Understanding Free Agency and how the Detroit Lions can succeed

Over the past two months I have noticed things on social media that just drive me crazy. It generally roots back NFL Free agency and the fans lack of understanding. For those of you that follow my work, You have probably seen my Just say no! articles. These pieces center around the idea that Lions can and will sign anybody and that those free agents are willing and wanting to sign in Detroit.

I personally blame the NBA and MLB for creating the theory that the free agency period is a wild world where athletes sell their talents to the highest bidders and every team has a bottomless bank account and just the right amount of reckless disregard to spend their money. The NFL is a very different.

Detroit Lions /

Detroit Lions

One of the major differences is age. In the NBA a guy like Kevin Garnett can still play and serve somewhat of a purpose at 38 years old. Even in the NHL, 43-year-old Jaromir Jagr can go out and still be part of the team and succeed. In the NFL there is a time limit. A player has from this age to this age to make something of themselves and then they are done.

Guys like Steven Jackson did just that for 10 years. His time limit has expired. While 34 years old does not seem old to people in the real world who might work at a factory or sell flooring for a living, in the NFL 34 is the time you get your gold watch and move to Florida.

Some fan’s have a poor grasp on how all of this works. It’s not to say they are dumb, just misguided on the subject. Others know better but still live in a dream world or unicorn land as ESPN 96.1’s Sean Baligan would call it. Just because a player has a name does not mean he still owns up to that name. By that I mean If Steven Jackson is a household name, it does not mean he still the same Steven Jackson that earned that name.

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In my opinion the Detroit Lions can be winners in free agency by playing it simple and following these 3 guidelines.

Re-sign Suh

Even if this were the only move the Lions made in free agency it would be just what the DR. ordered. The reasons you want to keep Suh are very simple and we all know them. He’s a dominant force, he changes the opponent’s game plan, he may very well be the cornerstone of the team. This week fans can expect to see a lot of rumors flying around. A new team that is interested in Suh will pop up daily and drive you crazy. My strong belief is that Suh is not leaving and we will see a deal done this week.

Spend less for more.

Taking the Moneyball approach. The Lions shouldn’t be paying for names, they should be paying for production. I have mentioned Cecil Shorts on many occasions and believe that he could be a solid #3 wide receiver for the Lions. While it’s not the sexy thing to do, it can be what wins games.