Quotes from NFL owners meetings that will make Lions fans even happier
This week in Phoenix, Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes provided excellent soundbites.
The National Football League gathered at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix just before the calendar turned to April. Members of the league’s front office and coaches gathered for the league’s annual meetings to discuss rule revisions and policy for the next season.
For Lions supporters, it was historic since it was Dan Campbell’s first owners meeting – and, much to the delight of those in attendance, the third-year head coach walked in front of a microphone and answered some questions.
Plenty was discussed, including the Lions’ free-agent achievements, rule change submissions to the league, and, most significantly, the team’s intentions for the 2017 NFL Draft.
Here are a few highlights from Dan Campbell and Brad Holmes’ media availability that are sure to get the Honolulu Blue Kool-Aid flowing.
Campbell has every motive to make this a team objective. The Lions appear to be on track to win the NFC North for the first time since 1992. Las Vegas presently has Detroit at +150 odds to win the division, which you have to think is due to their roster’s significant improvement since the new league year began.
Premier players such as C.J. Gardner Johnson and David Montgomery are signed by NFL teams with the objective of becoming contenders. With the Lions no longer having to play Aaron Rodgers twice a year, there is reason to believe that Ford Field will host its first-ever playoff game in January 2024.
It’s difficult to believe that Brad Holmes is preparing for his third draft as Lions general manager. And, for the third year in a row, he really can’t go wrong with any position he chooses with the 6th overall pick, or the 18th overall pick.
Obviously, Holmes and company’s top aim this offseason was to strengthen the defensive backfield. Signing Cam Sutton, Emmanuel Moseley, and C.J. Gardner Johnson has provided defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn with a plethora of new tools to work with this fall. The Lions also re-signed Graham Glasgow and Marvin Jones Jr. to address the offensive line and wide receiver spots, respectively.
Despite all of that movement, it shouldn’t be unexpected if the front management decides to double down on any of those roster spaces and sign a young player to grow around.
When asked about the draft, Dan Campbell expressed the same idea about doubling down. “This year as with most, you are always looking to upgrade, and free agency has given us the ability – in areas to, man we can do whatever we need to do in the draft,” he added. “I would say man, it doesn’t matter what the position is, if we can upgrade our team, top to bottom, we will do that.”
Lamar Jackson’s saga with the Baltimore Ravens this spring has captivated the NFL media. There’s no telling what uniform he’ll be wearing in 2023, but that hasn’t stopped some from predicting that the Lions should put their toe in the water.
When asked directly about the MVP quarterback, Campbell, thankfully, clears the air. Better yet, rather than dismissing the concept and moving on, he declares the organization’s faith in Jared Goff.
Since trading for him, the Lions’ brass hasn’t wavered in their support. Brad Holmes stated in January that he does not see Goff as a “bridge quarterback.”
However, the Lions signal-caller’s long-term prospects remain uncertain. As a result, quarterback is one of the positions that Detroit might select at any moment during this month’s draft.
This year’s quarterback class is perhaps the deepest and most skilled the new regime has seen since taking over in early 2021. If that wasn’t enough, the backup quarterback position is far from secure heading into the new year, even after the team inked Nate Sudfeld to a one-year contract extension.
When it comes to the draft, everything is on the table for the Lions. That should not be reason for concern among fans because the club is already better on paper than it was not long ago when it defeated Green Bay in week 18 of last season. Instead, it should excite Detroiters in ways they haven’t felt in a long time.
