after getting paid You hear it from fans every year. After a player gets a big
signing bonus or record-breaking deal
Authentic Kerryon Johnson Jersey , they fear the player will regress. With money in pocket, some believe players have a lot less to play for now that
they’re set for life.While that theory rarely has any legitimacy to it, it’s
definitely not true of Quandre Diggs. Just hours after the Lions announced his
three-year extension worth $20.4 million, he shot down that assumption Monday
afternoon.“I’m always going to have motivation, man,” Diggs told reporters. “I’m
a sixth-round draft pick, so at the end of the day 32 teams passed me up, so I’m
always going to have a chip on my shoulder. Ain’t gonna be nothing
different.”Diggs has been clearly using that motivation from Day 1. In his
rookie year, he not only made the 53-man roster, but he appeared in all 16 games
and even made four starts. In fact, he played at least eight defensive snaps in
15 of 16 games, which is nearly unheard of for a sixth-round rookie. And he
thrived, too. He was one of the highest rated Lions defensive players per Pro
Football Focus. But it wasn’t just motivation that has helped Diggs along the
way. The former Texas star credits Detroit’s solid cast of defensive backs
throughout the years for making him the player he is today.“When I got here, I
had great guys like Rashean Mathis, GQ (Glover Quin) of course
http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/ricky-wagner-jersey , Don Carey,” Diggs said. “I’ve always had great meetings, great mentorship
including Josh Wilson and James Ihedigbo. For me, it’s a blessing.”Now Diggs has
become the mentor. In just three season’s of work, he’s expanded his role from
reserve nickel corner to starting corner and legitimate safety starter, as well.
That’s why general manager Bob Quinn referred to him as “one of our core
defensive players” and head coach Matt Patricia called him “a critical part of
our team defensively.” But for Diggs, this is just the beginning. Tomorrow is
another day, and it’s no different than the day before he was granted a $20
million contract. “It’s a huge relief, but at the end of the day, you still got
to put in work to show the Lions that you deserve every penny of it. My whole
mindset hasn’t changed. I’m going to continue to go out and work.”Football
Outsiders Q&A Part 4: Where does the Lions’ secondary rank in the NFL? On
Wednesday, Football Outsiders’ Assistant Editor Scott Kacsmar told us that if
the Detroit Lions’ pass rush is lacking in 2018, they better have an elite
secondary to compensate. It is extremely rare to sport an above-average defense
if you aren’t creating consistent pressure on the quarterback, and the only way
to survive is forcing a lot of interceptions with your defensive backs.The Lions
were able to do something like that last year. Darius Slay led the league in
picks last year, and the Lions were able to finish the season tied for the
fourth-most interceptions in the league.But has the Lions’ secondary convinced
Scott that they’re good enough to carry Detroit’s defense again this year?
That’s today’s topic:Question 4: Where would you rank this Lions secondary in
respect to the rest of the league? You might be able to squeeze them into the
top 15 thanks to Darius Slay. Glover Quin usually charts well at safety. As we
wrote in the book, the secondary may have relied too much on Slay last year. We
need to see more from Teez Tabor in his second season
http://www.detroitlionsteamonline.com/tavon-wilson-jersey , or perhaps one of the young safeties (Miles Killebrew or Tracy Walker) can start
to break out more in this defense.It may be hard for Lions fans to hear, but
Kacsmar brings up a good point. Quarterbacks will soon learn—if they haven’t
already—that targeting Darius Slay is a mistake. Who will the Lions rely upon to
hold down the other side of the field? That Lions’ No. 2 cornerback camp battle
has been one of the most publicized positional battles and for good reason.
Right now, it appears Nevin Lawson holds the position, and his play has been
average at best. DeShawn Shead brings good competition (if he can stay healthy)
and perhaps the growth of Teez Tabor could help inspire some improvement at CB2,
but the team isn’t there yet, and opponents could take advantage of that.I
would’ve like to see Kacsmar mention Quandre Diggs, especially considering
nickel cornerback has essentially become a starting position in the NFL. Diggs
has taken everything the Lions have thrown at him and excelled. He’s easily the
most underrated player on this team, and his versatility will make him a huge
asset under Matt Patricia. Therefore, I think top 15 is selling the Lions’
secondary a little short. Assuming good injury luck, there’s no reason this
shouldn’t be a top 10 set of defensive backs. For more content from Football
Outsiders, check out their store, which includes their always fabulous
Almanac.Tomorrow’s topic: Matthew Stafford with a running game
