Detroit Lions Fans, Don’t Expect Marvin Jones to Replace Calvin Johnson
By Andrew Mills
Calvin Johnson played nine seasons with the Detroit Lions accumulating numerous NFL and franchise records. After watching an All-Time great for nearly a decade, Lions fans should be wary of placing too much pressure on his replacement.
Calvin Johnson’s retirement earlier this month left the Detroit Lions with huge shoes to fill. His nine year career with the Lions saw him dominate like few other wide receivers have and he holds numerous NFL and franchise records to prove it. While his retirement was not entirely unexpected, it is difficult to develop a plan for replacing a once in a lifetime type of talent. The Lions chose to address the hole by acquiring Marvin Jones in free agency.
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Jones has played three seasons in the NFL since being drafted in 2012 (he missed the 2014 season due to injury), all with the Cincinnati Bengals. This is what Bengals insider Joe Goodberry, of cincyjungle.com, had to say about Jones prior to his signing with the Lions:
"Marvin Jones is a quick-twitched athlete with the ability to stretch defenses with his ball skills and good speed. He has a surprising toughness about him and it shows when he’s running after the catch and blocking in the run game. Jones routinely makes impressive catches and seems to play big in moments when the team needs him. He has really developed as a route runner and his release has gone from an area of concern to an area of strength over the past four years. Jones is more than a deep threat, I feel like he can win on most routes and make tough catches also."
This description of Jones is obviously one that would make Lions fans excited. A guy with good size (6’2″, 199 lbs) who has improved as a route runner and can be a deep threat is the type of receiver that most teams would covet. The things that Jones lacks however are what really set him apart from Megatron.
Goodberry goes on to say:
"Jones isn’t an automatic hands-catcher; he often looks more comfortable body-catching and when he needs to reach for a pass, it isn’t a clean grab. This leads to silly-looking drops and missed opportunities. Injuries have impacted his career so far."
Calvin Johnson was the ultimate bail-out plan for Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford’s live arm, combined with Johnson’s immense size (6’5″, 239 lbs), body control and hands made for a lethal combination.
Stafford often seemed to happy to rely on a strategy of putting the ball near Johnson because he nearly always would come down with it. Jones is not that kind of receiver and that should cause Lions fans to temper expectations.
Stafford has never been the most accurate quarterback. In fact, I have spoken with numerous people who believe that Stafford’s inaccurate passes may have taken years off of Calvin Johnson’s career.
With Jones as the Lions number one receiving option going into the 2016 season, I would expect the Lions to modify their offense to create easier throws for Stafford.
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All of this is not to say that I think the Marvin Jones signing was a poor move by the Lions. In true Detroit Lions fashion, it was just their luck that the year their future Hall of Fame wide receiver decided to retire, it was a down year for the position in free agency.