Decision 2012: Left Tackle For The Lions

I am not that familiar with the draft class yet so I really don’t know of too many Left Tackle prospects that would be available later on. I am sure there are some, they just sound like they will require some development before being able to start.
I thought that the Lions would give Jason Fox this year to establish that he could be a viable option at Left Tackle, so why would they get another developmental Tackle unless they had decided on giving up on Fox.

At least that is my take.

With that bring said I would like to see Fox start this year. Fox goes to IR every year without even playing a game so you need a reliable backup. If Fox could make it through 5 games and let Backus be fully healthy and fresh, I would be ok with that.

If Adams and Martin are gone then Konz and Glenn should be available. Either of those two are too three

With that bring said I would like to see Fox start this year. Fox goes to IR every year without even playing a game so you need a reliable backup. If Fox could make it through 5 games and let Backus be fully healthy and fresh, I would be ok with that.

If Adams and Martin are gone then Konz and Glenn should be available. Either of those two are top three interior linemen in this draft. If we pass on Konz I hope we grab Jones or Brewster in the later rounds.

Make a Julio Jones-esque trade-up for Matt Kalil. We trade our first, second and fourth plus first and fourth next year to move up to # 3 (assuming Luck goes # 1 and someone trades up for RG3 at # 2), and we get the best pass-protecting Left Tackle prospect in years.

We still have a third and fifth to find a solid developmental center to take over from Raiola in a year or so, or we can draft one in the second or third next year.

Yes, the opportunity cost is high, but Mayhew has proven he can fill holes with free agency and trading late-rounders for solid players (C.Will, Rob Sims, Chris Houston, etc).

Our ticket to success is Stafford throwing, Johnson catching, our D-Line disrupting, and someone protecting Stafford while he’s throwing.

Even after all the picks we give up, three years from now, four, six years, eight years from now, we’ll be glad we have one of the top LT’s in the league long after we’ve absorbed the cost of the trade it took to draft him.

for Mitchell Schwartz around here huh? lol. He is the Backus clone so don’t be surprised.

But I don’t have a opinion on Backus anymore. A Vike-queens fan told me Jared Allen runs through him like I run through funyuns and i thought that was funny, but that is really the only time I had any emotion about a Backus play or comment. I am totally numb towards him.

not sure if thats good or bad??

I do think a LT, either Martin, Adams or Reiff will fall to us. Not sure if we will pick him if one of them does, but I do think one will be there.

then draft a LT if its available or maybe try and trade up a few spots. To be honest I’m not too fond of the corners or linebackers in the draft.

My best guess is we will see a OG or OC in the first round. Having said that i didn’t see the Nick Fairley pick coming so who knows.

This draft could go anywhere depending on wheather we resign Tullock, Wright, and of course Avril.

I wondered about the possibility of finding a quality starting LT (draft or maybe even Fox)…then having Backus move to OG.

What bothers me about Backus’ injuries last year, and think its important to not lump them into the general term “injury,” is the fact that both of Backus’ injuries were muscle pulls. First the chest pectoral muscle was pulled early, then the forearm muscle was pulled late.

Am starting to think Backus this late in his career is at the point where mentally he thinks he can play for another 2 – 3 years, but his body is saying something different with the muscle pulls. Both chest and forearm muscle pulls are common among athletes where strenuous training/exercise is involved and both are painful. And now that the Lions are knocking at the door of going deep into the playoffs, Backus will probably train even more strenuously.

That said, not knowing Mayhew’s view of the situation, think Backus must be resigned with lesser dollars involved, however since Stafford is the franchise the Lions can’t wait another year to find their next frachise LT. Hilliard ? Fox? Even at 80% Backus is better that those guys, but who wants to take a chance that Backus won’t get another muscle tear or some other injury where he is forced to miss games? So the Lions must find heir apparent LT between now and season opener.

What about trading the 23rd pick and getting another 2nd or possibly a 3rd as well. trade just enough to pick up either Glenn from Georgia or Adams from Ohio St. either way we could grab one of those two a little lower down the board if they are there if not we have more draft picks!

What if we managed to make a trade(s) in order to draft Glenn from GA and Adams From OSU in the same draft that would be awesome. Just saying it could be done. Why not trade away that DT Williams for a high draft pick possibly. Maybe never know!

Why dont we just re-sign Backus and draft Mike Adams or a better option if they are available when we pick 23rd? Gotta plan for the future and what better time than now? I honestly think Mike Adams will have the better career out of every LT in the draft this year. Well maybe 2nd best behind Kalil. It doesnt hurt to work him in slowly and possibly plug him into the right side for extra playing time. Resigning Backus is a given though. I saw some projections and some are picking the Lions to make the Super Bowl next year. They arent picked to win but they are picked to make it which was interesting. Would be nice but unlikely.

I made it on a different post. I don’t see a problem pointing it out (even with humor/sarcasm), but I don’t see any reason with being a dick about it or name calling.

I don’t think Mike Adams is a 1st rd value, let alone a LT in the NFL.

suspended for two games in ’09 for violating team rules, cited in January 2009 for misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia (charges were eventually dropped) after being stopped for running a stop sign. Than suspended again in ’11 for five games.

I am not sure how Mayhew and Schwartz feels about this guys given that they trend not to draft players that have had past character issues.

He’s got enough size to play any position on the O Line. At 6’5" and 315lbs, he could play tackle.
Yeah, yeah, I know, he’s never played tackle, he’s an interior lineman, etc. Go ahead and flame me.
But IMO, that’s what makes him valuable: you could plug him in wherever he’s needed. Start him off as backup C, or maybe starting RG. Then if Raiola or Backus goes down with an injury, he could shift over and fill their spot.
It’s rare to find a C that can play T, but from a purely “physical attributes” standpoint, it looks like this guy could play all 5 line positions.
If Konz is on the board with the Lions first round pick comes up, I wouldn’t even hesitate to pull the trigger.

This is one of those things that It almost seems like the Lions front office is still paying for the sins of ‘Matt F***King’s ignorance. Sooner than later they will have to address the LT/G and C positions. They don’t nessasarily have to be a 1st round picks. The league is full of solid to great linemen found later in the draft.

For 2012 (and maybe 2013), I think he’s the guy. Draft somebody this year or next to be his eventual replacement though.