Lions DT Levi Onwuzurike has back surgery and is out for the season
Jeff Risdon October 17, 2022 3:06 pm ET Dan Campbell opened up his press conference on Monday with some bad but not entirely unexpected news. The Lions head coach offered up the information that second-year DT will miss the rest of the season after undergoing back surgery during the team’s bye week.
“Levi, about a week ago, had surgery on his back,” Campbell said. “He is out for the season.”
Buy Lions Wire Onwuzurike has not played in 2022. He aggravated the back injury that has plagued him since his college days at Washington on the very first rep of padded practice this summer.
When asked for more detail on the specifics of the injury, Campbell described the issue as “a disk” in his lower back.
“It’s a last resort,” Campbell said of the surgery, adding that both Onwuzurike and the team consulted with multiple doctors to assess his prognosis.
Ok this needs to be said, this kid is fucked. You don't get disks in your lower back repaired and come back to play. If his issue was a disk in his lower back in college, you simply cannot draft him. Holmes needs to stop this.
Ok this needs to be said, this kid is fucked. You don't get disks in your lower back repaired and come back to play. If his issue was a disk in his lower back in college, you simply cannot draft him. Holmes needs to stop this.
Post by badnews3123 on Oct 18, 2022 18:09:58 GMT -6
I agree the Lions took too big of a risk and missed something, but he’s not the first NFL player to have back surgery. I’m not optimistic because we’ve seen so little of him, though I was shocked when I saw he played 16 games last year, but players have come back from back surgery and played well.
JJ Watt was a first team All-Pro after that surgery. Pretty sure that’s what Gronk had in college, he just managed to be arguably the greatest TE of all time. I’m sure there’s more guys.
Like I said, I’m not optimistic given where he’s at in his development with all this happening, but guys have come back and played and some at a high level from back surgery.
That article sucked. It’s the same tired shit and Ruiz hates Goff, which is large part of his issue, that they didn’t replace him. At one point I remember seeing him advocate for Lions to go after Tannehill this off-season.
Also I feel better about the draft if he doesn’t like it. Go look at his 2020 draft grades. Some early gems, Herbert D-, Andrew Thomas D+, Justin Jefferson C, AJ Terrell F.
The logic behind his draft choices is pretty obvious. Players with unique combinations of athletic/physical traits and skillsets that will cause opponents fits. And it started with the drafting of Sewell. Now we have a RB and a TE who can legitimately split out wide. Or block. A tiny safety who could line up at the Nickel one play, and Linebacker the next. Who else can do that?
Our marquee players going forward are going to be Hutchinson and Penei. They're going to be eating a lot of that cap space. Are you really going to just add to that by drafting more marquee players at premium, high-salary positions? That's the Mayhew "three-headed monster" approach (Stafford, Calvin, Suh).
It's weird, and a little gimmicky, but football should be entertaining.
Last Edit: May 9, 2023 11:46:27 GMT -6 by rustyhilger
I think the plan is pretty clear, and that's playoffs and to make noise in the playoffs while we have that short window of opportunity.
And the logic behind his draft choices is pretty obvious. Players with unique combinations of athletic/physical traits and skillsets that will cause opponents fits. Payers with speed or agility that defies their size or position. And it started with the drafting of Sewell. The ability to just loft a throw to your right tackle. With our latest draft, we have a RB and a TE who can legitimately split out wide. Or block. A tiny safety who could line up at the Nickel one play, and Linebacker the next. Who else can do that?
Our marquee players going forward are going to be Aiden Hutchinson and Penei. They're going to be eating a lot of that cap space. Are you really going to just add to that by drafting more marquee players at premium, high-salary positions? That's the Mayhew "three-headed monster" approach (Stafford, Calvin, Suh).
It's weird, and a little gimmicky, but football should be entertaining.
But is the talent level on this team good enough to be spending valuable resources on "gimmicky" players? I feel like this was a draft a team like the Chiefs could pull off, or the Patriots in their heyday. Even the Eagles seems to recognize their talent shortcomings despite going to a Superbowl and drafted accordingly.
I think the plan is pretty clear, and that's playoffs and to make noise in the playoffs while we have that short window of opportunity.
And the logic behind his draft choices is pretty obvious. Players with unique combinations of athletic/physical traits and skillsets that will cause opponents fits. Payers with speed or agility that defies their size or position. And it started with the drafting of Sewell. The ability to just loft a throw to your right tackle. With our latest draft, we have a RB and a TE who can legitimately split out wide. Or block. A tiny safety who could line up at the Nickel one play, and Linebacker the next. Who else can do that?
