bob quinn – Page 7 – Syndication Server

Lions dancing on glass with how they’ve handled Graham Glasgow

Lions dancing on glass with how they’ve handled Graham Glasgow as a free agent

Graham Glasgow is going to play in another uniform in 2020. The Detroit Lions regime led by GM Bob Quinn and head coach Matt Patricia has elected to go in a different direction from their starting right guard and versatile interior lineman.

It’s not a well-received decision with much of the Lions fanbase. Glasgow is a success story, a Michigan grad who outplayed his third-round draft status as the team’s starting center and subsequent move to right guard. Glasgow is a solid starter, a consistent presence on the interior line next to standout Frank Ragnow.

It’s a decision that will tell us a lot about the fate of the Lions in 2020 and perhaps beyond. Quinn and Patricia drew a line in the sand in allowing Glasgow to hit free agency and get a lucrative contract, one he’s earned for his play with Detroit, from a different team.

That sand will morph into some fragile glass if they blow it with Glasgow and his eventual replacement.

Here’s the deal…

If the Lions let Glasgow walk away because they don’t see the value in paying a premium contract for a position they don’t deem requires a premium player, that’s fine. We can disagree with their rationale, but it’s at least a plan with some analytical merit and evidence to back it up. Patricia and Quinn have given every indication they like the way the rotating guard system worked last year, and paying big money for a rotational cog indeed makes no sense. It’s a justifiable business decision.

Now if the Lions go out and sign another free agent to replace Glasgow and spend about the same cap dollars to make it happen, then it’s time to get angry. Because at that point the team is admitting it was personal with Glasgow, and that’s not going to go over well in the Lions locker room.

As they did with Quandre Diggs at the trade deadline, they would be letting it be known that a good player, a respected teammate and a hard-working veteran is not welcome in Detroit. That’s the exact message signing someone like Joe Thuney or Quinton Spain to a deal that’s close in value, or (God forbid) exceeds what Glasgow gets elsewhere.

If Quinn and Patricia don’t understand that concept, they’re not going to last much longer in Detroit. Or anywhere in the NFL, for that matter…

Opinion: The Detroit Lions should trade down from pick No. 3

The Detroit Lions control their own destiny when it comes to the 2020 NFL Draft. They are in a coveted position to draft a serious playmaker for their team or trade down in hopes of garnering a few more picks and potentially striking gold with multiple playmakers.

General manager Bob Quinn has repeatedly said the Lions are keeping an open mind heading into the draft and could trade down to generate more value for the third overall pick.

If I am in the front office for the Lions, I am fielding all phone calls, and asking a king’s ransom for the third overall pick to whoever wants to win the Tua Tagovailoa sweepstakes.

Is Matthew Stafford expensive? Yes. However, Stafford comes in at ninth on the list of quarterback contracts averaging at least $27 million, and he will likely drop further down the list this offseason with Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Dak Prescott, Phillip Rivers, and Ryan Tannehill unrestricted free agents. Stafford is also still a young 32 years old, despite being an 11-year veteran.

Bottom line, the Lions do not need to spend a draft pick on getting a successor to Stafford in April.

The Lions have a lot of work to be done on defense, not only immediately, but as our own Erik Schlitt and Pride of Detroit’s Jeremy Reisman mentioned on the Detroit Lions Breakdown podcast, there are a lot of expiring contracts following the 2020 season. In a very deep draft, with a lot of playmakers, the Lions need to strike while the iron is hot.

If they can manage a trade back, they should still be able to land an elite defender, potentially even cornerback Jeffrey Okudah (Ohio State) who has been linked to the Lions in almost every mock draft you could read.

Tagovailoa is talented enough that there should be a bidding war for teams to trade with the Lions. The Miami Dolphins, Los Angeles Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts — and maybe more — should all be in the market for quarterbacks in the draft. Lions fans just need to hope that Quinn is prepared to rake these teams over the coals and make them overpay to land their new franchise quarterback.

The Dolphins have reportedly already had conversations with the Lions about a potential trade, and now, on his Move The Sticks podcast, Daniel Jeremiah said he believes that the Chargers are very much in play for a potential trade with the Lions as well — further cementing my thought process on the Lions trading their pick.

