Winners and Losers of Detroit Lions' Offseason so Far
Everyone falls into two different categories: winners and losers. Actually, there's a ton of grey area in between those two, but not when you look at the Detroit Lions' offseason.
There are clear winners and losers from all of the trades, signings and draft selections that have gone down over the past five months, and I'm here to find eight particular individuals to slap a definitive label on.
But because I'm a nice guy, I tried to end the losers' slides with a bit of encouragement or hope. Every one of these guys is in control of his destiny, and nobody was ever judged by their offseason performances.
So who made the list? Click through to find out.
Loser: DE Ziggy Ansah
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There's a popular opinion out there regarding Ziggy Ansah, and Ryan Riddle of DraftMetric.com summed it up below:
"This could be perceived as confirmation bias on my part, but I predict a statistical setback for Ansah this season with Suh and Fairley out.
— Ryan Riddle (@Ryan_Riddle) June 7, 2015"
The theory is simple. Without the pocket penetrators like Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley on the inside, opposing offensive lines will be able to turn their attention to Ansah. This much is true, and it makes Ansah a loser this offseason...so far.
The hope is that free-agent acquisition Tyrunn Walker, second-year prospect Caraun Reid and Gabe Wright can provide enough interior push to give guards and running backs pause when picking their targets.
But none of that matters to Ansah. He still has designs on being the "greatest at my position and what I do," per Paula Pasche of the Oakland Press. A full offseason—a first for Ansah—could help him achieve that goal and flip the notion of losing this offseason on its head.
Winner: C Travis Swanson
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There were rumors before the draft that Detroit would target center Cameron Erving in the first round. Josh Norris of Rotoworld's point—and it has merit—was that you don't pass up a better player because you already have someone manning that position.
The scenario never came to pass since Erving was taken 19th overall by the Cleveland Browns. Yet it appears that Swanson was too busy working out to notice.
He spent the beginning months of his offseason training and studying with his old Arkansas coaches, per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. Offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi believes it helped Detroit's new starting center, and he told Birkett that Swanson's future appears bright:
"He's super smart. He's strong in the middle. Just everything you want in a center. One of our big emphases this year is to keep a strong pocket in the middle for Matt (Stafford), for the quarterback, and he's got that ability to hold the pocket, and he's going to have a lot of help from some stout guards. Between Manny (Ramirez), Laken (Tomlinson) and Larry, those guys are also strong guys that are going to be able to keep the defense off of Matt's toes.
"
Detroit didn't bring in any sure-fire competition for Swanson, although Manny Ramirez has plenty of experience in the role and will give him a battle.
However, Swanson was a fixture at first-team center during OTAs and will head into training camp with the type of hold on the position that doesn't draw a flag.
Loser: TE Eric Ebron
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Matthew Stafford was given a pass for years because of his injuries and youth. Eric Ebron won't get the same treatment.
He gets a year. Tops.
Ebron did miss three games last season, but that doesn't explain his lack of production (25 receptions). Rookie tight ends often don't excel because of the complicated nature of the position. And Lombardi's offense asks even more from its tight ends than most systems.
However, the key to his rough offseason thus far has been his drops. It's an issue that haunted him in college, and Birkett (h/t Norris) reports that it has resurfaced in OTAs:
"Drops are apparently still an issue for Eric Ebron. 11.43 drop rate his final year at UNC https://t.co/anPUpyjVAl
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) June 2, 2015"
It's still very early in the year to make any definitive statements. According to Birkett, veteran wide receiver Golden Tate said Ebron has been catching the ball well and expects a breakout season for the former Tar Heel.
Those could be the words of a teammate trying to keep a youngster's head up and in the game. It could also be the truth.
Regardless, Ebron isn't off to a flawless start, and he won't receive the benefit of time to work things out for much longer—in the eyes of the fans, that is.
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Winner: RB Joique Bell
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Some might see a crowded backfield as a problem for a lead back. And those same people might call me a cock-eyed optimist because I see it as a positive.
That's all because I have a "negative" outlook on Joique Bell's career trajectory.
Bell is never going to be a must-have star who breaks the bank with a new contract. He's a nice player who will have a nice career if he stays healthy. His current three-year, $9.3 million deal is probably the peak of his earning potential.
So a large workload isn't going to help him in the long run.
In fact, it might hurt him since the only year when he had more than 200 rushing attempts doubles as the only season in which he missed a game.
Rookie Ameer Abdullah is going to bring a different style and eat some of those carries, meaning Bell will be fresher during the game and not as beat up afterwards.
