Monday open thread: How optimistic are you about the future of the Detroit Lions?

I will keep this nice and short: the Detroit Lions are bad.

That is stating the obvious, but as told by Occam’s razor, the simplest explanation is often the right one. We have practically reached the point of the Matt Patricia and Bob Quinn era where nothing more needs to be said, nor can be said. Week in, week out, it is the same end result for the Lions, to the point where even the wins have been marred with significant concerns. We are reaching the stage where I am thinking of coining the phrase beating a dead lion because describing this team in its current state is an act of futility.

So what can we look forward to?

Today’s Question of the Day is:

How optimistic are you about the future of the Detroit Lions?

My answer: I honestly am concerned for this team. I cannot speak for the Lions 20 years into the future, but with the post-Matthew Stafford timeline looming ever greater each passing week, I do not know how this team can rebound in the coming seasons.

It may perhaps be an exaggeration, but any optimism I have had for this team in recent years is all but evaporated. The Lions hit a historic low in 2008 with an 0-16 season, but over a decade later, the same levels of embarrassment and sadness are creeping back into mind. Nearly every team in the NFL has found some level of success this past decade, and the Lions can only cling to playoff loses as achievements. The Browns, who went 0-16 in 2017, are 7-3 with infinitely more optimism than the Lions. I can’t believe it, but I’m envious of the Browns. The Cleveland Browns!

Unlike in 2009, the Lions might not be graced with a franchise quarterback in the upcoming draft, and a franchise quarterback might not even save this team for the near future. Four wins on the season—possibly their final wins of the season—puts them out of range of the top three. If the Lions opt to go elsewhere in the draft, where do you start?

The biggest issue with this coaching staff is that the players are question marks. Are they playing poorly due to the scheme, because they are bad, or a combination of both? We might be in for a rude awakening when the next regime takes over, because it might require a complete overhaul of the roster—again.

With few promising pieces moving forward, and veterans only on the decline, I can’t foresee the Lions competing for the next two or three seasons at least. The Lions aren’t done forever, or so I hope (we are talking about the Lions here), but I don’t see much light at the end of this tunnel.

Your turn.