The 2020 season is very much a must-win for Quinn and coach Matt Patricia, and being able to draft multiple players while making a splash in free agency, will help turn things around for the current regime in Detroit.

Bob Quinn, Matt Patricia present at Auburn’s pro day

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia are both in attendance at Auburn’s pro day to check out their 2020 NFL Draft prospects.

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn and coach Matt Patricia are both in attendance at Auburn’s pro day to check out their 2020 NFL Draft prospects, according to a report from NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkabwala.

Quinn and Patricia don’t always travel together to pro days but they will often make the trip to bigger universities — Alabama, Auburn Clemson, LSU, Michigan, and Ohio State — that have either a wealth of talent or a player at the top of the draft that they will heavily consider selecting in the first round.

As our own Jeff Risdon pointed out this morning, defensive tackle Derrick Brown may be the headliner at today’s events, but there’s a lot more talent on the field that should draw the Lions’ interests.

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With the 2020 free agency period set to begin on March 18th, the Lions can scout several more pro days before the overlap begins. Oklahoma is hosting its pro day on March 11th, Clemson on March 12th, Michigan on March 13th, Penn State March 17th and all have prospects the Lions will consider in the first three rounds of the draft.

Other important pro dates that Quinn and Patricia could attend include, Iowa on March 23rd, Alabama on March 24th, Ohio State March 25th, Utah March 26th, and LSU on April 3rd. Alabama quarterback Tua Tagovailova will have a private workout on April 9th, that the Lions will also surely attend.

If the Redskins draft a QB, what does that mean for the Lions?

At the NFL Combine, Washington Redskins coach Ron Rivera made a statement that could change the dynamic for the Detroit Lions and pick No. 3.

During a Wednesday press conference at the NFL Combine, Washington Redskins coach Ron Rivera made a statement that could change the entire dynamic of the Detroit Lions third overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The newly signed coach stated that Washington was bringing in both top quarterback prospects — Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovailoa for meetings — and that they are not just due diligence but in fact legitimate meetings.

It has seemed like a foregone conclusion in most mock drafts, that the Cincinnati Bengals would take a quarterback — likely Burrow — with the first pick in the draft and Washington would select generational defender, Chase Young from Ohio State.

Now, Rivera could be playing a chess match, to possibly stir up some trade talks in hopes to land — no pun intended — a lions share of picks. However, if that’s not the case, and they select a quarterback, what does that mean for the Lions?

At face value, Young is there, and he should get selected by Bob Quinn, finally giving the Lions their premier pass rusher.

On the flip side, what if the Lions field calls about teams wanting to trade up? That demand becomes that much greater, and while the Lions could lose out on Young they could become rich in future draft picks. This could solve multiple issues that the Lions have on their roster, especially as they haven’t narrowed down exactly which position they would address first.

The third overall pick already holds a lot of trade value as it is, and Quinn is on record saying that he’s open to trade talks — but this was before Rivera made his proclamation.

Quinn and the Lions front office better have their phones fully charged, to field the insatiable amount of phone calls they will be fielding, should Washington draft a quarterback. [Editor’s note: They also better be prepared to not overthink things and just select Young.]

Only time will tell how it plays out, but Rivera just made things very interesting.

Lions have begun exploring trade options involving Darius Slay

At the 2020 NFL Combine, Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn mentioned that they have begun exploring trade options involving Darius Slay.

With the rumors of trade talks with Matthew Stafford officially shut down — again — the trade rumors surrounding Detroit Lions Pro Bowl cornerback, Darius Slay, are very much happening.

Tuesday, before taking to the podium, Lions general manager Bob Quinn said that the organization is having discussions regarding, arguably, the team’s best defensive player.

“I think what we’re trying to do is explore a trade,” Quinn said to a group of reporters, that included our own Jeff Risdon, at the NFL Combine. “That’s not saying we are definitely trading him. We’ve had some conversations with other teams. Nothing to report right now. We’re very much in the information gather phase of this.”

Slay is coming into the final year of his contract and has been very open about getting a raise for his efforts on the field. The Lions have a few options to consider, including trading him, giving him an extension or tabling the issue until after the 2020 season.

