SI Lions Roundtable: Should the Lions Extend LT Taylor Decker?
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1.) Should the Lions extend LT Taylor Decker?
John Maakaron: Decker should be a player the Lions look to keep. If the team is looking for continuity along their offensive line, Decker should be extended. According to PFF, he was a top-10 offensive tackle the last 10 weeks of the 2019 season.
Vito Chirco: Decker is arguably one of the top-15 left tackles in the league at this point.
He finished last season with a 75.5 Pro Football Focus grade -- the 18th-best mark out of 88 qualified tackles. And in the final 10 weeks of the season, he was the sixth-best offensive tackle, according to PFF.
If you're still wondering, my answer is "yes" to whether or not the Lions should extend him.
Logan Lamorandier: They should unless they want to spend another high draft pick on his replacement. Decker has had his ups and downs, but has been slightly above average over the course of his career. As always, it will come down to the money that he is looking for, though.
2.) What odds do you give Matthew Stafford to throw for more than 5,000 yards in 2020?
Maakaron: I would give Stafford a 10 percent chance of throwing for 5,000 yards. It really appears as though Detroit will attempt to run the ball even more in 2020. The more Stafford drops back, the likelihood he gets injured increases. In the past, it would be frustrating to view Stafford as a game manager. It just might be needed to extend his career.
Chirco: Well, he did throw for nearly 2,500 yards in just eight games a year ago (2,499 to be exact).
So, if you double that total in order to account for Stafford playing a full 16-game season, you end up getting basically a 5,000-yard passing season right on the money.
And the 12th-year quarterback does have a 5,000-yard season already under his belt. He accomplished the feat in 2011 when he threw for 5,038 yards and also a career-high 41 touchdowns.
It came, though, when he was just 23 years old.
He's now 32, and coming off a season in which he missed half of it due to a back ailment.
So, I think the likelihood of him throwing for over 5,000 yards in 2020 is extremely low. I'll give it a five percent chance.
Lamorandier: I would give him a 30 percent chance, if he stays healthy. He was on pace last year for almost exactly 5,000 yards before he was sidelined. That mark is not an easy one to hit. However, he has done it before, and will likely need to carry the team once again in a vertical passing attack.
3.) What are you expecting from T.J. Hockenson in 2020?
Maakaron: He must become more involved in the Lions offensive attack. When a team devotes such a high draft pick to select you, productivity is a must.
Another importance aspect will be health. Hockenson missed several games due to injury his rookie season. Durability will be something I'm paying attention to closely his second season in the NFL.
Chirco: I'm definitely expecting more consistent production out of Hockenson during his second season in the league.
The NFL is typically tough for college tight ends to adjust to. So, you've got take his first-year results with a grain of salt.
He has the potential to be an extremely potent pass-catching tight end, and I think he starts showing that more consistently in 2020.
Expect the Iowa product to haul in 600-plus reception yards and four scores this upcoming season.
Lamorandier: In an offense filled with weapons that will need to be fed, it's unlikely Hockenson will be a consistent focal point on a week-to-week basis.
I'm thinking 50 receptions for 600 yards and a little more dominance in the end zone.
For being labeled as one of the best blocking tight ends in recent drafts, I hope he has really worked hard to gain strength and put on a little more bulk this offseason. Last season was a bit of a disappointment in the run-blocking department for "Hock."
4.) How would you react if the Lions did not change their defense and still dropped eight players into coverage on a regular basis?
Maakaron: If Detroit still employs a similar version of "bend, but don't break" in 2020, many including myself will be highly frustrated.
It simply does not work in the NFL to not pressure the quarterback consistently. One way to improve the pass rush is to actually send more defenders towards the quarterback. Dropping back eight is way too passive and will expose the Lions secondary in major ways.
Patricia and Co. must adapt in 2020 and be much more aggressive.
Chirco: I would be dumbfounded and think it's rather tone-deaf.
The bend-but-don't-break defensive philosophy of Detroit head coach Matt Patricia clearly did not work a year ago.
So, I think if Patricia & Co. fail to adapt, the defense will have no chance to improve upon a horrid 2019 campaign.
And if that's the case, the results will once again be lackluster, likely costing Patricia his job at season's end.
Lamorandier: I will only care if they continue to get shredded like last year. We have seen the philosophy fail already, and if Matt Patricia continues to do the same and not adjust, that's a major coaching flaw.
The defense will probably always give up yards with its bend-but-don't-break nature. But, if Patricia & Co. aren't creating turnovers and making stops when it counts, they must try to change it up. If not, it very well could cost Patricia his job.
