers (both 3-2-1) and the Lions (2-3) bringing up the rear.
6. Vikings (3-2-1) | Last game: Defeated the Cardinals, 27-17 | Previous ranking: 9 (Photo: Jeffrey Becker, Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)
If I was making picks now for the rest of the season, I'd take the Vikings to win the division. I think they're the most complete team, and that's especially true if they get back Dalvin Cook and Everson Griffen. The Packers are not a very good team right now, but they'll get healthy after the bye and as long as Aaron Rodgers' knee holds up they have a chance. Road games against the Rams and Patriots await after the bye, but looking at the rest of their schedule, there's no reason they can't get to 10-5-1.
The Bears have one of the best defenses in the NFL, but I'm still not all in on Mitchell Trubisky. As things stand right now, I think they just miss the playoffs. The Lions strike me as a .500 team still, so my feelings on them haven't changed much, though if they can get that run defense fixed they might just surprise.
Q. Where have the Lions progressed most since week 1? - @Will_Michaels
A. This one's easy for me: The running game. The Lions didn't run the ball much in Week 1 (15 carries for 39 yards) because of how the game played out, but I still think they've made noticeable improvements running the ball that have helped the entire offense.
Kerryon Johnson's strong play is easy to see, but the Lions have also converted all five of their third-and-1 running plays. That's something they weren't equipped to do last season, and I believe that's had a positive impact on the way Jim Bob Cooter has been able to call plays.
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jeff Janis (83) makes a catch for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson (21) defends during the second half of an NFL divisional playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (Photo: Rick Scuteri AP)
Q. Who do you think would be potential trade targets/who do you think the Lions could trade before the deadline? - @Jables22s
A. The NFL trading deadline is a little less than two weeks away, on Oct. 30, and typically there's not a ton of midseason movement in the NFL. Quinn has made his share of trades in his 2 1/2 seasons as Lions' GM, however, so I wouldn't put it past him to swing a deal to upgrade the team this year.
Patrick Peterson is the pie-in-the-sky trade candidate, of course, as he's reportedly on the market in Arizona. I have not heard the Lions connected to him, and even if they were, they'd have some moves to make from a salary-cap standpoint. Peterson is owed another $7.1 million at this point in the season and the Lions have about $6.6 million in cap room. If they're going to make a move, in all likelihood it'll be a small one to fill an injury hole, and they can use some of their extra late-round 2019 draft picks as compensation.
If the Lions lose their next two games to the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks, maybe they become sellers then and look to deal Golden Tate or TJ Jones. But at 2-3 and in a muddled NFC North race, there's no reason to go that direction now.
Detroit Lions wide receiver Brandon Powell (1) runs against the New York Giants during the second half of the preseason game at Ford Field in Detroit, Friday, August 17, 2018. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)
Q. What chance do you give Powell to get into a game soon? Are they just going to give AA the punt and kick return or have a competition? - @sbellofiore10
A. Special teams coordinator Joe Marciano said rookie Brandon Powell is one of a handful of people in the mix to replace the injured Jamal Agnew as the Lions' primary return man. For that to happen, though, the Lions would have to go short-handed elsewhere on their 46-man gameday roster.
My best guess as of right now is that TJ Jones handles both returns. He's already up as the Lions' fourth receiver on gamedays, though I guess it's possible Powell could simply take Jones' spot. For the Lions to use Ameer Abdullah on returns, they'd have to create room for the running back just like they would Powell.
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