Detroit Lions Notes

Lions notes: Is drafting a running back in the top 20 a huge mistake?

Our friends over at Field Gulls think so.

By Jeremy Reisman@DetroitOnLion Feb 23, 2018, 2:32pm EST

Missouri v LSU

Many believe that the Detroit Lions, who currently have the 20th pick in the NFL Draft, may decide to draft a running back in the first round, like LSU’s Derrius Guice. However, our friends over at Field Gulls declared on Thursday that drafting a running back with a top-20 pick “is one of the worst decisions a team can make.” It’s a compelling argument.

Interesting random fact: Golden Tate caught more screen passes than almost every running back in 2017. (Note: Alvin Kamara—not listed—led the league with 36):

Christian McCaffrey 28.
Jarvis Landry 28.
Jerick McKinnon 24.
Le'Veon Bell 23.
Todd Gurley 24.
Tyreek Hill 21.
Gio Bernard 20.
Golden Tate 26.
James White 18.
Kareem Hunt 12.
— Cian Fahey (@Cianaf) February 23, 2018

Lions Wire’s Erik Schlitt caps off his excellent offseason preview with the Lions’ current safety situation.

Here’s Dan Orlovsky breaking down the top two passing plays from the Lions’ 2017 season:

WAKE-UP and watch play #2 for the @Lions and see how some hips and a teardrop go together as Stafford to Golladay is perfection @ttwentyman @kmeinke @PrideOfDetroit @NFL @CBSSports @ochocinco didn’t you say this kid would be “special”? @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/LETGzOafEA
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) February 22, 2018

WAKE UP—Play #1 is so much fun (it rhymes so you must watch). @Lions @MarvinJonesJr @PrideOfDetroit @ttwentyman @MikeOHaraNFL @CBSSports @nflnetwork @NBCSportsNet @ESPNNFL @NFLonFOX #rodgers #peyton #Lions #vikings pic.twitter.com/mt9HaKshHD
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) February 23, 2018

NFL.com’s Gregg Rosenthal thinks Patriots cornerback Malcolm Butler would be a great fit in Detroit. “Adding Butler to a secondary with cornerback Darius Slay and safety Glover Quin would provide an identity for a generic Lions defense,” he writes.

The Lions had themselves a couples boat party in Cabo this week. Don’t worry, this wasn’t a Minnesota Vikings kind of boat party:

・・・
Cabo, Mexico with the Crew!!! #OnePride #Livin #CouplesTrip ♥️ ☺️ pic.twitter.com/VSJlC5WK02
— Tahir Whitehead (@Big_Tah47) February 23, 2018

Matt Patricia told ESPN how his old scouting trips with Bob Quinn will help them in evaluating players going forward.