Since 2013, Slay has defended 104 passes which is the most of any defender during that time span. The standout cornerback has been selected to the last three Pro Bowls and was an All-Pro in 2017.

“It’s a huge decision,” Quinn said. “It’s a huge conversation that’s not easy one way or the other. We can see it from both sides. I think everybody here knows football and the knows the business side of it and you can look at it two ways and that’s what we’re trying to sort out right now”.

An even more interesting dynamic into the Slay situation is the love he has shown for the city of Detroit, regularly showing up to high school games on Friday nights around the Metro Detroit area. He has been very involved within the community.

Slay was interviewed at the Super Bowl about his contract, and expectations and has not wavered in his thought process saying, “if they give me a contract, I’ll be blessed and fortunate enough for it. Like I’ve said, I’ve always wanted to retire a Detroit Lion, but if it don’t happen, it’s cool, I’ll be alright.”

Quinn expects roster moves to start happening within the next few weeks and perhaps that will help shed some light on what the Lions will do with Slay.

Believe Bob Quinn when he says he’s not trading Matthew Stafford

Quinn once again slammed the door shut on any Stafford trade rumors at the combine

Lions general manager Bob Quinn feels like a broken record. When it comes to the pesky — and baseless — rumors of the Lions trying to trade franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford, Quinn has to keep reiterating the same answer.

It’s 100 percent fabricated and false.

Quinn met with reporters at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine and once again debunked the notion that Detroit is even entertaining the concept of trading away Stafford. His words struck a familiar chorus.

“In terms of the whole rumor on Stafford, I think I’ve texted a lot of people here that it’s like 100% false,” Quinn said Tuesday in Indianapolis. “If we need to add a third exclamation point, we will. So I don’t know where that came from.”

The conviction to Quinn’s tone is akin to the classic TV public service announcement from the 1980s with the cracked eggs in a frying pan and a sternly glaring man admonishing “this is your brain on drugs, any questions,” and it’s not a question. It would be such a monumental backtracking to trade Stafford now that it would completely destroy any credibility Quinn has with other players, agents or owner Martha Ford.

Believe Quinn’s words. Matthew Stafford is going nowhere except under center for the Detroit Lions in 2020.

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Bob Quinn: Matthew Stafford will be “full-go” for offseason workouts

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn spoke to the media at the 2020 NFL Combine and confirmed Matthew Stafford is healthy and will be available for offseason workouts, which are just over two months away.

Quinn said he spoke to Stafford within the last few weeks and that Stafford is “feeling really good, training full, and he’ll be full-go for offseason program”.

As the press conference continued, Quinn was asked questions about selecting players with the No. 3 overall pick, how he contemplates knowing when it’s time to move on from a player, and when those topics merged, Quinn expressed his confidence in Stafford’s talent.

The one thing about Matthew (Stafford) is his number one trait is still the same as when I came here four-and-a-half years ago. He still has that great arm strength. He’s a competitor. He’s tough. He’s sneaky athletic. I think he’s improved his athleticism a little bit over his career. He does a great job taking care of his body.

So, you take all those things into consideration, just like any other player, are they ascending, or are they declining? I think it’s different for every position in terms of how old they are. In my opinion, when you’re a quarterback your prime is your late twenties into your early thirties. That’s your prime, because you take your first part of your career and you’re working on all those other things.

As we saw, how did Matthew play last year when he was out there? I think everyone would agree he played really good. So that’s what we’re expecting when he comes back.

Stafford, who just turned 32 years old less than two weeks ago, falls within Quinn’s definition of “prime” for a quarterback, which is why it’s also not surprising that he has been so insistent that Stafford will not be traded.

Bob Quinn praises Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons, calls him a ‘playmaker’

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn spoke to the media at the 2020 NFL Combine today and when asked about Clemson’s hybrid defender Isaiah Simmons, he called him “a playmaker”.

Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn spoke to the media today at the 2020 NFL Combine and when asked about Clemson’s hybrid defender Isaiah Simmons, he didn’t hold back any praise for the dynamic prospect.

“That guy’s a playmaker,” Quinn said.

Even though Simmons is just a redshirt junior and had a season of eligibility remaining, he’s been on the Lions radar for some time now, as Quinn noted that he stood out to them prior to this past season.