Our marquee players going forward are going to be Aiden Hutchinson and Penei. They're going to be eating a lot of that cap space. Are you really going to just add to that by drafting more marquee players at premium, high-salary positions? That's the Mayhew "three-headed monster" approach (Stafford, Calvin, Suh).
It's weird, and a little gimmicky, but football should be entertaining.
But is the talent level on this team good enough to be spending valuable resources on "gimmicky" players? I feel like this was a draft a team like the Chiefs could pull off, or the Patriots in their heyday. Even the Eagles seems to recognize their talent shortcomings despite going to a Superbowl and drafted accordingly.
Long-term, you have the ability to have more marquee cornerstone players, because some of those players will be at positions that don't command premium salary.
Our marquee players going forward are going to be Hutchinson and Penei. They're going to be eating a lot of that cap space. Are you really going to just add to that by drafting more marquee players at premium, high-salary positions?
This is what I keep coming back to...especially at the draft when everyone was talking about DEs...
But is the talent level on this team good enough to be spending valuable resources on "gimmicky" players? I feel like this was a draft a team like the Chiefs could pull off, or the Patriots in their heyday. Even the Eagles seems to recognize their talent shortcomings despite going to a Superbowl and drafted accordingly.Â
you don't think this team feels a little like a young chiefs team? Those teams started somewhere, but you're comparing finished products to an up and comer?
But is the talent level on this team good enough to be spending valuable resources on "gimmicky" players? I feel like this was a draft a team like the Chiefs could pull off, or the Patriots in their heyday. Even the Eagles seems to recognize their talent shortcomings despite going to a Superbowl and drafted accordingly.
you don't think this team feels a little like a young chiefs team? Those teams started somewhere, but you're comparing finished products to an up and comer?
That was my point. The Lions draft seemed more like the way a finished product would draft, not an up and comer.
But is the talent level on this team good enough to be spending valuable resources on "gimmicky" players? I feel like this was a draft a team like the Chiefs could pull off, or the Patriots in their heyday. Even the Eagles seems to recognize their talent shortcomings despite going to a Superbowl and drafted accordingly.
Long-term, you have the ability to have more marquee cornerstone players, because some of those players will be at positions that don't command premium salary.
Also positions that generally don't get second contracts.
you don't think this team feels a little like a young chiefs team? Those teams started somewhere, but you're comparing finished products to an up and comer?
That was my point. The Lions draft seemed more like the way a finished product would draft, not an up and comer.
How should they have drafted? They went into free agency and attacked all their immediate needs. Everyone said it, they could really go best talent on the board because of the way they played free agency.
No team is really a finished product. I think it all circles back to Goff. If Josh Allen or Burrow was the QB with the same roster I’d guess most would consider them more of a finished product.
Last Edit: May 9, 2023 13:58:04 GMT -6 by badnews3123
you don't think this team feels a little like a young chiefs team? Those teams started somewhere, but you're comparing finished products to an up and comer?
That was my point. The Lions draft seemed more like the way a finished product would draft, not an up and comer.
they became the finished product with the playmakers...kinda like the guys the lions are taking...
That was my point. The Lions draft seemed more like the way a finished product would draft, not an up and comer.
How should they have drafted? They went into free agency and attacked all their immediate needs. Everyone said it, they could really go best talent on the board because of the way they played free agency.
No team is really a finished product. I think it all circles back to Goff. If Josh Allen or Burrow was the QB with the same roster I’d guess most would consider them more of a finished product.
if we had a stud DT I'd feel real good...run D and collapsing the pocket up the middle still concerns me...
How should they have drafted? They went into free agency and attacked all their immediate needs. Everyone said it, they could really go best talent on the board because of the way they played free agency.
No team is really a finished product. I think it all circles back to Goff. If Josh Allen or Burrow was the QB with the same roster I’d guess most would consider them more of a finished product.
if we had a stud DT I'd feel real good...run D and collapsing the pocket up the middle still concerns me...
I think that’s fair, but I also think they’re going to look at guys like Paschal and Cominsky as interior pass rushers and they like McNeil at 3T, which is why they went after a nose in Martin.
And I think you can look at most of the top teams and find a spot that may be weak, but they have that QB that makes people overlook it.
