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Trading Up For Jahvid Best A Reach By Lions
Jahvid Best is exceptionally fast and extremely athletic, and when he was healthy, was a productive running back at Cal.
The key word in the above sentence, however, is "when."
Best is more than a little injury prone. He has a long history of injuries - every year in college, in fact.. People talk all the time about protecting Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford as the franchise with a premier left tackle. Nobody is more important to a quarterback’s health than a running back picking up blitzers. Best is slight of build. It’s unlikely he will provide any pass protection for Stafford.
If the Lions try to hand Best the ball 300 times in a season, chances are he won’t make it. And if he does, chances are the QB won’t make it.
Trading up for Best, when they needed an every down back, wasn’t a good move by the Lions. Especially when there were a number of ways remaining they could have augmented their greatest need - defense.
I did like the pick of Ndamukong Suh second overall. I had an argument - and I felt a compelling one - that Eric Berry, the safety from Tennessee, would have been a better selection for the Lions. But it’s not like Suh is football’s version of Darko Milicic. He is very talented and driven. Whether he will be that rarity, who will have a tremendous impact playing inside tackle in the NFL, remains to be seen. But it wasn’t a foolish pick by any stretch of the imagination. And I really like it that so many of the Lions’ fans are happy with it. Usually, the Lions’ decisions tend to make their fans grumpy, upset or downright angry. Good to see a collective smile on their faces about something.
More of my thoughts about the Suh pick: http://tinyurl.com/zccgbp
My Column in Friday's Oakland Press. Big Five Red Wings Must Shine: http://tinyurl.com/33qyfnp
The key word in the above sentence, however, is "when."
Best is more than a little injury prone. He has a long history of injuries - every year in college, in fact.. People talk all the time about protecting Lions’ quarterback Matthew Stafford as the franchise with a premier left tackle. Nobody is more important to a quarterback’s health than a running back picking up blitzers. Best is slight of build. It’s unlikely he will provide any pass protection for Stafford.
If the Lions try to hand Best the ball 300 times in a season, chances are he won’t make it. And if he does, chances are the QB won’t make it.
Trading up for Best, when they needed an every down back, wasn’t a good move by the Lions. Especially when there were a number of ways remaining they could have augmented their greatest need - defense.
I did like the pick of Ndamukong Suh second overall. I had an argument - and I felt a compelling one - that Eric Berry, the safety from Tennessee, would have been a better selection for the Lions. But it’s not like Suh is football’s version of Darko Milicic. He is very talented and driven. Whether he will be that rarity, who will have a tremendous impact playing inside tackle in the NFL, remains to be seen. But it wasn’t a foolish pick by any stretch of the imagination. And I really like it that so many of the Lions’ fans are happy with it. Usually, the Lions’ decisions tend to make their fans grumpy, upset or downright angry. Good to see a collective smile on their faces about something.
More of my thoughts about the Suh pick: http://tinyurl.com/zccgbp
My Column in Friday's Oakland Press. Big Five Red Wings Must Shine: http://tinyurl.com/33qyfnp
Labels: Jahvid Best Matthew Stafford Ndamukong Suh Eric Berry
posted by Pat Caputo at
12:48 AM
2 Comments:
Pat, I’m okay with Best but I would not have traded up. I think there was a good chance he was there at 34. If Best was not there, the Lions have so many holes to fill they would have got a quality player at 34 anyway without swapping 4 round picks. But it does show the Lions have a plan. I think their third round pick of a secondary or LB or DE very important.
I am definitely not okay with moving up for Best. For pretty much all the reasons you stated, Pat. Plus, if there isn't an O-line to create holes for him, how are we going to see that speed? Not to mention needing protection for the golden boy too. I have to say though, moving up for Best was not the worst pick in the 1st round, that's left to Denver taking Tebow. Moving up to grab a "quarterback" or rather someone who *wants* to play quarterback (though, i don't think he has NFL quarterback in him) yet you're not projecting him to start at qb until 2012? Tebow would be a better fit to check in as a TE in short yardage situations.
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