Detroit Lions Approaching Pivotal Moment in Franchise History

The Detroit Lions are one of the NFL’s most infamous franchises. After decades of frustration, is this organization finally on the brink of success?

It’s crunch time in the Motor City. After a successful 2016 NFL season, the Detroit Lions are in the midst of one of the most eventful and important offseasons in recent memory. After years of struggle and frustration, what happens in the coming months will likely dictate the direction of this franchise for years to come. Will the Lions emerge as a respected and successful organization, or will they return to the dubious distinctions that were the hallmark of years past?

There are many variables to consider at this important moment in franchise history. But one thing is for certain: if the Lions fail, it won’t be for a lack of trying.

When the new league year opened on March 9, 2017, general manager Bob Quinn didn’t hesitate to act. After shoring up the offensive line, adding solid depth to the defense, and releasing long-time fan favorite linebacker DeAndre Levy, Quinn now faces a whole new set of challenges. The first wave of free agency is always flashy and exciting, but once the dust settles on the big-money signings, the real work truly begins.

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For one, the NFL Draft is fast approaching. Without question, the annual selection extravaganza is always important, but this year the urgency of this event cannot be understated. The Lions find themselves in a unique situation as the 2017 season looms large. While the team finished 9-7 and made a postseason appearance in 2016, they were seldom considered serious contenders in the NFC. They struggled with top competition and beat only a single team with a record above .500 (Washington, 8-7-1). They also earned eight of their nine wins by the skin of their teeth (more on that later), and only won one contest by more than seven points. Put simply, with a little less luck and a few more bad bounces, this could very easily have been a five-win team.

The roster, while generally talented, does have its areas of weakness, and those areas need to be addressed before this franchise can take the next step forward. Currently armed with eight picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, Quinn and company have an excellent opportunity to upgrade the talent base and stock up for a deeper playoff run. How the organization handles this process will almost certainly define the outcome of the 2017 season.

The franchise appears to be taking this process very seriously. In fact, Lions President Rod Wood recently made it clear that the team has increased it’s budget on the scouting and acquisition process, per Tim Twentyman:

Wood: “We’ve invested in the whole process of player acquisition, both in terms of the people we’ve hired and the process...
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) March 29, 2017

"Bob’s team goes through in evaluating players both in pro days and Combine and any other way they need to to get to know the players."
— Tim Twentyman (@ttwentyman) March 29, 2017

The team’s increased commitment, both in terms of time and finance, unquestionably spells good news for the future. Player acquisition, however, isn’t all that Wood is currently concerned with. In fact, he has also been in the news recently for his statements that the franchise intends to make bids to host both the Super Bowl and the NFL Draft in the coming seasons (per The Detroit News).

Jan 1, 2017; Detroit, MI, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /

While these ideas are ambitious and appear somewhat unlikely on the surface, it is apparent that Lions management is taking a much more proactive approach than in years past. So much so, that Wood recently requested that the NFL grant the team more home games to start the 2017 campaign (per The Detroit Free Press). The Lions are the only franchise in the league to play three of their first four games on the road in each of the last two seasons, and Wood would like to see that change:

"“We’re generally one at home and three on the road (to start the schedule in recent years),” Wood said. “And that puts you a little bit behind the curve in terms of your scheduling. If you get off to a rough start, you’re in the hole that we were last year and we dug ourselves out, but I would rather at least have an opportunity to have at least two of the first four at home.”"

After the Lions started 0-4 in 2015 and 1-3 in 2016, it’s not terribly difficult to see why he might feel this way. Whether the NFL grants his request or not is very much up in the air, but it’s clear that the team is serious about making any and all changes necessary to ensure success.

With all of that said, the most important domino to fall for the Lions this offseason is agreeing to a new contract with franchise quarterback Matthew Stafford. In 2016, Stafford produced one of the finest seasons of his career, and set an NFL record with eight fourth quarter comeback victories. Stafford currently has only a year left on his deal and is set to hit unrestricted free agency in 2018.

Clearly, the Lions won’t allow that to happen. The franchise has eight years invested in Stafford, and there’s no way they will let him go after a season in which he looked the part of a top-10 NFL passer. In fact, during a recent appearance on PFT Live (per Pro Football Talk), Quinn revealed that the organization has already opened contract talks with its star player. However, the ultimate sticking point will come down to contract details.

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At times in 2016, Stafford carried the Lions on his back, making clutch throws and executing the two minute offense nearly flawlessly, while leading the team back from the brink of defeat. After a Week 14 injury to the middle finger of his throwing hand, Stafford struggled a bit and the Lions never won another game. There is no greater evidence of his value to the team than this fact.

However, there is always a danger in paying a player when he’s coming off arguably his best season. Will he do it again? Will he fall back into his (occasionally) turnover-prone ways? Will Jim Bob Cooter‘s offense continue to be effective or will opposing defenses successfully scheme to divert his ball control-oriented gameplan? Stafford has spent the majority of his career as a gunslinger, and his sudden emergence as an efficient, methodical passer isn’t guaranteed to stand the test of time.

The Lions likely have no qualms about compensating him in a big way, but they may not be prepared to make him the game’s highest paid signal caller, as some outlets have reported could be the case. If that were to happen, Stafford’s annual average salary would exceed the $24,594,000 (per Sportrac) that the Indianapolis Colts awarded quarterback Andrew Luck in June of 2016. If a team is going to commit that kind of money to one player, they have to be certain that it’s the right decision.

The upcoming contract negotiations will likely be one of the most-discussed Lions stories of the year. Having said that, don’t expect things to get overly contentious. Both sides are seeking a future together and Stafford’s re-signing appears to be a matter of “when”, not “if.”

Next: Evaluating Lions 2017 Free Agency Signings

With such an eventful offseason on the horizon, this is both a time of hope and caution for one of the game’s most interesting organizations. After years of being disrespected and dismissed, the Detroit Lions find themselves at a fork in the road. One path leads to prominence, the other to obscurity. The margin between winning and losing in the NFL is minimal, and one missed step can lead to years of turmoil, a fact that Lions fans have come to know all too well. What happens next will define this franchise for years to come.

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