Open thread: Do you agree with the Lions’ decision to not draft a quarterback so far?

Nov 30, 2022 - 11:00 AM

We’re almost two whole years into the Detroit Lions general manager Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell regime, and we’ve seen a lot of progress. The previous roster had to be torn down and rebuilt into their vision, and at this point, the Lions are in a very good position with a much more well-rounded roster and plenty of draft capital entering 2023.

One position that’s far from complete, however, is quarterback. Aside from the acquisition of Jared Goff from the Matthew Stafford trade, this regime has yet to invest anything meaningful into the position, putting them into a tough spot in the upcoming draft.

Question of the day: Do you agree with Brad Holmes’ decision not to draft a quarterback so far?

The Lions really are stuck between a rock and a hard place heading into 2023. It has become painfully apparent that Jared Goff is not the long-term answer, and so as long as he’s around the Lions will be held back from realizing their true potential. A third season with Goff under center puts them in a bad position no matter how complete the rest of the roster is, and failure to show progress in year three of the rebuild could put Campbell and potentially homes on the hot seat.

After two drafts of passing on the quarterback position, the Lions don’t have much of a choice but to address it. That puts them in a tough spot where they’re going to have to fall in love with a quarterback this draft cycle, like it or not. Likewise, it renders any leverage they had nonexistent where the team is good enough that they may have to give up significant draft capital to be in a position to get said quarterback. Lucky for them, the Rams pick currently looks like it’ll be a very early pick, but that’s still far from guaranteed.

My answer: I don’t hate the decision to pass on a quarterback during the past two drafts, but I don’t think that that’s how I would have done it.

A lot of folks, myself included, were pounding the table for Justin Fields when the Lions had the chance to nab him. How that turns out is yet to be seen, but it hasn’t been great so far, so I guess that’s why I’m not the General Manager.

The biggest flaw I see with Holmes’ approach is that he may not have a leash for two franchise quarterbacks if the first doesn’t work out. Year three of a rebuild means you need to show results, and that eliminates quarterbacks that may need time to develop, like Anthony Richardson. It also means that if you get a guy you love, say C.J. Stroud for the sake of example, and he doesn’t work out, you’re likely four years into a rebuild without results to show for it. That usually doesn’t lead to you sticking around for a fifth year to draft again, especially if the draft pick is high enough to get a good quarterback.

All in all, I understand Holmes’ decision-making, but he’s really laying it all on the line with finding a pro-ready quarterback this offseason, and that’s a really tough spot to be in.

Your turn. Do you agree with Holmes’ approach? Vote below and let us know your thoughts.