Disagreeing with NFL Expert Greg Cosell About the Detroit Lions Draft Philosophy

NFL Films' Greg Cosell is on the short list of the top thinkers in the football media. This week, he wrote about the way the NFL draft gives us a peek into the minds of franchises with his piece, "Teams Reveal Their Beliefs in the Draft."

Cosell uses the draft as a key to decipher a team's current beliefs about their roster. He starts with the Detroit Lions:

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This was a team that imploded defensively the last half of the 2011 season. Yet, the Lions selected OT Riley Reiff and WR Ryan Broyles with their first two picks.... This team is built around arguably the best young passer in the NFL, Matthew Stafford... the offensive side of the ball can never be allowed to suffer due to neglect. It’s the longer view, and the correct one.

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My Take: I'm not sure I agree with Cosell's conclusion here. The Lions gave Calvin Johnson 60 million dollars guaranteed in a contract extension in March. They spent a second-round pick on a receiver (Titus Young) last year. They gave Nate Burleson a five-year, 25 million dollar contract in free agency in 2010. They drafted TE Brandon Pettigrew in the first round in 2009.

The passing offense has certainly not been neglected and is in no danger of suffering at the moment. The offensive line is an important unit to address, but would the team have taken Reiff if one of CB Dre Kirkpatrick or DE Shea McClellin was still on the board? I believe GM Martin Mayhew took the best player available, and it just happened to address an offensive need.

Broyles was presumably drafted to eventually replace Burleson, but was that more important than taking a defensive end like Vinny Curry when the bottom could drop out of that position soon if Cliff Avril isn't signed long-term and Kyle Vanden Bosch experiences a steep dropoff due to age? I can't say Broyles was the correct pick.