If you are a fan of the Detroit Lions, get ready to hear the word “potential” a lot in the coming months. It’s a word that will likely be used ad nauseam to describe a team in the midst of a promising rebuild.
In this case, the word “promising” means a team that should get better relatively quickly as the Lions trade of quarterback Matthew Stafford to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason netted them two future first-round selections in 2022 and 2023.
But the turnaround in Motown will probably take more than this season, which many have projected to be yet another down year for the Lions. Hence the word “potential” will be thrown around to give fans hope for a better tomorrow.
But one of the newest members of the Pride, 30-year old defensive tackle Michael Brockers, sees the potential in the Motor City as well. Here’s what Brockers told Tim Twentyman of Detroit Lions recently about the current state of the team from his veteran perspective.
“One thing I can see is we have a lot of talent – a lot of young talent – but a lot of talent. When we get after it, there’s a lot of effort that’s going to be out there and a lot of guys flying around. The biggest thing is about our rotation and being fresh on Sundays.”
According to a writer for the Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Walker, the Lions are actually tied for the 20th-youngest roster in the NFL, with an average age of 25.44 as of last month. Ironically, the team with the youngest roster is the one the Lions just traded their 33-year old quarterback to, the Rams, with an average age of 24.62.
But the core pieces of the Lions’ team are all relatively young. Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow is 25. Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson is 23. Second-year running back D’Andre Swift is only 22-years old. And the Lions’ 2021 first-round selection, offensive tackle Penei Sewell, is a mere 20-years old.
Detroit has six players on the current roster that are over the age of 30. The oldest being two-time Pro Bowl long snapper Don Muhlbach, who’s 39-years old. Recently signed veteran tight end, Darren Fells, is 35. And linebacker Jamie Collins is 31-years old.
While the Detroit Lions have plenty of youthful talent on the roster, they also signed most of their free agents this offseason to one-year deals. That means the roster could quickly look very different after this season.