Justin Durant and Lions agree to terms

storminn0rm

storminn0rm

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(Rotoworld) Lions agreed to terms with LB Justin Durant on a two-year contract. Analysis: It may seem like an under-the-radar acquisition, but Durant is a true thumper now playing behind a devastating defensive front. He played well at middle linebacker and on the weak side in Jacksonville, so it's not clear where he'll start out in Detroit. If Durant can stay healthy, he's a key piece in the Lions' revamped defense.
 
(Rotoworld) Newly acquired Justin Durant is expected to play weak-side linebacker for the Lions. Analysis: Updating a previous report, the move may have taken Detroit out of the running -- or at least affected their interest level -- in free agent MLB Stephen Tulloch. DeAndre Levy appears ticketed to stay inside with Durant bringing a more physical presence on the outside. The Lions want free agent Bobby Carpenter back to play "Sam" linebacker, and that isn't a position Levy is suited for.
 
I wanted Tulloch, but Durant might work. Maybe taking Durant for less than Tulloch, the Lions can go harder after Jonathon Joseph.
 
I wanted Tulloch also, but seems Detroit wanted Durant more according to this snippet from 2 weeks ago:
Lions high on Justin Durant
Posted by Gregg Rosenthal on July 14, 2011, 6:08 PM EDT

Despite a great-looking defensive line, the Lions defense has a lot of question marks. Their linebacker situation looks nearly as dire as their secondary, with both areas needing to be addressed in free agency.

Longtime Lions writer Mike O’Hara, now working for FoxSportsDetroit.com, writes the team has a very specific wish list at linebacker. They like both Jaguars linebacker Justin Durant and Titans linebacker Stephen Tulloch, but Durant apparently has the edge in Detroit’s view.

Durant would play on the outside, which would likely keep DeAndre Levy at middle linebacker. We’re not sure there will be a huge market for the oft-injured Jaguar, so the Lions should be able to get their man.
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They like Levy in the middle more than I do, and I trust their decisions. Durant can play the Mike also so we stay very versatile there. Durant is young, talented, and possibly undervalued with the injuries, and I like a 2 year deal. Tulloch would cost much more, even though I would have loved to see him roaming around behind that D-Line.
 
I like it, myself. For the last couple of years the Lions have been managing the cap well, drafting very well, and picking up nice upgrades in F/A. Some of those upgrades were small but there have been a lot of them on the D side. No big splashy names but they sure everybody on the D had some sort of competition for their job and I liked that philosophy. Sometimes teams have too many players who are secure and unchallanged at their position and it results in some complacency.With the lions D the management has been making sure everybody had somebody to watch of their shoulder behind them. So when everybody on the D feels the pressure of competition everybody strive a little harder to improve and players develop a little faster. It's been a slow and deliberate process but it has been fascinating to watch. An excellent example in team building.
 
Great post Coachnorm. I agree with what you are seeing, but I was scared that it was just a Kool-Aid buzz. Fantastic to hear something like this from an outsider looking in.
 
Landing Tulloch and Joseph, along with Durant would be a dream come true, but I don't see it happening. I doubt they would be able to fit them all under the cap, and they don't seem close enough to a Super Bowl chance to go for this. Guess the slow, steady way they are turning the team around is showing good patience. This is something I should try to keep myself.

Detroit Lions Reportedly 'Really Like' Johnathan Joseph

Pod_tiny by Sean Yuille on Jul 28, 2011 12:44 PM EDT in Detroit Lions News

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In addition to being linked to Stephen Tulloch, the Detroit Lions have also been mentioned quite a bit as a possible suitor of cornerback Johnathan Joseph. ESPN's John Clayton reported on Wednesday night that the Lions "have a great chance" of landing Joseph, and today on NFL Network Jason La Canfora made it sound like the Lions are pretty big fans of Joseph.

NFL Network's Jason La Canfora: "I can tell you for sure the #Lions really like Johnathan Joseph."less than a minute ago via Seesmic Desktop Favorite Retweet ReplyEvan Silva
evansilva


Obviously being a big fan of a player doesn't mean anything if he doesn't sign, but this could be an indication of what the Lions are hoping to accomplish today. A lot of talk is still about adding Tulloch to go along with Justin Durant at linebacker, but perhaps the Lions are focusing today on agreeing to a deal with Joseph.

As far as where the Lions stand with Joseph, it's not clear right now. There was some talk that he agreed to a deal with the Texans, but that turned out to be untrue. There is also talk right now that the Texans are leading for Nnamdi Asomugha, which would take them out of the running for Joseph, but that is just one of the many rumors swirling.

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LOVE this pickup. Underrated quality young LB to go with Levy inside at Delmas at S, plus that wicked looking front line.. At the very least the run D should be near the top of the league. The offense is loaded. Anyone else think they're a CB away from serious playoff contention?
 
WesDawg said:
LOVE this pickup. Underrated quality young LB to go with Levy inside at Delmas at S, plus that wicked looking front line.. At the very least the run D should be near the top of the league. The offense is loaded. Anyone else think they're a CB away from serious playoff contention?
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Yes I do. Which is why I really wanted Joseph.
 
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