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DanoT
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SammyGreene"]
Rammer wrote:
pennw wrote:
ballhawk wrote:Silently, without comment, on the Lions' Practice Roster for over the past month has been WR Lavasier Tuinei. Tuninei was the Offensive Player of the Game in the 2012 Rose Bowl in which his Oregon Ducks defeated the Wisconsin Badgers 45-38 in one of the most exciting Rose Bowl games ever. Indications are that he is doing very well.

Good call on this guy . Looked very impressive in his debut , to bad the Lions staff had not been able to see Tuinei's ability before being forced to as an emergency replacement .
That has been the ongoing theme in Lions land for a number of years. I can't believe the talent that the Lions have sit on the bench in a season, well until it is the next man up call.


Lions seem to always make their personnel decisions for the most part in the off-season, even if newcomers have excellent camps. Even late NFL cuts are always pegged for the following season regardless of how good they look. There have been a few exceptions but that seems to be the rule in Wally's World.

I don't really agree with the above complaints, in part because the flip side is "Where are the half decent backups? There is no depth".

In order for a backup to be plug and play it helps a lot to first spend some time practicing with the team and learning the nuances of the Canadian game. Example: Ronnie Yell joined the practice roster 1/2 way through last season and is starting this year and playing like a vet. Other rookies starting this year benefited from being at TC.
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Rammer
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DanoT wrote:SammyGreene"]
Rammer wrote:
pennw wrote: Good call on this guy . Looked very impressive in his debut , to bad the Lions staff had not been able to see Tuinei's ability before being forced to as an emergency replacement .
That has been the ongoing theme in Lions land for a number of years. I can't believe the talent that the Lions have sit on the bench in a season, well until it is the next man up call.


Lions seem to always make their personnel decisions for the most part in the off-season, even if newcomers have excellent camps. Even late NFL cuts are always pegged for the following season regardless of how good they look. There have been a few exceptions but that seems to be the rule in Wally's World.

I don't really agree with the above complaints, in part because the flip side is "Where are the half decent backups? There is no depth".

In order for a backup to be plug and play it helps a lot to first spend some time practicing with the team and learning the nuances of the Canadian game. Example: Ronnie Yell joined the practice roster 1/2 way through last season and is starting this year and playing like a vet. Other rookies starting this year benefited from being at TC.
I am not just refering to expanded roster players, although there is a case for some successful candidates coming in late and making an impact...Mitchell and Kidd for examples. Would Wally have kept Clermont on the sidelines as a rookie? I think so. Antolin is a player, along with Tuinei looking pretty good. Lions lost out on MacDonald because he wasn't ready to accpet the backup role, and he looked pretty good in pre-season. Generally the bench crew sit and wait for an injury or two before they find their groove, and it is against battle ready vets by the time they get in when the bullets are flying.
Entertainment value = an all time low
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Toppy Vann
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I think the Lions have had some hidden talent that should have got in sooner it seems - based on one game only which is not a true sample. A guy can play great that first game and show his lack of knowledge/experience in the second when he misses an assignment and causes their QB to get knocked out or leads to an INT. That seems to be the logic - guy ahead like a Tim Brown needs to get that first shot due to time here and his ethic and commitment. To jump him might cause friction too..

But with the REC corps so lack lustre I'd have thought they'd have shaken those prima donnas up sooner as they were strutting and jiving on a a catch or two when they weren't overall playing well and winning. I'd have thought they 0 L's at times with those guys.
"Ability without character will lose." - Marv Levy
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notahomer
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Toppy Vann wrote:I think the Lions have had some hidden talent that should have got in sooner it seems.......
I think its a common thing, especially in football, IMO (its my favourite so I'm biased :rockin: ). I watched the Monday Nighter in the NFL last night. The St. Louis Rams had to start a guy at QB and although he wasn't AMAZING, he's certainly BETTER than guys starting in a lot of NFL cities, IMO. Sounds like he had what it takes all along, it just took a tweek on his attitude. He realizes THIS IS IT, I'm a PRO or I'm not.

STILL, IMO, something must be lacking in how things are being done. How do talented guys ride pine and carry clipboards until an emergency comes along THEN, they get given the CHANCE to show what they have. I've heard the story of the guys who LOOK AWESOME in practice but end up okay once the bullets are live BUT its still amazing to me that guys AREN'T showing that much in practice but blow the doors off in games. I think part of it is how they are being looked at. Wonder how many other future STARS are withering away on practice rosters.....?
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Rammer
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notahomer wrote:
Toppy Vann wrote:I think the Lions have had some hidden talent that should have got in sooner it seems.......
I think its a common thing, especially in football, IMO (its my favourite so I'm biased :rockin: ). I watched the Monday Nighter in the NFL last night. The St. Louis Rams had to start a guy at QB and although he wasn't AMAZING, he's certainly BETTER than guys starting in a lot of NFL cities, IMO. Sounds like he had what it takes all along, it just took a tweek on his attitude. He realizes THIS IS IT, I'm a PRO or I'm not.

STILL, IMO, something must be lacking in how things are being done. How do talented guys ride pine and carry clipboards until an emergency comes along THEN, they get given the CHANCE to show what they have. I've heard the story of the guys who LOOK AWESOME in practice but end up okay once the bullets are live BUT its still amazing to me that guys AREN'T showing that much in practice but blow the doors off in games. I think part of it is how they are being looked at. Wonder how many other future STARS are withering away on practice rosters.....?
IMO, the guys who look average in practice can play the same at the speed that is necessary in live action.
Entertainment value = an all time low
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