When Necessity Becomes Strategy
Sometimes the best plans start with no plan at all. The Lions threw Jackson Meeks into tight end duties out of pure desperation when their entire position group went down with injuries late in the season last year. What was supposed to be a one-game emergency fix is looking more and more like something Brad Holmes might actually want to keep around.
Meeks worked with the tight ends for the rest of the year after that initial experiment. Now he’s back at it during OTAs, running drills with LaPorta and the boys instead of lining up with the receivers. That’s not an accident.
The Devin Funchess Blueprint
At 218 pounds, Meeks isn’t exactly your traditional tight end build. But he’s got the height, and the Lions have shown they’re not afraid to get creative with personnel. Think Devin Funchess but with better hands and actual football sense.
The beauty here is versatility. Meeks could slide between receiver and tight end depending on what the offense needs. One snap he’s flexed out wide, the next he’s attached to the line creating mismatches in the middle of the field. The offensive coordinator probably has a whole folder of plays drawn up already.
Roster Math Never Lies
Let’s be honest about the receiver room. It’s pretty damn crowded with Amon-Ra locked in at the top, Jameson Williams finding his groove, and the Lions adding depth. Meeks needs an edge to stick around, and this tight end experiment might be exactly that.
At minimum, this gives him a clearer path to the practice squad. At best, he becomes that Swiss Army knife player every offensive coordinator dreams about. The kind of guy who makes defensive coordinators pull their hair out because they can’t figure out where to line him up.
Is this Holmes turning a desperate move into genius strategy, or are we reading too much into some OTA reps? Let me know what you think in the comments.
This is exactly the kind of creative thinking that makes me actually believe in what Brad and Dan are building. Meeks having those natural hands and size could legit be a problem for defenses if we can get him some real reps. Love seeing the org think outside the box instead of just forcing square pegs into round holes.
Look I get the optimism but let’s pump the brakes a little. OTA reps don’t mean squat if the guy can’t stay healthy or actually prove it in real games. Hope I’m wrong but I’ve seen too many ‘sneaky weapon’ type moves fizzle out fast.
Man this is what separates good front offices from the ones we suffered through back in the day. They’re not afraid to experiment and find creative solutions instead of just checking boxes. Reminds me of how the greats used to think about the game.
Honestly if Meeks can become even a decent depth piece at tight end that’s massive for our roster flexibility. We need guys who can line up multiple ways and make life hell for defensive coordinators. This could be the kind of smart depth move that wins games in January.