Bob Quinn has spent two years reshaping the Detroit Lions' roster and staff Oliver Ekman-Larsson Jersey , bringing in players and coaches he knew from their years together with the New England Patriots.
The Lions have won nine games in each of the past two seasons, which wasn't enough for Jim Caldwell to keep his job. Quinn believes they will be drafting from a position of strength.
"With the way the roster is today, I don't think I'm in a position to reach for any position of so-called need," Quinn insisted. "I'm not eliminating any position."
The Lions would stun everyone if they took a quarterback No. 20 overall Thursday night with many millions invested in Matthew Stafford, or a wide receiver with more than a few options on the team. They could justify bolstering coach Matt Patricia's first team at any other position, especially defensive end and offensive guard.
UP FRONT
The Lions were last in the league in rushing and have been among the NFL's worst offensively on the ground in recent years. Even if they made a bold move to trade up and select Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, it may not matter if the offensive line doesn't improve. There seem to be four solid blockers: tackles Taylor Decker and Ricky Wagner, guard T.J. Lang and center Graham Glasgow. The team's fifth option, Wesley Johnson, isn't likely an attractive option; the New York Jets didn't want to re-sign him.
That may all add up to Detroit drafting a guard or center in the first round.
"I have no problem taking an interior offensive lineman," Quinn said.
ON THE EDGE
Detroit desperately needs help at defensive end because Ezekiel Ansah is playing on a franchise tag, possibly in his last year with the team. Quinn plans to make picks based on what the team will need up to 18 months away.
"We kind of look that far, knowing that guys are going to be unrestricted free agents after this year, but also the following year," Quinn said. "There's a really good balance there that we have to talk about and kind of envision our needs not just for today, but in the years ahead."
The other options at defensive end such as Anthony Zettel and Kerry Hyder Tobias Rieder Jersey , who missed all of last season with an Achilles tendon injury, don't generate much excitement.
MAYBE LATER
Quinn may choose a running back in a later round, hoping to find a flyer. He did add another former Patriot, LeGarrette Blount, to the position to compete with Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick.
"If we had to go play a football game today, I think we have enough running backs to be competitive," Quinn said.
SAME PAGE
Patricia is an NFL head coach for the first time entering the draft, but he has a lot of experience with Quinn because they worked together with the Patriots for a dozen years.
"I had heard about Matt from Bob for two years before we had the chance to meet," Lions president Rod Wood said, sitting between Quinn and Patricia at a season ticket holders gathering. "I told him recently, 'I think he undersold him, and he was selling him.' The relationship is strong, the language they speak, the trust. The ability I think to build the team through kind of one long-term vision of what we're going to be about.
"This is probably the first time I've sat between them since they've been in town. They're together all the time."
HITS, MISSES AND BARGAINS
Detroit appeared to reach for tight end Eric Ebron at No. 10 overall in 2014. This offseason, the team acknowledged the mistake when it cut him. The Lions would have been better off with any of the players taking immediately after Ebron: offensive tackle Taylor Lewan Christian Dvorak Jersey , receiver Odell Beckham Jr., and defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Quinn landed a late-round gem last season, selecting All-Pro punt returner Jamal Agnew in the fifth round.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Super Bowl winner, cancer survivor and NFLPA treasurer Mark Herzlich was among the 36 player moves made by the New York Giants in getting down to the league’s 53-man roster limit.
The Giants announced the moves Saturday in what won’t be the last ones for the first team under new coach Pat Shurmur. General manager Dave Gettleman plans to scour the waiver wire this weekend to bolster a team that went 3-13 last season.
There were some surprises. Defensive tackles A.J. Francis and Robert Thomas were released after playing well in the preseason, while free safeties Andrew Adams and Darian Thompson also were let go after contributing much of the past two seasons.
One other surprise was the Giants kept four quarterbacks: Eli Manning, Davis Webb, rookie draft pick Kyle Lauletta and veteran Alex Tanney.
Herzlich, who turned 31 on Saturday, had his contract terminated along with defensive backs Leonard Johnson and Chris Lewis-Harris, and offensive lineman Chris Scott.
Thompson, who missed most of the preseason with a hamstring injury, and linebacker Jordan Williams (hip/shoulder) were waived-injured.
Waived were: running backs Jalen Simmons and Jhurell Pressley; wide receivers Roger Lewis, Kalif Raymond, Travis Rudolph, Alonzo Russell Carter Hutton Jersey , Marquis Bundy, Amba Etta-Tawo, and Jawill Davis; tight ends Ryan O’Malley and Garrett Dickerson; offensive linemen Malcolm Bunche, Zac Kerin, and Victor Salako; defensive linemen Thomas, Francis, Tyrell Chavis, and Izaah Lunsford; linebackers Calvin Munson, Warren Long, and Avery Moss; defensive backs Grant Haley, Mike Jones, Orion Stewart, and Adams; and kicker Marshall Koehn.
Offensive linemen Nick Becton (ankle/wrist) and free agent Nick Gates (foot) were placed on injured reserve. Defensive lineman RJ McIntosh, the team’s fifth-round draft choice, was placed on the reserve/non-football injury list.
Defensive lineman Josh Mauro will start the season on the reserve/suspended list. He is suspended for the first four games for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drugs policy.
Writing on his Instagram account Saturday, Herzlich said goodbye to New York after seven seasons and signed off with #onceagiantalwaysagiant.
The move leaves quarterback Eli Manning and long snapper Zak DeOssie as the remaining players from Super Bowl-winning team after the 2011 season Scott Hartnell Jersey , Herzlich’s rookie season.
The Boston College product beat the odds to make the NFL as an undrafted free agent. He missed the entire 2009 college season after being diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. He returned in 2010 and made the Giants the following season.
“Excellence is the result of CARING more than others think is wise; RISKING more than others think is safe. DREAMING more than others think is practical and EXPECTING more than others think is possible,” Herzlich wrote in saying goodbye.
Herzlich played in 88 regular-season games with the Giants, making 17 starts and excelling on special teams. He was on injured reserve last season with a stinger.
Five of the team’s six draft choices (Saquon Barkley, Will Hernandez, Lorenzo Carter, B.J. Hill, and Lauletta) made the team. Four undrafted rookies and first-year players made roster: center Evan Brown, safety Sean Chandler, linebacker Tae Davis, and running back Robert Martin) along with second-year defensive tackle Josh Banks.
Thompson started all 16 games at safety last season. The third-round pick has battled injuries in his first two seasons and missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury.
Adams had 17 starts in his two seasons in New York, playing in 30 games. He never seemed to fit in the new 3-4 defensive scheme.
With the receiving corps decimated by injuries last season, Lewis started eight games last season, catching 36 passes for 416 yards and two touchdowns.
Moss was a fifth-round draft pick in 2017. He played in 11 games and had two starts but was bothered by injuries in camp.