Loser: WR/KR Jeremy Ross
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According to MLive.com's Kyle Meinke, the Lions have sent the message to Jeremy Ross that last year's effort wasn't good enough, and it wasn't very subtle:
"Kick returners were Quandre Diggs, Ryan Broyles, TJ Jones, Ameer Abdullah. Jeremy Ross was NOT with them.
— Kyle Meinke (@kmeinke) June 4, 2015"
Ross is an OK receiver. It shouldn't be overly difficult to replace his 24 receptions, 314 yards and one touchdown from last season, so he needs to make his mark in the return game.
He wasn't terrible in 2014, finishing in the top 11 for both punt and kick return average, but his mistakes were too numerous and simple. He has to know never to field punts inside the team's 5-yard line and be conservative inside the 10.
Those mistakes, however, are correctable. The only question is if he'll get a chance to prove he's learned his lesson with so many others gunning for his main gig.
Winner: GM Martin Mayhew
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The proof is in the Pro Football Focus pudding for general manager Martin Mayhew. Obviously, the real measure for a front office is wins, but we have to get more creative in the offseason.
PFF and ESPN recently released a ranking of every NFL roster's talent using PFF's intricate grading system and plain-old analysis. Sam Monson broke down why Detroit was ranked so high:
"The Lions have done a really good job of upgrading their roster the past few seasons. Elite talents like Johnson remain, but they have been augmented by a steady influx of talent on both sides of the ball: Wide receiver Tate, free safety Quin, defensive end Ansah and guard Warford.
As a result, the Lions have a roster with few holes, even after the departure of Ndamukong Suh in free agency. They nearly won a close, controversial playoff game last season, and it won't take much of an improvement for Detroit to be a real contender in 2015.
"
So despite screwing up the Ndamukong Suh contract situation in the past, Detroit actually moved up four spots in the rankings after losing the future Hall of Famer.
And Mayhew is still getting one benefit from Suh. The new Dolphin took Caraun Reid under his wing this offseason, both in the weight room and the film room, according to Meinke. Reid reported to camp in excellent shape, and hopefully that type of tutelage can help him improve like Darius Slay did with Rod Woodson's help.
Lastly, Mayhew won a rather easy game of chicken with one of his veteran leaders (featured on the next slide). It wasn't a knockout win for Mayhew, but he definitely toppled the competition.
That prudence, combined with the trade for Haloti Ngata and a well-respected draft class, gives Mayhew a preliminary win in the search for many more.
Loser: S James Ihedigbo
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James Ihedigbo isn't stupid. He knows that you have to cash in on your opportunities in the "Not For Long" league.
And he tried. He vastly outperformed his paltry $1.15 million salary in 2014 by racking up 71 tackles (seven for a loss), two sacks, eight passes defensed and four interceptions.
It made sense that he wanted a new deal. It made sense that he stayed away from the facility when his teammates first reported to camp in an effort to put pressure on the franchise. But there was never any question in most people's minds how this would play out:
"#Lions S James Ihedigbo is reporting to the team today for OTAs, source said. A show of faith in the team, perhaps? He wants a new deal
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 26, 2015"
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media suggested that Ihedigbo's presence could be a "show of faith." However, it's much likelier to be acknowledgement of reality. A 31-year-old safety isn't going to get the benefit of the doubt for one good year after a career that's ranged from Amari Spievey to average in caliber.
Good teams don't pay for outliers. It's on Ihedigbo to prove 2014 wasn't one.
Winner: Matthew Stafford
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Detroit couldn't move the ball on the ground in 2014. Mayhew drafted Laken Tomlinson in the first round and Ameer Abdullah in the second.
Last year's scheme relied on lateral movement, and the offensive line wasn't built to handle it. The coaching staff shifted its philosophy to a more power-based blocking scheme for next season, which will fit the personnel much better.
The Lions also gave up 45 sacks a season ago, which is another reason for the Tomlinson pick and Manny Ramirez trade. The pocket should be sturdier with more room to step into throws in order to deliver them with accuracy.
Plus, Matthew Stafford is 27 years old and entering his second year with a coaching staff that was assembled to help him reach his potential.
Everything about this offseason was set up to make Stafford as comfortable as possible.
Of course, each move also removed every excuse for the lack of offensive success. Now it's on Stafford to take his winning offseason and translate it to the field.
All advanced stats, grades and positional rankings are courtesy of Pro Football Focus. Contract information courtesy of Spotrac.
Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.
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