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It’s commonly believed that after settling in with a new coordinator, an NFL team will show significant improvement in Year 2. It’s easy logic to follow. The first year, players and coaches are simply trying to get on the same page, learn the correct terminology and put it on the field. By Year 2, some of this stuff becomes second nature and players are able to act more instinctively out there. Players and coaches speak to this phenomenon all the time.
But that doesn’t necessarily make it “real.” So PFF’s Eric Eager looked to see if there were any significant Year 2 jumps for NFL teams between 2014 and 2019 with a new offensive coordinator, keeping the Lions and Darrell Bevell in mind.
Their study is inconclusive, at best. It found no strong correlation between offensive success and years under a new offensive scheme. That being said, Eager still expects to see some improvement in Detroit, simply because they were on the way to drastic improvement before Matthew Stafford’s injury.
“With the NFC North in a period of transition, look for the Lions (+650 on FanDuel sportsbook to win the division) to improve both offensively and as a team,” Eager concludes. “It’s likely in conjunction with Bevell’s second season and not necessarily because of it, though.”
- Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press basically confirms that Jamal Agnew’s transition to wide receiver is permanent. “Agnew has been attending virtual meetings with both the wide receivers and cornerbacks this spring, but the Lions plan to transition him exclusively to offense when they return to the field this summer,” Birkett writes.
- Former Lions defensive lineman Lawrence Jackson wants to buy the Detroit Lions. No, seriously, he does:
Research info printed out 10/07/18...I 100% factually want to buy the Lions. This is not a delusional dream or Twitter Talk. This has been a public declaration so it doesn’t come as a surprise when it happens.#OnePride #LJSP pic.twitter.com/rWEwDGextc
— Lawrence Jackson (@LoJackson94) May 25, 2020
- Justin Rogers continues his film breakdown of the Lions’ free agent signings. This time, it’s about nose tackle Danny Shelton.
- ESPN dropped their 2020 NFL projections based on their FPI model (using Vegas win totals and last year’s performance). Cue the “Dumb and Dumber” so-you’re-saying-there’s-a-chance GIF:
The Lions have a 6% chance to win a playoff game. There's a chance! https://t.co/62vvF2UsT2
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 26, 2020
- Chris Burke of The Athletic took a look at how effective Bob Quinn’s draft classes from 2016-2018 have been thus far in the NFL.