With The First Pick
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Franchise Building Blocks: Detroit Lions

By Jon Dove

Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass the ball against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. The Lions won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks to pass the ball against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. The Lions won 24-20. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Detroit Lions are coming off a strong season that saw Matthew Stafford become one of the elite quarterbacks in the NFL.

Matthew Stafford’s step forward has the Detroit Lions looking like a team capable of making multiple playoff appearances. As a whole, the front office has done a great job adding franchise building blocks at key positions.

A lot of Stafford’s success this season can be attributed to some improvements along the offensive line. Rookie Taylor Decker solidified the left tackle position while showing the ability to potentially develop into an All-Pro.

Detroit has some work to do this offseason to keep the offensive line in tact with both Larry Warford and Riley Reiff scheduled to hit free agency. How they address this issue will be key to the team’s success next season.

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The front office also did a great job bringing in some offensive weapons to offset the loss of Calvin Johnson. Marvin Jones had a great first half of the year before falling off the cliff. The coaching staff needs to find a way to get a full-years worth of production out of Jones.

Golden Tate had another productive year while the Lions finally started to see Eric Ebron live up to his potential.

Running back Theo Riddick continued to be a matchup problem and someone Stafford could rely on. However, the injury and lack of production from Ameer Abdullah raises the need to find a running back capable of grinding out the tough yards.

The defensive side of the ball is where the roster needs the most work. This is a unit that has some high-end talent such as Ziggy Ansah and Darius Slay but needs a few more playmakers.

A’Shawn Robinson, Kerry Hyder, Tahir Whitehead and Glover Quinn are the other building blocks on this side of the ball. Hyder’s breakout season was much needed and really gave the Lions some added juice up front.

Veterans Haloti Ngata and DeAndre Levy will both play a major role, but injuries and age have their time with the team running out.

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