“He can do a variety of things at a very very high level,” Quinn said. “A couple of years ago, when he wasn’t even eligible, coming down the stretch the last month of the college season, he was probably one of the most dominant guys on that team, and they had a bunch of guys that got drafted last year. So, he was on our radar.”

Simmons will participate in on-field workouts with the linebacker group on Saturday, but in the Lions scheme, he would likely take on a different role, one closer to the role held by Tavon Wilson last season.

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“He’s great. He can cover tight ends. He can play the run. He can play sideline-to-sideline. He’s a very good blitzer. He’s not a big-bodied inside linebacker that’s going to take on blocks, but his athleticism, his range, and his ability to just make plays — in both the run and pass game — is really intriguing. He’s a high-level prospect.”

Traditionally, off-the-ball prospects don’t get selected high in the first round, but recently those trends have changed with linebackers such as Devin White (selected 5th in 2019), Roquan Smith (drafted 8th in 2018) and Devin Bush (10th in 2019) all being drafted in the top-10. If the Lions trade back from pick No. 3, Simmons will surely be in the conversation.

Bob Quinn anticipating more roster moves over the next few weeks

Over the last 72 hours, the Detroit Lions have been connected to a few roster moves, but more moves are expected to happen over the next few weeks.

So far this offseason, it’s been relatively quiet in Allen Park when it comes to negotiating with players on expired contracts. But over the last 72 hours, we’ve started to see some movement.

On Thursday, it was reported that Damon Harrison and the Lions will mutually part ways, as it was announced that Harrison would not be back, and yesterday, it was reported that the Lions would be re-signing WR Danny Amendola to a one-year deal.

The Lions have yet to announce either move, but the players and their agents have confirmed these decisions.

As it stands right now, the Lions have 66 players on their roster, but over the next two months — after free agency and the draft — the roster will contain 90 players entering Spring mini-camp.

“We are talking to a lot of agents of our current guys, but I think there’s a little bit of a stall because of the uncertainty of the CBA,” Lions general manager Bob Quinn replied to Tori Petry when asked about contract negotiations with players that are about to hit free agency. “With a new CBA, a lot of things can change in terms of how you can structure things.”

Quinn assured the Lions fans that while the franchise may seem quiet, that is certainly not the case behind the scenes, saying “we are having a lot of good conversations, but nothing has really passed the finish line yet, but we are hoping to get a few things done in the next week or so.”

As par for the course, there is as a level of uncertainty when it comes to negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement as owners and players must both agree to terms. Devon Kennard is the player rep for the Detroit Lions and recently spoke about wanting more discussion.

To watch Quinn answer directly about contractual negotiations, start the video below at the 3:22 mark.

Watch: The Lions behind the scenes at the Senior Bowl

The Detroit Lions media department continues its “Road to the Draft” video series, with a new perspective, going behind the scenes at the Senior Bowl.

The Detroit Lions media department has put out a series of videos based on the Lions “Road to the Draft”, and so far, the videos we have seen — like being mic’d up at Senior Bowl practices, and coach Matt Patricia mic’s up during the Senior Bowl game — have been mostly from the coaches’ point of view. But this video is different.

In this video, the Lions’ media department shifted away from traditional mic’d up videos and presented a narrated video reminiscent of an NFL Films documentary.

The video opens by setting the table for the Lions offseason, showing clips from general manager’s Bob Quinn’s end of the year press conference and coach Matt Patricia’s opening day Senior Bowl press conference.

At the 4:55 mark, we get our first offseason interview with Kyle O’Brien the vice president of player personnel, who is one of Quinn’s top advisors. O’Brien overviews how the Lions scouts begin draft prep and how they’re able to extend their prospect research in the Senior Bowl setting.

Roman Phifer, a former NFL linebacker and current Lions’ area scout, and Lance Newmark, director of player personnel (another of Quinn’s top advisors), expand on O’Brien’s ideas, discussing the advantages of learning about players in this environment.

The next segment focuses on blending the new Lions coaches with the old, showing candid interactions between Patricia and new coordinators Cory Undlin (defense) and Brayden Coombs (special teams). The film room discussion between coaches was very fun to watch.

The video concludes with a look at the game. You can watch the entire 22 minutes video below: