The Lions passed on adding a quarterback in this year’s draft, and they will go into the 2022 season with Jared Goff as their starting signal-caller. Behind Goff on the depth chart are Tim Boyle and David Blough, both of whom re-signed with the club in March.
Boyle, who joined the Packers as a UDFA in 2018 and who signed with the Lions last offseason after Green Bay non-tendered him as a restricted free agent, started the first three games of his career in 2021 in relief of an injured Goff. Detroit went 0-3 in those contests, and Boyle completed 64.9% of his passes for three TDs against six interceptions. Blough, meanwhile, has been in the Motor City since he was acquired in a minor trade with the Browns in advance of the 2019 campaign. He has not started a game since that 2019 season, when he went 0-5 with a 64.0 QB rating and a 4:6 TD:INT ratio.
Obviously, the club’s QB2 options are less than inspiring, but the battle between Boyle and Blough will be meaningful for both players as they attempt to extend their NFL careers. And head coach Dan Campbell said it will be an open competition when training camp begins next month, as Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press writes.
“Competition is great thing,” Campbell said. “I respect what both of them did this spring. That’s what I love about both of them. I know they are going out there to compete against each other.”
Now for several more Lions-related items:
- As expected, rookie wideout Jameson Williams will not be on the field when training camp opens, as Birkett writes in a separate piece. Per Birkett, Williams — who tore his ACL in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game in January — is likely to begin camp on the active PUP list, which is consistent with earlier reporting on the matter. If he has not been medically cleared when the regular season begins, he will revert to the reserve PUP list and will be required to miss at least the first six weeks of the season. The Lions are not expected to be a playoff outfit in 2022, and GM Brad Holmes has stated that Williams will be brought along slowly. Given his vast potential, which compelled Holmes to make an aggressive trade up the draft board from No. 32 to No. 12 to land the Alabama star, a conservative approach makes sense. Holmes does expect Williams to suit up for the club this season, though that might not be until November, and Campbell conceded that Williams will spend most of the summer rehabbing. Given all of that, a reserve PUP list designation appears to be the most likely outcome here.
- The Lions have hired Brandon Sosna as senior director of football administration, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.com. Sosna, who worked as a salary-cap and contract analyst for the Browns from 2017-18, had served as the right-hand man to USC athletic director Mike Bohn since 2019. The Trojans reportedly made a strong push to retain Sosna, but the opportunity to rejoin the NFL ranks was too appealing for the UPenn alumnus to turn down.
- Yesterday, Lions DL John Penisini announced his retirement.
- Our Adam La Rose recently profiled Lions TE T.J. Hockenson as an extension candidate.
Detroit couldn’t have tried to get anyone better for QB2?
Who says they won’t between now and September? But your question is a valid one. I think that right now they don’t want to risk undermining Geoff’s confidence, but that very well may change between now and then.
The Lions are a team potentially on the rise and one that wants to be taken seriously. Well, it’s tough to take a team with their current QB depth chart seriously. I still think that Detroit would be an ideal spot for Mayfield but it also don’t think that will happen. If anything I could see Detroit as a landing spot for Blake Bortles or someone of that caliber, someone who’s had more experience than the current crop.
The cap says Mayfield won’t be a Lion anytime soon. The Lions currently have $10.2M in cap space with 2nd Round Josh Paschal still unsigned. Estimate $1.3M 2022 cap hit based on the small sample of 2nd round picks that have signed so far. Let’s say they’d cut Balogh $945K cap save and with Penisini retiring there’s another $895K of cap space freed. The cap space would now be $10.7M.
Unless they were all-in on Mayfield to sign/extend and get his $18.9M cap hit down. This is a no chance prospect.
It could be fun to watch the $%@^ show in Cleveland if they have to turn back to Mayfield should Watson get a significant suspension.
Mayfield will be cut if no one trades for him. He could then be signed for league minimum.
Mayfield is a floater. No thanks.
kind of unnecessary for a team that doesn’t really expect to contend
.. the best they can do is instil confidence in Goff this season, so decent choice not to give him any competition
If a 6 year veteran doesn’t have confidence by now, you have issues with that. I could see a 2nd or 3rd year player but not a guy that played in the Super Bowl
new job didn’t go well last year .. 6 years in the league but only 1 year with Lions
Still, if confidence is an issue, that’s a bigger issue. So you never create competition for anyone because you’ll hurt their confidence? You sound like a snowflake
or cater to the guy making like 30 mil for the next 3 years because your kinda stuck with him regardless of production
Isn’t it about winning? It didn’t stop the Rams from moving on from him. You at least have to upgrade your backups and you play the best guy. If that’s Goff, ok. If not then you have a 30 million dollar backup and a cheaper starter. To not bring in competition for a guy that is a bad quarterback is ridiculous, especially if the reason is that you don’t want to pressure him
I’m not saying permanently
just during a season crucial for Goff
and as dar as backups go , why waste a draft pick on a Mason Rudolph type, when you can get the exact same production from a UDFA… NONE!
Are you comparing Rudolph to Mayfield? Mayfield is definitely worth a 5th round draft pick with the Browns picking up half of his salary. Forget last year because he was hurt and so was his weapons. He’s not making Detroit a winner but they could get Rodgers and they still aren’t winning. He makes them better and you add pieces each year. Burrow and Stafford were not the 2 best quarterbacks in the league last year but they played in the Super Bowl
I’ve mentioned it before, but provided Cleveland covers most of his salary, I think Mayfield to Detroit on a one-year deal would be a good idea. Blough and Boyle aren’t scaring any NFL defenses. Worse case, he gives the Lions a legit backup who could potentially compete for the starting job. Best case, he could be the future starter. Plus, his tough, gritty style of play fits right in with what Campbell, Holmes and company are trying to establish.
maybe they don’t want a competition..
maybe they want the guy making 33 mil to operate with a clear mind and start 17 games regardless of production for a single definitive season
The backup QB position might as well be a coin flip because if we have to be shown their abilities during the game then we will be in trouble anyways. If I had my choice, I would like to see Blough win it(it is not saying much). The Lions are catering to Goff it feels like. To be brutally honest, the QB position is the weakest on the team.
Jameson Williams, I am expecting the world from him. I am talking he better be on some Megatron bullshjt. I don’t care who is throwing him the ball either. I know it is wrong but everyone says he is that good.
Just based off pedigree Blough is a better option than Boyle.
But I think Boyle got the call last year because he was just considered the better “personality” than Blough. Like statistically Blough was better in college, has more intangibles than Boyle, but Boyle is a lockeroom favorite, who has a good personality.
I think maybe the brass saw what they did out of Blough wanted to give Boyle a shot, and now we know what we got, we’re not going to contend this season, and we’re going to just try to mold one of them into a solid clipboard holder ala Chase Daniel, Matt McGloin, Matt Moore etc. one of those guys who was mid when they start but is a solid presence on the bench who can lead and maybe throw a TD in garbage time.
I agree with what you say. I personally like what Blough brings to the huddle. I think with the right compliments he could manage a few games. Still the QB room in Detroit is pretty brutal to look at.
Only $20M in dead cap to cut Goff, but you do get a big $10M cap savings to overpay for Mayfield.
It’s really critical to the pro football bloggers that Mayfield get moved, especially to one of the 31 trade destinations they’ve written about for the past 5 months. It’s almost a certainty that if he should get traded whomever the sucker is will be shown to have 1.) overpaid 2.) made a mistake in believing Mayfield was their answer. Then more blogging can take place.
Overpaid? Detroit is known for that. Why would they be stupid enough to take on Goff’s salary for so long? At least with Mayfield, you can walk away from him. Goff is an anchor for Detroit. Whoever gets Mayfield will have a year to evaluate him although he may not want to stay.
They got 2 First Round picks to take on Goff’s salary.
Thanks to the Rams not having a pick in 2021 (would have been 25th), the picks became 2022 and 2023. We know how low of a first round pick the 2022 choice was. Compare to Seattle getting an immediate 9 overall plus future first rounders for Russel Wilson.
You also have to look at his dead money after this year. It’s more reasonable if he doesn’t work out and they draft a qb.
So basically Detroit paid 60 million for 2 first round draft picks? And not even high 1st round.
Goff isn’t getting cut. Period. Next year’s a different story.
It’s 2022 and the Lions are still looking for a depth chart upgrade from George Plimpton? No wonder Lion fans suffer from chronic depression.
Goff’s fragile ego makes having substandard backups a must. As long as you accept being in a rebuild situation until Goff’s albatross contract ends it is a no harm, no foul situation.
Why have any backups if his ego is that substandard? I’ve never heard of anything so ridiculous for a 6 or 7 year veteran