The Kerby Joseph Panic Is Manufactured Drama
Look, I understand why Lions fans freak out about injuries. We have earned that anxiety over decades of watching good players get hurt and never come back the same. But the Kerby Joseph situation has been driven almost entirely by internet speculation and none of the actual facts support the doom and gloom narrative.
Here is what we know: we do not know what the injury actually is. The Lions have never told us. Detroit has never said at any point that this is career altering or that Joseph will never heal. Joseph himself has never said that. He may have mentioned something about not being able to get surgery to fix it, but that does not necessarily mean the pain is permanent.
The Lions had every opportunity to place him on injured reserve last season and chose not to until the very end of the year when it did not matter. He has been dancing. Going to his friend’s wedding. Posting videos of himself working out in the Lions training room. There is nothing about him that says it is over.
On top of that, Detroit has continued to pay out his bonuses. They could have restructured something or taken any number of steps to stop paying a player they supposedly believe will never play again. They did not. Because they know what I think I know: he is fine.
Is it worrisome? Of course it is worrisome. But basing a career obituary on internet doctors who never treated the man, never looked at his X-rays, and are barely going off hearsay is absurd.
Drew Petzing Is The Right Hire And It Is Not Even A Question
The idea that nobody wanted to work for the Lions and they had to settle for Petzing is laughable. Detroit interviewed more candidates for the offensive coordinator job than they ever have. Everybody lined up for it.
I did not love the John Morton hiring when it happened. I said that at the time. But Petzing is different. The Lions want to run the ball more than anything in this world. They want to run it to set up the pass, use heavy gap scheme concepts, and utilize tight ends in 12 and 13 personnel packages. Petzing was the guy to do that. Bringing in Mike Kafka to help attack the deep passing game makes the whole thing click even further.
And this idea that Jared Goff cannot throw the ball deep has never been true. Anytime they called deep shots, he was one of the more accurate deep passers in the league. They just did not dial those plays up often enough. The gap scheme system brings the defense forward, keeps them honest against the run, and opens up huge opportunities downfield. It makes all the sense in the world for this roster.
The Window Is Not Closed
When ESPN polled executives, coaches, and scouts to rank the top 10 players at every position, no team had more players ranked than Detroit with nine. Those players are young and under contract for at least three to four seasons. The Lions are the sixth youngest team in the league.
Do not tell me the window is closed.
The Lions Do Not Need A Blockbuster Trade To Win
You see other teams trading for big names and think those squads are automatically Super Bowl contenders. But when has that actually worked? The Packers traded for Micah Parsons last year. Great player. But when he got hurt, Green Bay fell out of first place, limped into the playoffs, and lost in the first round. The Ravens traded for Max Crosby and then decided he was not healthy enough to play for them.
The Lions had a spectacular free agency. Cade Mays was one of the biggest free agents on the market. Roger McCreary, Ben Bartch, Juice Scruggs, and Tyler Conklin all filled real needs. They just did not do anything sexy. And that is fine, because the Pro Bowlers and All-Pros are already on this roster.
Trading for a Crosby or a Myles Garrett gives you a dopamine hit. But it also means you cannot keep Brian Branch or Sam LaPorta down the road. You have to cut somebody. And it is all for a maybe. Maybe just does not move the needle.
The Draft Was Exactly What This Team Needed
For the first time in a while, Detroit picked players at positions of need and picked them early. Tackle in the first round. Edge rusher in the second. A cornerback steal in the fifth.
The Lions were fourth in sacks and sixth in pressures last season. The problem was not that they could not get home. The problem was depth beyond Aidan Hutchinson and Alim McNeill, and third down struggles tied to losing their entire secondary. Derrick Moore, DJ Wonnum, and Skyler Gilhousen should help.
This draft has everything the Lions need to get over the hump. Let’s see how it plays out in camp.
So which narrative do you think was the most overblown this offseason? Are we right to trust Brad Holmes or are we all just coping? Drop your take below.
