ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- Every week we answer some of your questions in a Detroit Lions Mailbag. This week is no different.
To ask a question for a future mailbag, use the hashtag #LionsMailbag on Twitter or email me at michael.rothstein@espn.com.
Now, on to your questions.
With a decent amount of money for FA, limited draft capital, no clue on who is coaching next year, a slew of expiring contracts, problems on both lines, and a team that seems to lack fire, how should I feel about next year at this moment?
— Toblerone_Bone (@ccjfrye) December 28, 2017
Toblerone,
You should feel a little bit skeptical because there are so many unknowns – and that starts with who the head coach is going to be for 2018. Until that’s figured out, whether it’s Jim Caldwell or someone else, nothing else can really be known. If the Lions do make a coaching change, that could come with a change in scheme or philosophy which would potentially mean different usages of those free agent dollars and draft picks by general manager Bob Quinn.
The Lions lacking fire is not something that would worry me because if there is a coaching change, that could be remedied by the new staff. If there isn’t, there could be some questions about that. It’s tough to feel good about the prospects of a team on the precipice of major changes, but that’s part of the NFL, where every season teams undergo makeovers and come out of it looking better within a year or two. Just look at the Rams and Eagles this year and even the Lions after Jim Schwartz was replaced by Caldwell after the 2013 season.
So I’d say a mix of limited patience – but some patience – and some skepticism is the way to go.
Preseason all the beat writers predicted 8-8 or 9-7, citing O and D lines as a limiting factor.
— ptsawyer (@patricktsawyer) December 28, 2017
Now that this prediction came true, most are writing Caldwell should be fired. Why?#LionsMailbag
This is a reasonable question, PT, as I’m one of the people who predicted the Lions to be wholly mediocre and then have also said it could be time for a coaching change. In this case I believe it’s not the record itself but how the Lions arrived at the record that is the bigger deal. Detroit never really seemed to solve its slow-starting problems, which is a coaching issue. The play-calling offensively became predictable early in games – although it would improve as the game went on. The run game and pass rush, in part due to injuries, never seemed to get fixed and the Lions rarely appeared to be creative enough – at least on offense – to try and solve that.
Plus, it’s about winning. Caldwell himself said this week the Lions were a little above average and that wasn’t good enough. He said he was brought in to win championships. Four years later, the Lions have no championships – division, conference or Super Bowl – to speak of. They’ve been close, but whenever they’ve been close, the Lions have then fallen flat in those games.
The way I look at it is like this – and it’s something I’ve asked a few players and coaches about. Is this team and the program better than it was a year ago, when Caldwell’s job was in question after losing three straight games to end the season. The answer to that question feels like a no. And that’s why the situation is where it is, in my opinion.
It’s entirely possible Bob Quinn doesn’t feel the same way. We should know soon enough where the Lions are headed with that.
True or false: Kerry Hyder and Anthony Zettel will be the starting DE for the 2018 Detroit Lions
— Sham (@shamshammgod) December 29, 2017
Sham,
Way, way too early to know, but I’m going to say no here. Not because I don’t necessarily think that would happen, but because I think the Lions would be in a bunch of trouble on their defensive line if it did. Kerry Hyder and Anthony Zettel are nice players. They’ve shown flashes of being able to get to the quarterback and had Hyder not torn his Achilles in the preseason against Indianapolis, it might be a different conversation. But he’s coming off a significant injury so it’s not clear how quick he’ll get his push and speed back. Zettel is a good rotational piece and maybe a decent No. 2 pass rusher, but he isn’t who you need to build your line around. The Lions need pass rushers more than they need any other position on the field right now, so a combination of a rookie and/or a free agent signing should take up one of those starting spots and maybe Hyder or Zettel or Ezekiel Ansah (if he returns) holds down the other one. If it is Hyder and Zettel, then Quinn will face some major questions after the draft.