Sometimes the best moves happen when you’re not even trying to make them. The Lions brought in Tyre West for a visit, which sounds routine enough until you realize the Jets had him in for a visit too.
And yes, I know what you’re thinking. Aaron Glenn is sitting in New York right now, building his coaching staff and eyeing talent for his new team. The same Aaron Glenn who spent years in Allen Park and knows exactly what works in this system.
West’s name showing up on both visit lists isn’t some cosmic coincidence. When two organizations that share recent DNA are looking at the same player, that’s usually a tell that someone knows something.
The Glenn Connection Changes Everything
This isn’t just about losing a potential signing to a division rival or conference opponent. Glenn understands the Lions’ defensive philosophy because he helped build it. He knows which types of players thrive in Detroit and which ones wash out.
If Glenn wanted West in New York, there’s probably a damn good reason for it. The fact that Detroit hosted him for a visit might be one of those happy accidents that actually matters.
Look, we’ve seen this movie before. Former Lions coaches and executives end up elsewhere and suddenly they’re raiding the same talent pools they used to stock. It’s the NFL way.
Timing Is Everything
The Lions have gotten pretty good at identifying talent that fits their culture and system. When that same talent shows up on Glenn’s radar in New York, it’s validation that Detroit’s evaluation process is working.
West could be a depth piece or he could be something more. But knowing that the Jets were sniffing around the same guy adds a layer of intrigue to what looked like a standard workout.
Sometimes you win the battles you didn’t even know you were fighting. If West ends up in Honolulu Blue instead of Jets green, that’s exactly what happened here.
Did the Lions just accidentally outmaneuver their former defensive coordinator, or is this just another case of great minds thinking alike? Let me know in the comments.
Okay this is the kind of chess move I like to see. Glenn knows the system inside and out so if he’s eyeing West, that means we should be looking at him too. The fact that we got him in early could actually be a huge advantage here.
Hold up, let’s not act like we’ve already signed the guy. Two teams bringing in the same player happens all the time in the NFL, it doesn’t always mean someone beat someone else out. I’ll believe this matters when we actually see West on the field in a Lions uniform.
You know this reminds me of the way things used to work back in the day, when you could actually get a feel for what other guys in the league were thinking just by paying attention. Glenn leaving and then both teams going after the same talent tells you something about how the evaluation process really works.