Getty Lions president Rod Wood before a game.
The Detroit Lions are pondering what changes to make moving forward, and for those thinking the team wants to press the reset button down, the opposite might be true.
This time around, the Lions could understand that they have more of a retool than a rebuild. Recently, team president Rod Wood met with the media and was asked about the task that will face the team’s new power structure moving forward at coach and general manager. As he said, the task could be seen to be more of a retool than a rebuild.
Rod Wood: “Despite the record, we’re not as far away as it might appear. I would think that we can retool some things and continue to be competitive, while also — I think in some cases, certainly on the defensive side of the ball — having to rebuild the roster a little bit.”
Many could disagree with this take, but it sure makes it seem as if Wood and the Lions are more interested in reshaping things around their new coach and general manager rather than seeking to have someone take a wrecking ball to the situation.
Lions Changes Might Not Need to Be Deep
This quote essentially shows that the Lions might not need to do much this offseason in terms of a rebuild. Many have argued the team is facing a major rebuild, but the Lions might not see it that way. Detroit won five games with historically was one of the worst defenses in the NFL, and has several pieces on offense. That could lead the Lions to want to keep Matthew Stafford and some of their other weapons, such as Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones. Detroit isn’t in too much trouble in terms of the salary cap, so some roster reshuffling could lead the team to be able to have a much better future moving forward.
Detroit’s Defense Needs Major Changes
Many folks fixate on the offense where decisions will need to be made, but the team’s defense has been miserable this season and needs a total overhaul. Whomever the head coach is will need to find a way to manage the defense better and implement a plan that works. The next defensive coach needs to be an established boss who has a clear vision, and the general manager needs to find a way to clean up one of the biggest messes in the entire NFL in terms of personnel. It’s a tall order which might mean whomever takes over is facing a long road uphill on this side of the ball most of all.
Statistically speaking, the Lions had one of the worst defenses in the entire league this past season, placing 32nd overall and giving up an ugly 419 yards per-game. Focusing on that side of the ball for the heaviest lifting would seem to be the best way for the Lions to get back to legitimacy faster, and that’s what the team could prefer to do when all is said and done.
Though many might not agree, Wood and the Lions could think they aren’t far away, which means the chances of the team being a bit better than many think moving forward could exist given the right people coming into the mix. Finding those people are what the Lions are setting out to do now.
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