Detroit Lions Roster 2018 Lions Roster

Moving into the Upper Tier of the NFC

The Jim Caldwell era is over in Detroit, with the Lions firing Caldwell and brining in former Patriots defensive coordinator Matt Patricia as their new head coach. The Lions will hope that Patricia can overhaul a defense that has been the Lions’ Achilles heel for the past several seasons. If you’d asked the Lions before the 2017 season started whether they’d take a season where they finish ahead of the Green Bay Packers with a winning record, chances are they’d have accepted. Unfortunately, the rise of the Vikings and a high quality upper tier of NFC teams left the Lions at 9-7 and outside the playoff picture.

You can’t put the blame on Matthew Stafford, who after signing a contract making him the highest paid player in the NFL put up another solid season. The running game, though, was at the bottom of the league, and the defense struggled to keep points off the board. Given Detroit’s issues on defense in 2017, you might have expected them to target defense in the first two rounds of the draft. However, they instead selected center Frank Ragnow and RB Kerryon Johnson with their first two picks. Those two picks should help revitalize their run game, but at the expense of a defense sorely needing playmakers.

The Lions did address defense with their mid round picks, selecting a safety and DE with their next two picks. They then came back to the offensive side of the ball with a OT and FB with their last two selections. The Lions didn’t target any of the biggest names in free agency on either side of the ball. Instead, they added a mix of journeyman and veterans with a solid starter or two. Perhaps the highest profile signing was veteran RB LeGarrette Blount. He and second round pick Kerryon Johnson should give the Lions some weapons in the running game. Aside from Blount, the Lions addressed depth on both lines. Their focus was on the interior, with perhaps the biggest signing being former Jets starting center Wesley Johnson.

There’s no doubt that the Lions had one thing in mind during the offseason – Fix a running game that was in the basement statistically in 2017. They spent their first two draft picks and made their two biggest free agent splashes on a pair of running backs and interior linemen. If the Lions can restore a little bit of balance to their offensive attack, Matthew Stafford appears poised to hold up his end of the bargain. The Lions scored the seventh most points in the NFL last year even with their woes in the running game. That was a clear testament to Stafford’s ability to distribute the ball through the air. If the 2018 additions fix the running game, Detroit should be a top five offensive unit.

The Lion’s weren’t strong defensively in 2017, and they didn’t make defense a point of emphasis in the high end of either the draft or free agency. They’re hoping that new Head Coach Matt Patricia can help transform the unit through his scheme and approach. The Lions had played a 4-3 defense for years, while Patricia comes from a Patriots defense known for a hybrid 3-4 defense. So, the immediate question was whether the Lions would be transitioning to a 3-4. But it seems that Patricia’s scheme will sidestep the 4-3/3-4 categorization entirely, employing a number of different fronts for various situations.

Patricia certainly has the pedigree coming from New England and studying under Bill Belichick. The question will be whether he can translate that kind of success to a Detroit defense light on talent behind pass rusher Ezekiel Ansah. The Lions had a winning record last year, but the firing of Jim Caldwell shows that their ambitions are set higher. Patricia comes into a situation where ownership believes they have enough talent to win now. If he can get the defense playing at league average or better, they’re set to challenge the Vikings for tops in the NFC Central.